Bono

Just finished this one. Fascinating guy, spiritually. He presents his Christian faith to a wide audience in a clear and forthright way. Yes, the U2 rock star has a Christian faith, I think. See below for his own words. He's been married for over 20 years, has 4 kids. He's not a saint - I left out the swear words and the typical Irish drinking kind of stuff he grew up with.

Here are some selections:

Interviewer: are you all believers now?

Bono: Yes. Adam had his own path, and it took him further out into the world. But I would say Adam is, right now, the most spiritually centered of the band... the person who is now the most watchful of the sheep as they stray out of the herd. I do love the image of sheep. You've got to hand it to Jesus. (pg 64)

"The God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you're a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship..." (200)

"Religion can be the enemy of God... A list of instructions where there was once conviction... Discipline replacing discipleship." (201)


On meeting the Pope

Bono: He was staring at [my sunglasses]. He kept looking at them in my hand, so I offered them to him as a gift in return for the rosary he had just given me.

Interviewer: Didn't he put them on?

Bono: Not only did he put them on, he smiled the wickedest grin you could ever imagine. (202)


On the dangers of religious extremism:

"Zealots often have no love for the world. They're just getting throuh it to the next one... But I take Christ at his word: 'On earth as it is in heaven.'" (203)


On grace and Gospel
Bono: 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.... yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that 'As you reap, so will you sow' stuff.... which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff.

Interviewer: 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'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross.... God says: 'Look, you cretins,... there's mortality as part of your very sinful nature.' 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 own good works that get us through the gates of heaven. (204)


On Jesus
"The secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet... along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that.... Christ says: 'No. I'm not saying I'm a teacher, don't call me teacher.... I'm saying: "I'm the Messiah." I'm saying: "I am God incarnate."' Either Christ was who He said He was - the Messiah - or a complete nutcase... on the level of Charles Manson." (204-5)


On personal life and music
"Unless you have a plumb line, the wall can be built crooked. So I think, for me, that is prayer, and my life worshipping God through music." (137)


On conversion (maybe - my label) and Christmas
"Got home for Christmas... in Dublin.... On Christmas Eve, I went to St. Patrick's Cathedral.... I went for the singing, because I love choral singing.... But I was falling asleep... because it was a bit boring, the service.... It dawned on me for the first time... the Christmas story. The idea that God... would seek to explain [him]self and describe [him]self by becoming a child born in straw poverty.... Love needs to find form... essence has to manifest itself.... Love has to become an action... There must be an incarnation. Love must be made flesh." (125)

On forgiveness
Bono: "Be silent, and know that I am God." That's a favorite line from the Scriptures. 'Shut up and let Me love you' would be the pop song... If ever I needed to hear a comment, it might be that.

Interviewer: What leaves you speechless?

Bono: [long pause] "Forgiveness" is my answer.

Interviewer: You mean being forgiven?

Bono: yeah.