Occasio

U2 and Social Justice: a non-traditional witness

On June 5, 2015, I delivered the closing address for a gathering of the North American Association of Christians in Social Work (California chapter) at Fresno Pacific University. In my talk, "Social Justice and Pop Culture: U2 as a non-traditional Christian voice," I suggest the thesis that "U2 models a non-traditional Christian witness by engaging the world -- especially in areas of social concern -- not by remaining isolated from it." 

After giving a brief survey of Ireland, The Troubles and U2's own adolescence, I address the changing social commentary that "Sunday Bloody Sunday" provides across four decades of live performances, including the dirge-like presentation on the current Innocence + Experience tour. I finish by reflecting on Bono's own words about engagement with the culture, especially as faith prompts him to speak about social issues.

I captured a live Persicope stream and edited in some of my visuals (including concert footage) from the presentation. I was pleasantly surprised at how warmly the talk was received by this wonderful crowd of social workers. As always, I'd be glad for any feedback, comments or questions. The link to the presentation is here.

For an ongoing series of live Periscope chats that take place after most shows on the current Innocence + Experience tour, see my YouTube channel, "The Crystal Ballroom."

 

 

Credits: 

YouTube video of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" from Vancouver -- Orsolina Rabasco and peterschs; 
"Justice For The Forgotten" photo -- @timdurkan via @U2Memes

 

The Spirit of "Bad": surrender

Credit: @tspracklin

I posted this on the @U2 site a while back, but never linked it here...

Excerpt:

What followed was one of the most beautiful moments I’ve experienced at a U2 concert. With one spotlight on Edge, and another on Bono, he began to sing quietly and sympathetically, “If you, twist and, turn away ....” And as the music swelled, so did the spirit of the place, exquisite stage lighting rising and falling with the mood of the beat.

Here's the whole article about this very emotive performance of "Bad" on the tour opener in Vancouver, including video I shot.

A Guide for Broadcasting Concerts Using Periscope

Screen capture: @negeens

By the time the ninth concert of U2’s Innocence + Experience tour was over, I’d had almost 2000 viewers of my Periscope stream. I was stunned! And lots of those people were thanking me for the best audio and video feed they had seen so far. I was able to successfully broadcast the entire concert from the floor, but not without some trial and error. Here are a few of the tips and tricks I learned.

Click here to download my "Guide for Broadcasting Concerts Using Periscope."

New Graffiti Wall: not invisible

(NOTE: updates have been added below on June 2, 7 & 30)

Just a quick post here gathering a few notes from an amazing new feature on U2's Innocence + Experience tour. Tonight, the fourth night in Los Angeles at The Forum, the band added a graffiti wall (you like that highly technical term I came up with?). In place of the solid yellow wall that appears at the end of "Until The End Of The World," which then morphs into a Johnny Cash presentation of "The Wanderer," and finally anchors the first couple verses of "Invisible," tonight we saw a yellow wall strewn with graphics, cartoon cherubs, drawings and quotes in multiple languages.

Credit: Instagram, trojanchick99

 

Credit: Periscope, @thorhammers

 

Credit: Instagram, matthewbarnes

Here are three things I was able to decipher through photos above that have emerged (the show is still going as I type this).

1. The phrase "Rock & Roll" appears in the upper left corner.
2. The phrase "Tear down the wall and all the others will fall" appears in the upper right corner.
3. A phrase in German is taken from the east side of the Berlin Wall. "VIELE KLIENE LEUTE DIE IN VIELEN KLEINEN ORTEN VIELE KLEINE DINGE TUN, KONNEN DAS DESICHT DER WELT VERANDERN," which translated means, "MANY SMALL PEOPLE WHO IN MANY SMALL PLACES DO MANY SMALL THINGS THAT CAN ALTER THE FACE OF THE WORLD."

Credit: Wikipedia

The new graffiti wall has other images as well, but it clearly conveys the angst of an early '90's Berlin, the forgotten victims of oppression, the tour's theme of unity in the face of division, and the power of aggressive rock music.

All perfect for this set of songs.

 

UPDATE, JUNE 2:

Thanks to the comments of Mona below, I have been able to identify a couple of other images on U2's graffiti wall which are directly reproduced from the Berlin Wall's East Side Gallery.

