It wasn’t too long ago that we saw Bono sitting down with author, pastor and Bible translator Eugene Peterson. In that interview we heard of the lead singer’s love for Psalms and listened in as he and the seasoned theologian discussed the intersection of faith and art. Bono has praised Peterson publicly and used his version of the Bible, The Message, for more than a decade, both personally and in concert. (More about that Peterson connection here, here and here.)
Now Bono is endorsing another Christian author. Richard Rohr is a Franciscan priest who makes his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Center for Action and Contemplation. Rohr has published numerous books, but his latest, The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation, has received special attention from Bono.
Finding the sweet spot where contemporary science meets ancient mysticism, and theology meets poetry, The Divine Dance sketches a beautiful choreography for a life well–lived. In our joy or our pain, true life is always relational, a flow, a dance. (And was always meant to be.)
In Divine Dance, Rohr wants to reorient us to the mystic and transcendent quality of God as he is known in the Trinity. The fancy academic term for this theological topic is “perichoresis,” the dynamic and fluid dance-like interplay of Father, Son and Spirit. Rohr says that, in our modern society, we have reduced God solely to an individual, a rational being like us. To do so limits our understanding of the Divine as an ongoing creative entity. Restoring our concept of a transcendent God will once again help us find our purpose and place in relationship to the grand cosmos, and thus, to each other.
No wonder Bono likes this stuff. He has a keen interest in how we connect to the creation and the cosmos. A prime example of this is found in the live presentation of “Iris (Hold Me Close).” Bono's allusion to stars, time, light, darkness and the coldness of space, while simultaneously reflecting on a relationship with his mother, against the backdrop of Oliver Jeffers’s illustrated constellations (which eventually hurtle down through the window of the lead singer's childhood bedroom), illustrate what Rohr is getting at: A proper understanding of a cosmic Trinity helps us understand our own connectedness with God, humanity and the creation.
Good stuff. I couldn’t agree more.
But that’s not the only connection between U2 and Rohr we’ve seen lately. A couple of months ago Edge posted a little video clip of dolphins swimming in the wake of a boat on the ocean, with the caption, “Enneagram buddies.” Huh? Enne-what?
The Enneagram is an ancient spiritual tool that Rohr is well known for using to teach about personality types. When Edge posted that video, he was winking at us and letting us know that he is the “dolphin” type, which corresponds with Rohr’s “type nine.”
Here are some of the descriptors:
Basic desire of type nine: To have inner stability "peace of mind."
Type nines are pleasant, peaceful, generous, patient, receptive, diplomatic, open-minded and empathetic.
They are peacemakers. Their gift of accepting others without prejudice makes people feel understood and accepted.
They can be unbiased arbitrators, because they can see and appreciate the positive aspects of both sides.
Their sense of fairness may make them committed fighters for peace and justice. They express harsh truths calmly and so matter-of-factly that it’s easy for others to “swallow” these truths.
In the presence of a nine, many feel it’s easy to come to rest.
Remember all those times Bono has introduced Edge as a “Zen-Presbyterian”? That’s our guitarist!
So two of U2’s members are connecting with Rohr. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see that Enneagram show up in the graphics of a new tour. Regardless, I’m always intrigued to learn of influences that impact the spirituality of this band. And I’m glad they find Rohr a help.
Five years ago, I wrote a piece for www.atu2.com about the 30th anniversary of U2's album October. Upon its release, the record wasn't received well by critics, but it has been meaningful and enduring for many fans. It's spiritual themes, reflecting the Christian commune that Bono, Edge and Larry were a part of, convey a hopeful, optimistic message, demonstrating the "anti-cynic" attitude of four adolescents who wouldn't let their futures be dictated by the despair of 1970's Dublin. You could almost hear Bono singing, "Don't let the bastards bring you down." But, of course, it would take another decade to develop that idea.
On this 35th anniversary of October, I offer, once again, my review from 2011, which also includes a rare U2 interview from 1982.
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October is a wonderful month. It's a month of contrasts and collisions. Where I live, in California, it can be 100 degrees and raining or 40 degrees and foggy. It's a season in which there are still roses in my garden but also trees that are turning yellow and red. October is about change, movement, transformation.
I think that's why I'm drawn to the album October, and especially the song of the same title. "October" is a song of contradictions; it's a parable of the temporal and the eternal, of the unstable and the unchangeable . . . .
U2 have certainly been making news the last couple of weeks. Check out just a few of the headlines:
U2's Bono says Trump threat to 'American Dream' -Washington Examiner
U2 Blast Donald Trump During San Francisco Show -RollingStone.com
Bono conducts angry 'face-off' with Donald Trump during U2 show -Irish Examiner
Bono: Trump 'hijacked' the Republican Party, could 'destroy' America - Washington Times
So why are U2 so upset with Donald Trump? Are they just grabbing for headlines? Maybe pandering to political partisanship? I don’t think so. It’s much deeper than that.
