For those still telling me Bono isn't a Christian...
Recently I spoke in church about the "ministry" of U2 through their
music and through their involvement in aid for Africa. Afterward, I
heard from someone arguing the same thing I've heard for decades...
that Bono may use a lot of religious references, but he's really just
a rock star who's sold out for the love of money.
Frankly, I'm not very interested in arguments about the state of
Bono's soul. That's not my business. But I *am* excited that the
biggest rock star in the world uses his moments in the spotlight to
draw our attention to someone else. At the Super Bowl halftime show a
few years ago... perhaps the highest honor that the media has to offer
a celebrity... what did Bono do? He quoted from Psalm 116, giving the
glory for that moment to God.
Here's an excerpt from Bono in Conversation, the new book of
interviews with U2's front man by Michka Assayas.
This is from a chapter called "Add Eternity to That," in which Assayas
shows interest in talking about Bono's religious beliefs, and
challenges him with the idea that the only people who really wreak
havoc and terror upon the world do so because of religious
convictions. He's implying, really, that religion is the source of
many of the world's woes, so wouldn't we do better just to abandon it?
Assayas: Appalling things seem to happen when people become
religious at too early an age or when their experience of life is
nonexistent. Don't you think?
Bono: Zealots often have no love for the world. They're just
getting through it to the next one. It's a favorite topic. It's the
old clich�: "Eat shit now, pie in the sky when you die." But I take
Christ at his word: "On Earth as it is in Heaven." As to the first
part of your question, in my experience, the older you get, the
less chance you have to transform your life, the less open you are
to love in a challenging way. You tend towards love that's more
comforting and safe.
Assayas: As I told you, I think I am beginning to understand
religion because I have started acting and thinking like a father.
What do you make of that?
Bono: Yes, I think that's normal. It's a mind-blowing concept that
the God who created the Universe might be looking for company, a
real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my
knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.
Assayas: I haven't heard you talk about that.
Bono: I really believe we've moved out of the realm of Karma into
one of Grace.
Assayas: Well, that doesn't make it clearer for me.
Bono: You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma.
You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth, or in physics--in physical laws--every action is
met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is
at the very heart of the Universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And
yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you
reap, so will you sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love
interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in
my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid
stuff.
Assayas: I'd be interested to hear that.
Bono: That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma
was going to finally be my judge. I'd be in deep shit. It doesn't
excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out
that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am,
and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.
Assayas: The son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I
wish I could believe in that.
Bono: But I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea
that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the
way we are, to selfishness, and there's mortality as part of your
very sinful nature, and let's face it, you're not living a very
good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of
the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world,
so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our
sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That's the point. It
should keep us humbled... It's not our owngood works that get us
through the gates of Heaven.
Assayas: That's a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is
wonderful, even though it's close to lunacy , in my view. Christ
has his rank among the world's
great thinkers. But Son of God, isn't that farfetched?
Bono: No, it's not farfetched to me. Look, the secular response to
the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet,
obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines
of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or
Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that. He doesn't
let you off that hook. Christ says, No. I'm not saying I'm a
teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm
saying: "I'm the Messiah." I'm saying: "I am God incarnate." And
people say: No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet we can
take. You're a bit eccentric. We've had John the Baptist eating
locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don't mention the
"M" word! Because, you know, we're gonna have to crucify you. And
he goes: No, no, I know you're expecting me to come back with an
army and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the
Messiah. At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and
says: Oh, my God, he gonna keep saying this. So what you're left
with is either Christ was who He said He was--the Messiah--or a
complete nutcase. I mean, we're talking nutcase on the level of
Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we've been
talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb,
and had King of the Jews" on his head, and was they were putting
him up on the Cross, was going: OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on
the pain! I can take it. I'm not joking here. The idea that the
entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have
its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me that's
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