In the far upper-right corner of the graffiti wall is an image of Russia's Leonid Brezhnev, from the painting, "My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love," in which he is giving a fraternal kiss to East Germany's Erich Honecker. The painting is a depiction of a famous photograph from 1979, capturing an embrace of the two leaders as they celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Communist Party.

Credit: Wikipedia

 

Another image, this one at the top and left of center on the graffiti wall, is also a part of the East Side Gallery.

Credit: Wikipedia

 

The names Rauschebart, Olhagaray, Dahmen and Simon also appear on U2's graffiti wall near the lower left corner. These are artists who helped paint the East Side Gallery in 1990.

 

On a related note, the Trabant, a bare-bones East German car which became emblematic during U2's ZooTV tour and was used in Anton Corbijn's video for "One," can also be found in several places on the Berlin Wall.

Credit: http://caroundtheworld.com/2010/10/27/die-mauern-the-berlin-wall-east-side-gallery/

 

UPDATE, JUNE 7:

This latest nugget came with the assistance of @Cloverground & @JT_isOnline (Twitter). We've tracked down the "yellow angel" on the graffiti wall. It, too, is from the Berlin Wall.

Credit: http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/angels-around-the-world/

 

UPDATE, JUNE 30:

A U2 fan with an eye for detail (Glen) left a comment below, signaling that the "Yellow Angel" had been removed from the wall. Odd! It's just blurred out at this point. The only reason I can imagine is that the original artist objected to its use. It's a mystery.

New Photo Credit: Jim Porett

 

Another addition. Doc Rings noticed this quote scribbled lower-left of center and posted it on our @u2 blog: "When the power of love is greater than the love of power, the world will know peace." The quote has often been attributed to Jimi Hendrix, but also has other sources.

Credit: Matt Rings

 

 

Credit: unknown, can't confirm this is actually from Berlin Wall

 

 

Prayers for U2 in their loss: We're "One"

I started this post as a Facebook status update, but that simply didn’t seem adequate considering the tragic news out of the U2 camp today.

Below is video I shot last night of U2's final song for the evening, "One." I left the intro intentionally long because of Bono's very thoughtful and reflective state in this stripped down version of the classic song. Now in his mid-fifties, I believe Bono is becoming quite pastoral, offering prayer over the audience/congregation at multiple points throughout the concert. He often asks the assembled tribe to lift up hands of surrender, or challenges them to give up something that hinders them, pronouncing freedom as a priest would remind the faithful of their forgiveness.

 

“Put your hands into the sky,” Bono admonished on May 23 in Phoenix. “We surrender to you—to the God who gave us this great music.”

“This is a song of surrender.” He told a San Jose audience on May 19 as he introduced the iconic “Bad.” “Whatever it is you want to let go of tonight, let it go. You are free. We’re made free—our music, and the God who gave us it.”

There wouldn’t have been a way to know, while introducing “One” last evening, that their dearly loved friend and tour manager, Dennis Sheehan, would pass away in his hotel room during the coming night. But there was already a sense at the The Forum in Los Angeles that something was amiss. The crowd was distant. The spirit muted. Bono had to work hard to connect, and he eventually brought everyone in, but it took most of the concert.

In a final moment, Bono sent us out with a blessing: we get to carry each other. It's an especially poignant thought considering the U2 community has had three major losses in as many months. Pastor Jack Heaslip, a greatly loved spiritual adviser and counselor to the band and crew while on tour, passed at the end of February. Larry Mullen Sr., the father of the famous drummer and the one who encouraged Larry Jr. to post a note announcing the formation of a band in high school, died just days before the tour started. And now, Dennis Sheehan, a gentle, caring man and the only tour manager U2 has had for over thirty years (a characteristic common of the U2 crew), is gone.

Last night’s emotional performance of “One” wasn’t exactly a premonition or a foreshadow of what was to come, but I do believe that the band demonstrated a sensitivity to the Spirit already present and at work during the show and then into the wee morning hours ahead. As I think about the significant losses the entire U2 family has faced in the last three months, I offer prayers and condolences, and am reminded, “We’re one, but not the same.”