At each of the only two concerts U2 have played in 2016 (I attended both), they used their setlist to make statements not just about Trump, but about a core set of American ideals. Though they were limited to only ten songs at the Sep. 23 iHeart Music Festival in Las Vegas, the band used precious stage time to challenge Trump with a scorching version of “Desire.” Featuring video of the presidential hopeful’s announcement that “the American Dream is dead,” Bono retorted, “The American Dream is ALIVE!”
"Desire," September 23, 2016, Las Vegas iHeart Music Festival
On Oct. 5, at the Dreamforce concert in San Francisco, U2 channeled all the anger and emotion of the original version of “Bullet the Blue Sky,” this time using footage of Trump chanting, “Build that wall,” while an angry Bono countered with a quote from the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
"Bullet the Blue Sky," October 5, 2016, San Francisco Dreamfest
What is this Irish quartet up to? Why on the 40th anniversary of their founding (September 25, 1976) are they wading into American politics?
Here are five things to consider when listening to the U2 vs. Trump debate.
1. This is not a partisan attack
U2 have a long history of collaborating with both Republicans and Democrats. During the Jubilee 2000 campaign, Bono teamed up with US Senators on both sides of the aisle, resulting in America’s commitment to forgive $6 billion in Third World debt. In 2002, he established DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade for Africa) to promote debt relief, AIDS education and fair trade legislation. In 2004, Bono co-founded the ONE Campaign, an organization that now includes 7.5 million members who regularly advocate for Africa, regardless of political ideology. In 2006, he helped create Product (RED), an initiative merging philanthropy with corporate merchandising that has raised over $350 million and aided over 60 million people across sub-Saharan Africa. Uncommonly skillful at American politics and well-studied on the sources of African poverty, Bono has gained endorsements from conservatives such as US Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill and Senator Jesse Helms. In 2003, Bono found an ally in President George W. Bush, whose administration authorized an unprecedented $15 billion for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an amount that grew to $60 billion by 2016. No president since—Republican or Democrat—has matched that level of contribution to Africa.
At the iHeart concert, U2 littered the audience with fake money during “Desire.” These “Trump dollars” contained a myriad of messages, many of which were direct quotes from Republicans.
If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under. -Ronald Reagan
America has never been united by blood or birth or soil. We are bound by ideals. -George W. Bush
Others may hate you but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. -Richard Nixon
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. -Dwight D. Eisenhower
My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth. -Abraham Lincoln
U2’s argument is not with Republicans or those who are following Trump. The band members know that there are a lot of smart, compassionate and motivated conservatives out there. Nor are the boys endorsing Hillary Clinton. They are going after Trump because of his lack of commitment to many of this country’s great ideals, as well as his threatening position on foreign relations and immigration. Bono’s advice in Vegas: “Peace is not just the absence of violence. Peace is love organized! So get out and vote, whoever you vote for.”
2. This is satire
Both of the concert videos U2 have recently released (see above) demonstrate a style of rhetoric the band are really good at. Satire and irony are common throughout U2’s 40-year story. They have always fought absurdity with absurdity. We see this in Lypton Village, a surreal world they invented as teens to protect themselves from the harshness of a violent Dublin. On the Joshua Tree tour, the boys donned costumes and were their own warmup act, posing as a country band called the Dalton Brothers. In the '90s, Bono took on various shady, evil-looking personae to call out contemporary topics. Who better to speak to devilish issues than the devil himself? (Bono has credited Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis for this inspiration). On the Zoo TV tour, U2’s use of irony and absurdity culminated in nightly calls from the stage to the White House—none of which were answered.
Satire creates awareness by using humor to exaggerate an issue. That’s exactly what U2 are doing in both the Vegas and San Francisco shows. The audience knows Trump never actually told Edge that he would “like to punch him in the face.” But to accentuate the attitude and meaning behind Trump’s words, U2 bring the phrase to the surface multiple times in a comical way. It worked. Lots of people in the crowd laughed, just like when political candidates are lampooned nightly by Stephen Colbert.
And there’s another gem of top-shelf irony that’s happening at the Dreamforce show. In San Francisco, Bono never referred to Trump by name, but always called him the “Candidate.” Reminiscent of the Dark Lord in Harry Potter ("He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named"), or the monsters in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village (“Those we do not speak of”), Bono recognizes that speaking the name of a foe gives that entity power and legitimacy. Bono also knows his Old Testament. In Genesis, the act of naming is inextricably tied to the act of creation (God said, “Let there be light.” God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”) Throughout the ancient biblical text people’s names are changed to signal new identities (Abram became Abraham when he moved his family to the Promised Land). U2 know the power of naming and they sing about it on No Line on the Horizon—in “Unknown Caller,” the listener is told, “You know your name, so punch it in.” It’s a masterful use of irony. In un-naming Trump they disarm him.
