Driving with Bono

As I drove down to Pasadena yesterday I listened to the Rolling Stone interview with Bono; it's something I've been saving for my long Fuller commutes. After spending three hours listening to these excerpts on last Sunday's drive and then another two hours yesterday, I come away stunned, amused and provoked. Bono has a way of speaking holistically about life and faith. He consistently speaks about the dualism that most Christians are faced with, especially those who are artists. He will not let his music be stereo-typed as either secular or religious. In one song he can speak of faith, relationships and politics.

In the song "I Will Follow" Bono sings of agape love -- unconditional, sacrificial love of a mother, a lover, a God.

If you walk away, walk away,                                                                                                      walk away, walk away,                                                                                                                   I will follow....

This lyric was written for his mother (she passed away when he was fourteen) but also reflects how God loves us unconditionally. "Mysterious Ways" is a fairly sensual song, yet also speaks of the mysterious, unpredictable ways God moves across his creation. "Vertigo" speaks of isolated individualism, political chaos, and the fear of a post 9/11 world. But then, he says, in the midst of all this turmoil is an image -- an image of a crucifix around the neck of a young girl ("swingin' to the music, swingin' to the music...). It's an image of relationship, hope and love. The picture of Jesus is an anchor is a confused world. "Peace, be still."

In so many ways I think Bono understands and practices a missional theology. His early experience of church is one of prostestants and Catholics bombing one another in war-torn Ireland. Maybe this helped him. Maybe this freed him from the cultural subtrifuge to which so many churches unknowingly submit. Maybe this gave him a sense of urgency, an intuition for justice and a way of reading the bible that is fresh and relevant to the world around him.

I have lots of other thoughts about my readings, listenings and U2 concert excursions. More to come....

Comments

[James Bergen]

Tim, glad you have posted a blog. When I was at the yale emergent conversation, they referenced a book coming out by a guy (some help I am, can't remember his name - he was there too) who just wrote a book about Bono, U2 and faith stuff. Maybe you have heard/know about it....or now can look out for it. There must be others too, but the emergent people were talking about it.

[Beth]

Hi, just a note that I'll probably link these reflections on the blog for the book of U2 sermons within the next week or so. Enjoy your time at Fuller.

[Tom]

James, was this the book that you were talking about?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1573223093/ref=pd_bxgy_text_b/102-4043933-6938522?%5Fencoding=UTF8

[Reta Lawler]

So perhaps we can join in Bono's invitation to move with congruency of Life, without the dualistic qualities of secular and sacred. The moments where the Streets Have No Names, is for me, the end of duality. The hierarchal stance of the Sacred as ultimately Better, dissolves into a moment of relief.

[Keith Geeding]

thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. it gave me some insight that i never considered regarding vertigo and i will follow.

[terry]

great post.

here's a link to the book from chris scharen from yale -
http://onestepcloser2u.blogspot.com/

[christian Scharen]

hey, tim, thanks for your keen reflections. the holistic sense of faith and life imspires me, too.
look forward to your reflections.
+peace,
chris scharen