U2's Innocence + Experience: a tribe gathers in Vancouver

I never would have thought to call on the memory of a punk rocker as an invocation for worship, but that’s what happened in Vancouver two nights in a row for the opening of U2’s Innocence + Experience tour. As Bono stepped into the sold out crowd at Rogers Arena, he played the part of choir director, leading a chorus of “ooh-ooh-oh-oh,” then immediately moving out of the way to let the audience sing during an extended intro for “The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone).”

The choice of “Miracle” illustrates a principle on which U2 is founded: the band is the conductor, but the real performers are on the floor and in the stands. Always on a quest to remove barriers between themselves and audience (a theme that is accentuated on this tour by actually creating a barricade separating the “north” and “south” sides, and then removing it), U2 delivered on its promise of an intimate evening, right from the start. Filled with rich metaphors of dreams, fears, specters, pilgrims, sights and sounds—all part of the spiritual imagery permeating the song—“Miracle” welcomed fans back into the fold. And the tribe relished its reunion.

For me, two very different experiences, one each night, helped reignite the spirit of U2’s diverse community, providing a way for audience members to both engage the band and each other.

 

"Song For Someone," young Bono playing guitar in bedroom

 

Concert #1, Thursday, May 14

Early in the first concert, as part of a carefully crafted liturgy, three songs brought the crowd into a gripping communal experience. Though “Song For Someone” was dedicated to his wife, it also became a reflection on Bono’s own teen years. Lost in the grief and pain of his mother’s death, the massive state-of-the-art LED screen illustrated the teenage-Bono’s life in an empty house, alone and seemingly purposeless. Gazing up at the screen, the adult Bono sang to his younger self, “There is a light, don’t let it go out.” The acoustic version of “Sunday Bloody Sunday, which followed, was equally riveting as U2 spread out on the ramp dividing the audience. Then came a barrage of historic media clips about the infamous Dublin bombings of May 17, 1974, the subject of the next song, “Raised By Wolves.” Deeply emotional, the accompanying graphics drew the audience into that horrifying day, ending with a tribute to the 33 people who died in the explosions. The message was overwhelming: “Justice for the forgotten.” As U2 relived the trauma of its early years, we as an audience were each forced to consider the pain of our own past and how we might respond in peace and reconciliation.

 

"Raised By Wolves," tribute to bombing victims

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concert #2, Friday, May 15

Where the first night in Vancouver reminded me of the fallenness of our humanity, the second restored a sense of hope. During the encore, Edge’s simple guitar, layered in delay, was answered by Bono’s impassioned response, “If you, twist and turn away....” In “Bad,” the brutal chaos of the human condition is met with the plea to “Let it go.” “Surrender,” invited Bono. In an almost religious experience, the frontman offered counsel to those in pain. “Anybody want to be free from addiction tonight?” asked Bono. “You’re not alone.” As the iconic song came to an end, he sang, “At the moment of surrender, I fell down to my knees. Let it go. Let it go. Let it go,” hands held high in a prayer-like posture of intercession (or was it absolution?) for the crowd. From there, we were transported to a place where love reigns, banishing the pain, transforming the loneliness. “Where The Streets Have No Name,” reminded us of our journey together. And, in this version, Bono revisited the second song of the concert, “California,” nicely completing a theme, singing, “Love, love, love, there is no end to love.” It was a divine benediction for a lofty evening.

 

Abstract crosses made of light, used during "City Of Blinding Lights" and "Bad"

 

So much more could be mentioned. Scripture falling from the ceiling during the apocalyptic “Until The End Of The World.” The remembrance of “Iris,” with film clips from Bono’s childhood. The chaos and beauty of a neighborhood highlighted with exquisite graphics during “Cedarwood Road.” And all were made more meaningful by the act of experiencing them together.

At the end of the second concert, Bono thanked the crowd for coming from all over the world to join with the tour premier, and graciously pointed to the uniqueness of the U2 community. “It’s just an amazing thing—whatever’s going on—it’s a phenomenon; equal, and better, to what’s going on on stage is what’s going on in the crowd, the U2 crowd, a very special people.” Those who have been to a U2 show will likely agree. And for that reason it’s a very special band.