One of U2’s strongest features has always been their inclination toward satire. They’re at their best when poking at Trump.
3. This is prophetic
Bono loves the prophets. At the end of the Old Testament, there are 15 books written by a group of people who functioned as spokesmen for God. Throughout their proclamations, these prophets called the lapsed Hebrews back into a relationship with their creator, Yahweh. What was their sin? How had they wandered away? The accusation repeatedly made by Jeremiah, Isaiah, Hosea, Amos and others is that God’s nation had consistently ignored three groups of marginalized people: the widow, the orphan and the foreigner. From the Ten Commandments (“You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt,” Exodus 22:21), to the last book of the Old Testament (“I [God] will be quick to testify against . . . those who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice,” Malachi 3:5), the message is clear.
U2 are modern day prophets as they say some incredibly harsh things, which, just like the ancient prophets, might make them unpopular. But the words always point back to issues of justice. The Hebrews believed they were God’s people, his nation, yet they were guilty of oppressing the poorest of the poor, including the foreigner in their midst. When Bono fights back at Trump’s restrictive foreign policy, he is mimicking the actions of Old Testament prophets.
And Bono is not afraid of a fight. In fact, the older he gets, the more he seems to rekindle the righteous zeal that was so evident in the Joshua Tree era when he would cuss out the IRA or name those who wouldn’t support anti-apartheid sanctions. When asked by Michka Assayas whether he is ever afraid or intimidated by global leaders, Bono responded like a prophet of old:
I represent a lot of people who have no voice at all. . . . I think that imbues you with a power way beyond anything that you might have an influence on, being in a pop band. It’s a certain moral authority that’s way beyond your own life and capabilities. The punch you throw is not your own. It has the force of a much bigger issues.
At the iHeart concert, the lead singer reminded us, “If you can’t by conscience vote for Donald Trump and you’re a Republican, then vote in your local elections. Vote for someone that holds sacred the idea that a man or a woman is not defined by his or her ethnicity or religion.”
Keep punching, Bono. And may your swings on behalf of the marginalized only get stronger with age.
4. This is an outsider’s perspective
It’s often said that U2 have no right to talk about American politics. Critics cry, “You’re Irish, so shut up and go home.” But those not willing to listen to an outside voice are doomed to myopic thinking. Not only do we need the perspective of others, we should seek it out and value it. As the US follows the lead of Britain and becomes increasingly isolationist, we must be careful to hear how the rest of the world views that shift. Gone are the days of the powerful nation-state. We now live in a global village that is much bigger than our own country.
U2 provide a perspective we in America need. Bono has repeatedly reminded us, “America is more than a country. America is an idea.” In San Francisco he continued his mock conversation with Trump: “Now Candidate, you understand it’s not just Mexican people who are gonna have a problem with that wall of yours. It’s everyone who loves the idea of America. The Irish, for example. Or the French or the Brazilians. Everyone who loves the idea of America.”
In America, we desperately need artists and prophets from the outside to help us find our way.
5. This is also a message about MLK
U2’s tirade against Trump didn’t end with Trump. When people watch these clips online, unfortunately, they don’t see what comes next. Both in Vegas and in San Francisco, U2 followed the take-down with a timely tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his commitment to peace. “More than ever,” Bono reminded us at each show during “Pride (In the Name of Love),” “we need the spirit of Dr. King. More than ever, we need the spirit of nonviolence. Not just across America, but across the world.” Then, using original video footage, U2 featured King in his own words: “I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!” U2 confront Trump because they are afraid that so much of the progress made by MLK and other activists seeking global justice could be undone.
U2 often call out the worst in America, but not without suggesting a spirited way forward. Watch for this progression at a U2 concert. It’s brilliant—lament turns to celebration, discouragement transforms into hope, pain moves to promise. This liturgy is predictable, anticipated and welcomed. And in an American election cycle, it’s necessary. "Dream out loud!" Bono prompted the San Francisco audience. "Dream up the world you want to live in!"
It’s infectious. The joy. The celebration. I tried to sleep last night, but the new lyric only got louder in my tired brain.
Evidently, the crowd in Bergen, Norway, felt the same on August 20 when DJ Kygo premiered the new song, introducing it as a collaboration between him and U2, and calling it “You’re the Best Thing About Me.” As the pop-driven groove locked into place, the Cloud 9 Festival dance party ramped up. Hands in the air. Spectators nearly screaming the chorus on its second round. Already irresistible.
We don’t know much about this unusual debut (though we know U2 love unusual debuts – who could forget Tim Cook and Bono touching fingers in September 2014?). But we have cobbled together most of the new lyrics, so here are some of my initial thoughts.
1. Is this an anniversary gift for Ali? Today, August 21, marks the 34th year of marriage for the couple. In his familiar self-deprecating way, Bono sings,
You're the best thing about me The best thing that ever happened to Boy You're the best thing about me I'm the kinda trouble that you enjoy
It reminds me a lot of “Sweetest Thing”:
Blue-eyed boy meets a brown-eyed girl
And more self-deprecation follows in "Best Thing":
I'll be crying out How bad can a good boy be? Shooting off my mouth That's another great thing about me
Only Ali could live with that ego and that mouth for 34 years. And Bono knows it. (Remember when Bono would point to himself while singing “Some people got way too much confidence, baby” in “Original Of The Species”?)
2. I like the missing article in the first line of the chorus. I’d expect Bono to sing,
You're the best thing about me / The best thing that ever happened to a boy.
But this song continues the exploration of the band’s beginnings, so Bono leaves out the “a” and changes “boy” to a proper noun, making it,
The best thing that ever happened to Boy.
Wow, so many places to go with that one. “Boy” – a nickname he or Ali use for himself; a reference to that very first album way back when the couple was just dating; the “time won’t take the boy out of this man” nature of his childish spirit; a way to link the present to the past in some kind of full-circle reflection that the Innocence + Experience tour used so well. I think it’s a lyrical subtlety that shows the singer at his best.
3. Bono loves to write in contrasts and contradictions. Good artists always do. So in the middle of a love song, he interjects a bit of doubt and fear. “Why am I walking away?” is asked again and again throughout the tune. Didn’t he already promise: “If you walk away, walk away, I will follow”? Each are gut-level sentiments, both relevant to any important relationship. Here I’m reminded of the father’s love and acceptance of the prodigal son in “The First Time,” when Bono confesses,
He said 'I have many mansions And there are many rooms to see' But I left by the back door And I threw away the key
The idea is also expressed in "Every Breaking Wave":
We know that we fear to win And so we end before we begin
The risk of a loving relationship is that either we will be rejected, or, if we’re honest, we may be the one doing the rejecting.
4. The upside-down nature of the song is also unmistakable. Bono loves to turn a phrase. One of my favorite lines in “Best Thing” is,
When we’ve seen enough to know that children can preach.
I’ll admit, I can’t quite make that lyric out and it’s just a guess at this point, but it fits with a variety of themes the band has used in other songs:
The more you see the less you know / The less you find out as you go
Baby slow down / The end is not as fun as the start / Please stay a child somewhere in your heart
And then Bono’s own late-in-life admission:
It's hard to listen while you preach
There are some nice Scriptural connections to the children motif as well:
I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Matthew 11:25
From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise. Matthew 21:16
5. Finally, that word “You’re” is intriguing to me. We have a problem in the English language – we can never know if “you” is singular or plural, except through its usage and context (though in the southern States, “y’all” makes the plural form very clear). If I say, “You ought to listen to the new U2 song,” do I mean you personally, or the whole group of you reading this? When Bono sings, “You’re the best thing,” is he speaking to Ali, or could he be addressing a larger audience? Ahhh, here is another of our lyricist’s best qualities. Intentional ambiguity. Who is the “You” in “You’re”?
As in any really good U2 song, I think there are layers here.
First layer. On the surface, it’s a love song to Ali. She is the “you.”
Second layer. Just below that, there is a larger relational appeal to U2’s fan base. This could be a fantastic song in concert as the band looks out on the audience and reaffirms, “YOU are the best thing!” I can already imagine pictures of concert goers on the screen while the tune plays. U2 turns the cameras and lights around. The band is now the audience and the fans are in the spotlight. Willie Williams would really enjoy this one.
Third layer. As happens many times in U2’s work, there is a spiritual implication. The “You” could also be the divine. Near the end of the song, Bono sings, “You saved me from myself.” Is that line about Ali? Is it about fellow band mates? Is it about the audience? Is it about God? I say “yes” to all of those questions. Bono has already admitted as much on the Innocence + Experience tour (also including, “Rock ’n’ Roll saved my life!”).
It’s possible and probable that “Best Thing” is a dance mix of an upcoming album tune (Songs Of Experience certainly can’t be far away). “Best Thing” has the musical feel of U2’s concert remix of “I Know I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight,” and would be a cool addition to the next tour. Thematically, the song works like “Invisible,” as it celebrates the audience and leads fans to the party we all know will eventually happen at a U2 concert.
Whatever the interpretation, I hope the song is here to stay. And I hope it’s an indication of great things to come in the next year.
And I hope Bono and Ali have a WONDERFUL anniversary!