Throughout the show, the rich symbolism of U2’s music was matched with equally inspiring and visually stunning imagery. If the band and company wanted to create a personal and engaging experience with the audience, they abundantly succeeded, even surpassing any expectations I had. Boldly combining the high-tech innovation of ZooTV with the warmth and intimacy of Elevation, this tour offers an evening of both innocence and experience, as U2 takes its community on a tribal journey that feels as much like spiritual ritual as it does rock concert.

 

Pages of Psalms, Dante and Alice In Wonderland fall during "Until The End Of The World"

 

Amazing visuals throughout show, "With Or Without You"

 

The Joshua Tree lives!

U2's new song "Invisible" (part two): some new testament theology of "there is no them"

As I continue to listen to “Invisible,” I can’t help but reflect on the final lyric of the song from a theological point of view: “There is no them / There’s only us.” This is a sentiment that has repeatedly made its way into U2’s work over the last decade. Bono has used the phrase as a powerful conclusion to the live version of “One” on multiple occasions. (Watch Dublin, June 21, 2003). The lyric is also found in “Rise Above 1” from the Broadway musical written by Bono and The Edge, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. But I’m also drawn to Scripture when I hear the band use this lyric.

One of the founding doctrines of the fledgling first-century fellowship called “The Way” (the first known label for what later became Christianity), was the idea of community through unity, love and grace. The early church was formed primarily of Jews (the historic people of God with long codes of ethics and morality) and Gentiles (those who were not Jewish, most certainly including Hellenized Romans). Again and again in the New Testament we see early church leaders pleading for harmony between these two vastly different groups.

In Acts, a book that describes the formation of the first church, Peter told believers of his visit to the house of Cornelius, a Roman officer. “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean” (Acts 10: 28, NLT). Then a few verses later, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.” Peter’s own journey had led him from prejudice against the Gentiles to full acceptance of those he once considered his enemies.

John, another author in the New Testament, also urged unity in his three short letters to the church, with oft repeated instructions like:

• Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them (1 John 2:9-11, NIV).
• For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another (1 John 3:11, NIV).
• This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters (1 John 3:16, NIV).
• Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:7, NIV).
• Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:11, NIV).

A quick read through 1, 2, and 3 John will reveal the author's strong argument for unity and love among the believers of the early church.

While not a direct quote of Scripture, the phrase “There is no them, there’s only us” also reminds me of Ephesians 2:14-15.

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups (NLT).

In writing this passage, the Apostle Paul was critiquing the all too common problem of segregation in his society, primarily between the Jews and the Gentiles, two very disparate cultures. He urges his readers to put aside their notions of superiority and to see the other as human, as brothers and sisters in creation. It’s as if Paul is saying, “Look past the preconceived images you have of one another and see the true self. Journey with each other. This is a new era of peace, reconciliation and grace. We are all one new people.” “There’s no them, there’s only us,” could be the words of Paul as he spoke to the Ephesians and many other young churches of the first century. (For other similar instructions regarding Jew/Gentile unity, see Romans 3:22, Romans 10:12, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11.)

Bono has spoken about the divine connection we have with God and each other many times, but most notably at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. on February 2, 2006.

God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house…. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives…. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war…. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.

He often suggests that spirit and flesh are inextricably linked (“A body in a soul”—really, did he sing that?? Yep. That’s some great theology! Could be the subtitle for a whole course on theology of the human person.), and that moving past the brokenness of relationships toward acceptance of and service to one another is a matter of justice and righteousness, validating the age of grace in which we now live.

As I reflect back over the last decade of U2, both in ways that they have been influenced and themselves been influencers, I find “Invisible” to be a confluence of experiences. Bono has said that this new song is “sort of a sneak preview” to the coming album (which, unfortunately, he reports still needs a couple months more work). If that’s the case, I think we can look forward to a very rich album both musically and lyrically. These guys appear to be entering an important existential stage of reflection and integrity. In an age of fleeting distractions, fragile identities and feeble priorities, it’s nice to hear them say “I finally found my real name” and mean it.