In a brief recorded message, Bono made an appearance at Willow Creek Community Church near the end of the 5:30 p.m. worship service on Saturday. The church, located in the south suburbs of Chicago, was wrapping up its “Celebration of Hope," an annual series challenging members to think theologically and practically about social justice issues.
Earlier in the service, filmmaker Richard Curtis spoke in an interview with founding pastor Bill Hybels. Widely known for his comedy screenwriting (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually), Curtis spent time talking about his role creating Comic Relief and Red Nose Day. He is also the founder of Make Poverty History and helped organize Live 8. During the interview, he made a passionate and articulate plea for continued support of Africa and the ongoing effort to eliminate senseless poverty.
As Hybels concluded the worship gathering, he told audience members that Bono had contacted him after hearing about several of the church’s initiatives to help raise funds for and promote awareness of the current refugee crisis. Bono is no stranger to Willow Creek. He has appeared in recorded segments for two of the church’s annual leadership conferences. In a 2006 interview with Hybels, Bono challenged leaders to respond to the AIDS crisis in Africa with compassion and urgency.
During Saturday’s church service, Hybels introduced Bono, saying that he keeps in loose contact with the lead singer as they discuss common concerns and efforts to serve the poor, and then played a message that Bono had sent to him in the middle of the previous night.
Bono’s greeting:
Hey, Bill. Hey, Lynne. Hello to everybody at Willow Creek. I’ve been thinking about you all recently and the heroic work you’ve been doing on the refugee crisis. Thank you, thank you.
“I was a stranger, and you let me in.” Matthew 25. It would appear that exile was close to the heart of who Jesus was. I’m also thinking of Matthew 8: “The foxes have holes, the birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Not just “no room at the inn,” Jesus was a displaced person—his family fleeing to Egypt for fear of the life of their firstborn child. Yep, Jesus was a refugee.
Now, our closeness with Christ is not always about proximity to the poor and the vulnerable. But if we’re honest, it often is. “Love thy neighbor—as we’ve all shared in Willow Creek before—“Love thy neighbor” is not advice, it’s a command. In a globalized world, the definition of neighbor is not what it used to be. But, the principle hasn’t changed.
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner amongst you must be treated as your native born. Love them as yourself, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” [Lev. 19:33-34] This refugee crisis, is defining us here in Europe—and less so in the United States—but the whole world has a job to do. And it’s not easy. We have political figures from across the political spectrum demonizing refugees. And we as believers are called to take a stand. I know you will.
Thank you for your leadership, Willow Creek. Thank you.
Not unlike the messages he was preaching a decade ago when crusading for ONE and (RED), Bono continues his call to justice, as well as his rationale to do so from a biblical basis. Once a fierce antagonist of institutional religion, U2’s frontman seems to be extremely comfortable with and genuinely grateful for churches that pursue social justice as an authentic part of their Christian witness.
Bono’s presentation will also be played at the regular Sunday morning services, and is available for streaming at https://willowcreek.tv/.
UPDATE (04/24/2016): Bono's presentation is available to watch here.
March 1987. That was the month two pop records were released—albums that eventually gained iconic 1980s status. It might have been a well-timed conspiracy, or it was more likely a reaction to the era, but both reflected an unsettled view of America.
Prince’s Sign ☮ the Times (intended to read “Sign ‘O The Times” using a peace sign) came out on March 31, just three weeks after U2’s The Joshua Tree. Each had the feel of a commentary on a country that was wandering into decadence, greed and unbridled self-indulgence. Superficiality reigned as Wall Street seemed to supply every desire. Both albums were a call to things that should matter more than the stuff of materialism: peace, identity, soul and a vision for the future of what could be.
Though Prince was about half of a decade ahead of U2 with his exploration of human sexuality (that wouldn’t come until the 1991 release of Achtung Baby for the Irish quartet), there was another theme Joshua Tree and Sign had in common: they each offered a song that provided bold spiritual commentary. Prince’s “The Cross” and U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” are so startlingly similar, it’s worth a look.
Here’s a lyric comparison.
Each song signals something that is in the process of coming but isn’t quite here in its fullness. The Gospels call it “the kingdom of God” or the “kingdom of heaven,” and offer the hope of Christ’s return in the midst of suffering and incompleteness.
“The Cross” Black day, stormy night, No love, no hope in sight Don't cry, he is coming, Don't die without knowing, The Cross
“Still Haven’t Found” I believe in the Kingdom Come, Then all the colours will bleed into one Bleed into one, But yes, I'm still running
Each song describes the tension of a world that is both plagued by pain and evil, while at the same time on a journey toward restoration. Heartache will eventually be overcome by joy. Evil will, in the end, submit to the Divine. But we’re not left without signs of hope along the way.