(Note: Part One of this post can be found here. "Invisible" was released only for 24 hours in conjunction with the Super Bowl as a partnership with Bank of America to raise funds for (RED), which provides AIDS relief for Africa. See AtU2.com for details or the Super Bowl commercial here. The song can currently be purchased on iTunes for $1.29)

U2's new song "Invisible" (part one): three albums and a movie

U2's new song, "Invisible," is a delightful, upbeat expression of the band's current disposition, and I believe it functions as an indirect summary of their last three albums. It's the reflection of a late-career band with much to be thankful for, as they look back over a very generative three decades of work together. The lyrics of “Invisible” represent an ongoing attitude of grace, forgiveness and right relationships. In this new song, the narrator tells the story of moving from brokenness to forgiveness, strength and hope, themes that are not uncommon on previous records.

Starting with the first kicks of Larry's bass drum, I'm reminded of the opener to "Beautiful Day" (from All That You Can’t Leave Behind), another song that transitions from pain to unbridled joy. In both songs, lyrics contrast brokenness and hopelessness with celebration of life, crescendoing in a chorus of joy accessible to all. “What you don’t have, you don’t need it now,” is a wonderful poetic parallel to “There is no them, there’s only us.” Both expressions warn us away from individualism toward a deeper participation with life itself, a journey that can only be successful with trusted friends at our side.

“City Of Blinding Lights” (from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb) also comes to mind as I listen to “Invisible.” Edge’s influence is obvious in both songs as he chops out a punctuated guitar rhythm with plenty of delay, and sings soaring BGVs that match the guitar lead. “City,” like “Invisible,” is a song about seeing people for who they really are, beyond what the camera can record, deep into the recesses of true beauty. “Oh, you look so beautiful tonight,” sings Bono. And while he thought he once knew what beauty was, it’s only with age, experience and time that he realizes now what he didn’t know earlier. “I’m more than you know,” the narrator in “Invisible” shouts, reminding us that the soul is not always easy to see. It’s as if we are being told, “You don’t really know me now, but if you hang around long enough, you will.” Such insight comes through maturity, something that U2 exudes these days.

“Invisible” links back to U2’s most recent album, No Line On The Horizon, in several ways for me. “Get On Your Boots” is one person’s passionate attempt to convince another of the nature of real beauty: “You don’t know how beautiful you are. You don’t get it, do you?” If “Invisible” were written in the second person, the storyteller would probably say, “You’re more than you know. You’re more than you see here.” I’m also reminded of a beautiful lyric from “Moment of Surrender”: “I did not notice the passersby, and they did not notice me.” “Vision over visibility” requires a deeper experience with God, spirit and humanity.

It’s not just albums that I think of when I listen to “Invisible.” A little-known movie that Bono co-wrote in 2000 also deals with similar themes. The Million Dollar Hotel, directed by Wim Wenders, is set on skid row in downtown Los Angeles and follows a number of mentally ill people who live in a rundown hotel. (I know the area well and annually take college students into this environment.) In the movie, Tom Tom (Jeremy Davies) becomes the self-appointed protector of Eloise (Milla Jovovich), a young, vulnerable and withdrawn tenant, resistant to any friendships. The villain, Geronimo (Jimmy Smits), delights in subjugating Eloise which causes great distress for Tom Tom. At a key moment in the film, Geronimo brazenly confesses his conquest of Eloise to Tom Tom. “I fucked nothing!” he brags. "She's not NOTHING!" Tom Tom protests. At this we are confronted with one of the main points of the movie: to all but Tom Tom, (and not unlike most of the homeless and disabled in our society), Eloise is invisible; she is nothing. It’s a heartbreaking moment. Eloise could be writing the lyrics for “Invisible.” “I’m more than you know, I’m more than you see, I’m not invisible.”

(To be continued in part two.)

(Note: the song was released only for 24 hours in conjunction with the Super Bowl as a partnership with Bank of America to raise funds for (RED), which provides AIDS relief for Africa. See AtU2.com for details or the Super Bowl commercial here.)

Why Mandela Matters to Youth Ministry

Driving to my office this morning, I reflected on what I’ve been hearing about Nelson Mandela in the last day. That led to a change of topic for this morning’s youth ministry class as I hurriedly scribbled down some notes on the top of a donut box while waiting at a few red lights. Here’s why I think Mandela matters for youth ministry.

1. High school and college provide the perfect context for shaping lifelong values. Both peers and former students have been reflecting on Mandela via Facebook, and one of the common messages I’ve heard is that they were first drawn to this remarkable figure in late adolescence. People have said again and again that they became aware of and interested in Mandela’s work when they were in high school. Bono noted that Mandela has been a guide to him since he was 18 years old, when U2 did its first anti-apartheid concert. President Obama recalled his fascination with Mandela’s writings in college and then with Mandela’s release from prison while in law school. The late teen years are some of the most malleable, and we need to continually bring examples of inspiring people who practically demonstrate the gospel.

2. Mandela was a model of reconciliation in the midst of oppression and suffering under the inhuman practices of apartheid. His legacy of peaceful, non-violent resistance is a welcome example for students living in a violent world. This is especially poignant when we understand that Mandela himself was once an advocate for violence, participating in the ANC’s rogue bombing campaigns. It was during his 27 years of brutal incarceration that Mandela found the way of peace. The importance of forgiveness and reconciliation was demonstrated at his presidential inauguration when he invited his jailors to take seats of honor in the front row. In an age of terrorism, nuclear armament and escalating global tensions (not to mention violent neighborhoods and campuses), Mandela’s long, patient, hopeful commitment to love and forgiveness is a story that must be told to our teens.

3. Leading sometimes requires getting out of the way. Mandela believed so strongly in the democratic process that he did not allow himself to become a dictator. He stepped down from the presidency of South Africa after only one term. He moved out of the way and allowed others to lead. This is a lesson that every leader needs to learn. Pastors sometimes stay in ministries longer than they should. I’ve often said that I always want to leave a position before I’m asked to. I try to work myself out of a job—to empower and equip students and congregants to do ministry in such a way that I’m no longer needed. Adolescents, especially college-aged males, tend to believe that good leadership is demonstrated in aggressive action and strong management. On the contrary, if the Spirit of God inhabits the hearts of all his people, than we must step out of the way at times and let others contribute.

4. We need to listen to all voices, but especially to the minority. Mandela wouldn’t discount or minimize anybody, even those with whom he disagreed. Having been a minority voice himself, all people and perspectives mattered to him. The downside of democracy is that decisions are made by the majority, which typically leaves those in the minority feeling like losers. Decision making becomes a contest rather than a communal process. The prophets continually condemned God’s people for neglecting minority populations: the widows, the orphans and the aliens (those from other countries). Jesus infuriated the ruling class of religious leaders by hanging out with prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers and “sinners.” We can use Mandela’s story to teach high school and college students the importance of listening to minority people groups, positions and voices.

It frustrates me when ministry leaders don’t bring real-world examples into their teaching and preaching. The Bible was never meant to be a book of propositions isolated from cultural context. It is in Nelson Mandela that we have an example of kingdom values. These are the values that I must continually illustrate and model to students.

I have watched films and read the works of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., but I’ve never really known them because they were transformative leaders of a past era. I’m grateful to have lived in the same generation as Nelson Mandela so that I could see the power of love and forgiveness first-hand. But I’m left wondering, who will be the Gandhi, the MLK or the Mandela of my kids’ generation? Is it even possible in this world of hyper-technology and instantaneous global media coverage for a person to make such great strides toward change? Maybe not. And that is all the more reason to talk about “Madiba” with our teens.

Babeling about the new Mumford and Sons album

On their second album, Babel, Mumford and Sons continue to dismantle the modern project. Refusing to settle for a bifurcated sense of spirit and flesh—the Divine on one side of a chasm and humanity on the other—these anthems, ballads, and stomps (iTunes labels them “alternate,” but it’s hard to know what to call these tracks) are all prayers. And they’re love songs. Often they’re both. However, one thing is certain: the listener won’t find any trite Jesus-is-my-boyfriend platitudes here.

M&S paint pictures of humanity’s gritty, fallen, and desperate condition. But this isn’t some kind of bluegrass-punk, full of anger and contempt for the culture around. This isn’t accusatory, it’s confessional. The songwriter continually acknowledges his own weakness, unfaithfulness and need for grace. And that’s what makes this such a refreshing compilation. Faith, Hope and Love seem to walk into the bowels of human depravity right alongside the poet. Faith and doubt aren’t enemies, they travel hand-in-hand. Human nature is eminently capable of unspeakable evil, but Grace never leaves sight. Stones will be moved. Tombs will be opened. The heart beats a bit slower. The Divine will break forth into creation. Healing comes.