“The Cross” Ghettos to the left of us, Flowers to the right There'll be bread for all of us, If we can just bear, The Cross
“Still Haven’t Found” I have spoke with the tongue of angels, I have held the hand of a devil It was warm in the night, I was cold as a stone But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
Each song asserts that the very hope we all look for is ultimately found in the cross. And whether you hear this as a metaphor or a literal reality, both Prince and U2 suggest that the very cross of Christ—that tool of suffering imposed on the perfect man—marks a dividing point between good and evil. “Look to the cross for help and comfort,” our artists say.
“The Cross” We all have our problems, Some big, some are small Soon all of our problems, Will be taken by, The Cross
“Still Haven’t Found” You broke the bonds, And you loosed the chains Carried the cross of my shame, Oh my shame, you know I believe it.
Prince and U2 were reflecting a need in 1987 for a spiritual conversation. Each, through means of a “secular” album, picked up the theme and crafted one of the most religious songs of their careers. I don’t think it was a coincidence. More likely it was a response to a Spirit that was moving like a current below the surface of a calm river, deep in the souls of the artists. I’m glad they were each listening. Their responses gave us a prophetic word that’s still relevant nearly thirty years later.
On the eve of Christmas, at the dawn of a new millennium, speaking at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Archbishop Desmond Tutu used an unlikely metaphor to describe the miracle of Jesus’ entry into the human experience: graffiti. What does graffiti have in common with the coming of God’s Son? How can an act of vandalism be used to describe the birth of a holy child?
Archbishop Tutu was suggesting that Christ’s entrance into the world was as bold and as incongruous as the scribbled writing we see on schools, businesses, churches, billboards and freeway overpasses. Jesus was God’s graffiti! Yet the retelling of the Christmas story has become so commonplace that we hardly hear how strange and offensive the whole scenario really was.
The birth of Christ has lost its power to surprise us. Let’s consider some of the odd twists in this story. Mary, the mother of Jesus, lived in Nazareth of Galilee, a lowly town when compared to the capital of Jerusalem in Judea (a much more likely place for rearing a king). As an unwed pregnant teen Mary walked almost 100 miles with her fiancé to Bethlehem (only mothers can understand the distress this might have caused late in the third trimester). Due to a convention in town, the young couple couldn’t find a room to stay in and their baby was born in a less than sanitary environment (and no Demerol or epidural). After the delivery, the only birth announcements were sent via a band of angels to a despised group of migrant field workers that Joseph and Mary had never met (wouldn’t King Herod’s court have been a more appropriate place for the royal announcement?).
Where would Jesus be born today and would anybody take notice? In modern-day Jerusalem the world famous King David Hotel is the place where diplomats and dignitaries stay. I doubt Jesus’ parents would be able to afford the $2,000-per-night deluxe suite overlooking the Old City (I checked and all the rooms are full this Christmas Eve anyway).
We have to be careful in trying to predict where God would arrive on our planet. He has the strangest knack of showing up where we least expect him. This is evident throughout Scripture but especially in the life and teaching of Jesus. Here are just a few ways he surprised his followers.
It was the foreigner of another faith, a Samaritan, that helped the beaten and left-for-dead Jewish man on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. It was the woman at the well, an outcast who had been abused by many different men, that ended up being the first evangelist in the Gospel of John. It was those who did not know they were serving God that were invited into the kingdom simply because they were helping “the least of these,” not the self-righteous folks who constantly invoked the name of the Lord in an attempt to gain His favor. Surprise!
Where would God show up? I do not know, but there is one thing I am sure of: He wouldn’t be in the places or with the people I would expect. This is the danger of discrimination. Nazareth, Bethlehem, unwed mothers, stables, shepherds—all the stuff of first-century discrimination. I wonder, would God appear with the people I am most prejudiced against? Will He continue to come to the places I and others might find offensive?
Mary did not ride into Bethlehem on a donkey; the innkeeper never said, “There’s no room in the inn;” there is no mention of a baby sleeping in hay; Jesus’ birth more likely took place in a cave or grotto than a barn; and the magi were not kings, did not arrive until two to three years after Christ’s birth and no one knows how many there were. Unfortunately, most of our understanding of Christmas comes through carols and cards rather than through the recorded narrative of the Bible. Reread the story this holiday season and be ready to be surprised. And watch for God’s graffiti as He reveals himself in the most unexpected places.
(Originally posted on my blog for Christmas 2007. The story of Archbishop Tutu was taken from The aWAKE Project.)
One of the greatest things about going to a U2 concert or joining the U2 tribe is the friends that are made along the way. It’s a stunning byproduct of the band’s music, message and mission, and I’m sure it’s intentional.