But M&S remind us that there are prerequisites on the way to a rendezvous with Hope. Looking with eyes for things that can’t be seen, lifting hands in surrender, kneeling in submission, admitting weakness, reflecting on brokenness—all necessary for a stroll through this miniscule experience called human existence.

Babel is a collection of fifteen songs (deluxe album), each a story of conflict and/or triumph, that point us to the messiness of life. With this album, M&S have joined the ranks of U2, Bruce Cockburn, Arcade Fire and the like, offering more questions than answers, but always pointing to something beyond the narcissistic self the Western world is so familiar with and so unable to recognize. Three cheers and a hoorah for anyone that helps us tear down Babel.

I’ve only had a couple of listens, but here are a few highlights from the album.

“Babel”
Often thought of as meaningless talk (babble), this refers to the Tower of Babel in Genesis. Babel was a futile project of pride and arrogance, a failed attempt to become divine. For all our progress, the last 500 years has been little more than an attempt to do the same. Tear it down!

I know my weakness, know my voice, I'll believe in grace and choice
and I know perhaps my heart is farce but I'll be born without a mask
Like the city that nursed my greed and my pride I stretch my arms into the sky
I cry Babel, Babel, look at me now, the walls of my town they come crumbling down

“Whispers in the Dark”
Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living. What makes us weak? Is it the same that makes us strong? Often times, with good intentions, we set out to serve the Lord but find ourselves in the company of the devil.

It's not what I do that makes me, In my weakness I grew strong
Held my tongue, And I've learned from errors made early
A brush with the devil can clear your mind, And strengthen your spine

Whispers in the dark, Steal a kiss and you'll break a heart
Pick up your clothes and curl your toes, Learn your lesson, lead me home
Spare my sins for the ark, I was to slow to depart
I'm a cad but I'm not aflawed, I set out to serve the Lord

“I Will Wait”
We often hear the phrase, “Never Forget,” usually in association with some terrible offense that has been committed against us. There’s a great turn of phrase in this song, “You forgave, and I won’t forget.” The times we’ve been forgiven are monumental and so much more worthy of our remembrances.

And I'll kneel down, Wait for now
And I'll kneel down, Know my ground
And I'll kneel down, Wait for now
 
Raise my hands, Paint my spirit gold
And bow my head, Keep my heart slow

“Holland Road”
Okay, this one had me in tears. Really. Listen for the “Hallelujah” horn section at the end.

But I still believe though these cracks you'll see,
When I'm on my knees I'll still believe,
And when I've hit the ground, neither lost nor found,
If you believe in me I'll still believe

"Ghosts that We Knew"
So many things have the potential to haunt us. Ghosts come in all shapes and forms. Maybe our children are a clue to our escape.

So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light
Cause oh that gave me such a fright
But I will hold on as long as you like
Just promise me that we'll be alright

But the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view
And we'll live a long life

“Hopeless Wanderer”
A mixed-tempo romp reminding us to “be where you are” and to love the ones we journey with.

So when your hopes are on fire, But you know your desire
Don't hold a glass over the flame, Don't let your heart grow cold
I will call you by name, I will share your road
Hold me fast, Hold me fast, Cuz I'm a hopeless wanderer
Hold me fast, Hold me fast,  Cuz I'm a hopeless wanderer
I will learn, I will learn to love the sky I wander

“Below My Feet”
How many moments everyday do we miss the chance to learn something? We keep praying to know God’s will as it relates to the future. Maybe we need to know the here and now before we can know what lies ahead.

Well I was still, But I was under your spell
But I was told by Jesus, All was well
So all must be well
 
Keep the earth below my feet
For all my sweat, my blood runs weak
Let me learn from where I have been
Keep my eyes to serve my hands to learn

“The Boxer”
This gets honorable mention because it’s an extra included with the deluxe download. Jerry Douglas, the king of the Dobro, and Paul Simon join M&S for an absolutely perfect tune. So much babble.

I am just a poor boy
Though my story seldom told
I squandered my resistance
For a pocket full of mumbles such are promises