Something that I’ve particularly loved about the i+e tour is the amount of connectedness we’ve all had on social media—Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Periscope, Meerkat, podcasts, group chats—they all seem to converge in a pallet of colors and connecting points.
U2.com, the band and the crew have been amazingly helpful in facilitating community over the last six months. When I attended the opener in Vancouver, and started Periscoping soon after, I had no idea I’d have so many new friends by the end of the first leg. Many of you have even told me you started using a specific mode of social media just so you could follow the band and join the community. That’s a great use of the technology!
If anyone from the U2 org is listening, here’s a huge “Thank You” from all of us in the Crystal Ballroom—the amazing, serendipitous online community that’s developed into a tribe of love and support. It surprises and delights me on almost a daily basis. I know it wouldn’t have come together as it has without some important voices giving it support and legitimization.
The current contest on U2.com, however, has left me in kind of a quandary, and I wonder if it has had some unintended consequences. On the one hand, it’s another way to bring people in the U2 community together, as well as signal yet again the band’s desire to connect with fans. That’s great stuff! But on the other hand, it seems to have generated a spirit of competition among fans that I’m not quite comfortable with. At best, the contest is fun and spirited; at worst, it feels—as one of my friends suggested—a bit like the Hunger Games.
In the Crystal Ballroom, we’re trying to create a community that’s primarily shaped by the music, work and activism of U2. Our table is big. Very big. There’s room for everyone. And though I don’t have to deal with trolls very often, it still pains me to block them because I fundamentally believe that all—even the trolls—are welcome!
Which leads me back to my dilemma with the contest: I’ve learned to know, appreciate and love so many of you, and I don’t find myself able to participate in a process that would favor one of you over another. Beautiful people, all! None more beautiful than another. I’ve received a lot of requests to promote or endorse individuals, but please don’t interpret my nonsupport or a nonresponse as negative. Rather, it’s a statement in favor of all.
In the Crystal Ballroom, we’re committed to fostering friendships. The new technology helps us do this in ways that weren’t previously possible. And because I wouldn’t do anything that would jeopardize the community we have built, my vote is for “us.” There is no them. All are welcome.
Thanks again to all the U2 fans who have participated, and to the wonderful U2 org that has created so many paths for us to connect on this tour. My life is richer for it.
And by the way, if you are someone who has made it up on the stage, we’d love to have you stop by the Crystal Ballroom and say “hi.” You know your name . . . punch it in!
(This is a repost from my other blog. These posts are journals entries for me. I guess that's who I'm writing them for anyway. This one was written long before the i+e tour, and long before I had any inkling of an idea we'd end up having a Crystal Ballroom chat community on Periscope. To paraphrase a comment Bono often makes, "These blog posts write me.")
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We’re the ghosts of love / And we haunt this place We’re the ghosts of love / In every face In the ballroom of the crystal light / Everyone’s here with me tonight Everyone but you
It’s Halloween, the sacred night when, historically, the dead have been remembered and honored on the eve of All Saints Day. In Medieval times, it was thought that the spirits of the dead wandered the earth. Church bells were rung in honor of departed souls and candles were lit to point the dead to their eternal rest.
Our contemporary culture has been disenchanted—that is, disconnected from any sense of the supernatural as an important part of life. In an age of scientific confidence, there is no room for the superstition of premodern times. As a consequence, our postmodern culture churns out literature, movies and art highlighting vampires, zombies and ghosts at an unprecedented rate, hoping to reconnect with something beyond the physical.
U2’s “The Crystal Ballroom” is a brilliant gift to a culture on a desperate search for the supernatural. Written in a neo-disco style, with shades of funk, the song transports us to a previous era of swirling lights and shimmering dance floors, color cascading from mirror balls and chandeliers.
But the characters in this ballroom aren’t the evil spirits of horror flicks. These are ghosts of love. These are the phantoms of life itself. We stand amidst the chaos of an unpredictable, sometimes unkind world, and end up “wondering why we’re here.” But the ghosts provide a clue. They remind us that the “human story is what love leaves behind.” The heart bells become our guide. The crystal light points the way.
Bono has been fairly revealing about this song. He told The Irish Times, “My mother and father used to dance together in the Crystal Ballroom, so that song... is me imagining I’m on the stage of McGonagles with this new band I’m in called U2.... And I look out into the audience and I see my mother and father dancing romantically together to U2 on the stage.” Wow. Honor. Remembrance. Sacred memory.
But this song goes deeper than just a reflection on a mother who died when Bono was 14 and a father who passed a few years ago. Erie and haunting, the Crystal Ballroom is a place for the gathering of souls—all souls. All of those who have come before us. All of those we pay tribute to. Not just a mother and a father, but a brother, a sister, a partner, a child, a mentor, a leader, a friend, a victim, a soldier, a martyr, a savior. When we look into each other’s faces we are reminded of those who are no longer with us. We might also catch a glimpse of the people we once were.
Even greater, the reflection we see isn’t merely human. It’s supernatural. It’s Divine. The Imago Dei—the image of God—seeps down across the millennia through the faces of his creation. “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them” (Genesis 1:27, NRSV). To Iris and Bob he whispered, “Be fruitful and multiply” (1:28).
We are connected, one to another, and to the Divine. There’s no escaping it. Our job is simply to recognize it, though it turns out that this is not such a simple task. Some never will.
Born for bliss, born for this / Every human life begins with a kiss Kissed by every kind of possibility / And everyone is here tonight with me
Yes, “every kind of possibility.” The specters weave in and out of the dance floor, cheering us on. Unfortunately, we’ve been so ready to believe in the myth of certainty that we’ve mistakenly thought it was we who were leading them in the grand cosmic disco. (Ah, that reminds me of another song about Bono’s mum; I’ll save that for later.) But maybe there’s a larger cast of actors on the stage calling out to us. Is it possible that the ghosts of love don’t need our help, but that they themselves swirl above and around us, providing encouragement for the journey ahead?
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us...” (Hebrews 12:1, NRSV).
There it is. The Crystal Ballroom—the dance floor of life. And death. And journey. Together. "Our life is shaped by another's hands."
Sometimes I’m on the floor. Sometimes I just sit in the balcony and watch. Either way it’s beautiful and divine and much, much more than what we can touch, feel, see and hold.
I'm pretty sure that’s what Tom Tom was thinking in The Million Dollar Hotel (co-written by Bono) as he crossed from this world to the next:
Wow, after I jumped it occurred to me, life is perfect, life is the best. It's full of magic, beauty, opportunity, and television, and surprises, lots of surprises, yeah. And then there's that stuff that everybody longs for, but they only really feel when it's gone. All that just kinda hit me. I guess you don't really see it all clearly when you're - ya know - alive.
Here’s to the disco ballroom. Here’s to being alive. Here’s to All Hallows Eve.
UPDATE, October 26: You can now download the virtual reality video for "Song For Someone" using the app "Vrse" in the iTunes and Google stores. My advice: plug earbuds into your device and sit in a free spinning chair! Vrse also has videos available to watch online at vrse.com, but it doesn't look like SFS is available at this time. This is really state-of-the-art, genre-bending tech! (Thanks to @harrykantas for the tip!)
Heather Wallace's tour of the bus via Periscope stream is here.
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U2 has introduced a new feature called The eXPERIENCE Bus, which is a virtual reality tour for fans waiting outside the O2 arena. Earlier today, Heather Wallace (@hjwallace1) gave us our own virtual tour via Periscope, as she entered a highly customized, ultra-high-tech bus and participated in the exhibit. Elated fans exited the interactive experience, amazed that they were actually able to stand on the e-stage, and then virtually interact with the members of U2.
As participants enter the bus, they first get a preview of the virtual video with iPads that display a full 360-degree moving image of the band. Viewers can then turn, look right or left, and swing up and down to change their perspectives. The fan is immersed in a performance of “Song For Someone,” which was apparently recorded on the US leg of the current #U2ieTour.
This photo, previously released on U2’s Instagram, seems to be the setting for the VR video
But the experience doesn’t stop with a simple performance by the band. As fans swing around in virtual reality, the images change, displaying other U2 fans that were prerecorded from locations around the world (remember that request for fans to send in videos of themselves singing SFS?). There’s a Native American guitar player in Yellowstone, a harpist in New York, and Adam is seen surrounded by a mariachi band singing in Spanish. Viewers are also whisked off to the Israel where a woman sits on a swing serenaded by stringed instruments.
Harry Kantas (@harrykantas) dug into the technology a bit, telling me that the bus has seven booths built into it, each fitted with a Mac Book and a pair of Oculus Rift glasses. Also, every participant is given a card with a QR code, allowing them to return home and view a unique photo of themselves on the bus.
It seems U2 has pioneered yet another technology, again partnering with Apple Music, maximizing fan participation with a blend of something like Zoo TV, Disneyland and a video game. I’m reminded of the ground-breaking work the band and company did with U23D as well.
Always on a quest to tear down the dividing wall between band and fans, U2 seems to have succeeded with this venture. And ironically, just as U2 uses state-of-the-art technology in concert, actually placing themselves inside the screens, U2 fans now get to have a similar experience, not just watching, but actually entering into the medium. Well done, U2!
From its beginning in 1976, U2 has consistently interacted with its environment, both influencing and being influenced by the world around. Giving as much attention to social, political and spiritual issues as it does musical creativity, this Irish quartet provides a unique case study in the intersection of artistic expression and cultural engagement.
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