“I sometimes think I have a kind of Tourette’s syndrome where if you ‘re not suppose to say something, it becomes very attractive to do so,” Bono once told Rolling Stone. “You’re in a rock band—what can’t you talk about? God? Ok, here we go. You’re supposed to write songs about sex and drugs. Well, no, I won’t.”
For all you Bonophiles, here is the latest. It’s an excerpt from Jann S. Wenner’s interview with his U2ness in the upcoming November 3 issue of Rolling Stone. Click here for interview.
Rolling Stone: What is your religious belief today? What is your concept of God?
Bono: If I could put it simply, I would say that I believe there’s a force of love and logic in the world, a force of love and logic behind the universe. And I believe in the poetic genius of a creator who would choose to express such unfathomable power as a child born in “straw poverty”; i.e., the story of Christ makes sense to me.
Rolling Stone: How does it make sense?
Bono: As an artist, I see the poetry of it. It’s so brilliant. That this scale of creation, and the unfathomable universe, should describe itself in such vulnerability, as a child. That is mind-blowing to me. I guess that would make me a Christian. Although I don’t use the label, because it is so very hard to live up to. I feel like I’m the worst example of it, so I just kinda keep my mouth shut.
Rolling Stone: Do you pray or have any religious practices?
Bono: I try to take time out of every day, in prayer and meditation. I feel as at home in a Catholic cathedral as in a revival tent. I also have enormous respect for my friends who are atheists, most of whom are, and the courage it takes not to believe.
Rolling Stone: How big an influence is the Bible on your songwriting? How much do you draw on its imagery, its ideas?
Bono: It sustains me.
Rolling Stone: As a belief, or as a literary thing?
Bono: As a belief. These are hard subjects to talk about because you can sound like such a dickhead. I’m the sort of character who’s got to have an anchor. I want to be around immovable objects. I want to build my house on a rock, because even if the waters are not high around the house, I’m going to bring back a storm. I have that in me. So it’s sort of underpinning for me. I don’t read it as a historical book. I don’t read it as, “Well, that’s good advice.” I let it speak to me in other ways. They call it the rhema. It’s a hard word to translate from Greek, but it sort of means it changes in the moment you’re in. It seems to do that for me.
Rolling Stone: You’re saying it’s a living thing?
Bono: It’s a plumb line for me. In the Scriptures, it is self-described as a clear pool that you can see yourself in, to see where you’re at, if you’re still enough. I’m writing a poem at the moment called “The Pilgrim and His Lack of Progress.” I’m not sure I’m the best advertisement for this stuff.
Rolling Stone: What do you think of the evangelical movement that we see in the United States now?
Bono: I’m wary of faith outside of actions. I’m wary of religiosity that ignores the wider world. In 2001, only seven percent of evangelicals polled felt it incumbent upon themselves to respond to the AIDS emergency. This appalled me. I asked for meetings with as many church leaders as would have them with me. I used my background in the Scriptures to speak to them about the so-called leprosy of our age and how I felt Christ would respond to it. And they had better get to it quickly, or they would be very much on the other side of what God was doing in the world.
Amazingly, they did respond. I couldn’t believe it. It almost ruined it for me — ’cause I love giving out about the church and Christianity. But they actually came through: Jesse Helms, you know, publicly repents for the way he thinks about AIDS.
I’ve started to see this community as a real resource in America. I have described them as “narrow-minded idealists.” If you can widen the aperture of that idealism, these people want to change the world. They want their lives to have meaning. And it’s one of the things that the Democratic Party has missed out on. You know, so much of the moral high ground in the past was Democratic: FDR, RFK, Cesar Chavez. Now I suppose it’s Hillary’s passion for cheaper medical care. And Teddy Kennedy, of course.
(Excerpted from RS 986, November 3, 2005)
Wow, Bono is no joke! I am definitely impressed. It takes a lot of courage to risk his rock star image to be honest about the reality of God in his life.
It’s great to see the Bible and the Christian faith spoken of so highly by a well respected secular musician.
Regards,
Donnell Duncan
Founder and President
The Cracked Door
If the Door is Cracked, the Door is Open
PS Check the date of your excerpt! (smile)
Comment by Donnell — October 20, 2005 @ 4:12 pm |
Mr. Duncan,
The date is correct according to the RS website. It’s not unusual for a weekly to have the content of a particular issue settled a couple weeks in advance.
Great interview.
Comment by Dan Berger — October 21, 2005 @ 12:27 pm |
I don’t know that I’d label him “secular” either (if implied in an “us/them” context). For example, see this article.
Comment by Catherina — October 21, 2005 @ 12:53 pm |
Thanks for the comment, Catherina. I mean secular in terms of image. He’s recognized as a secular musician because his main fan base is the general public and not some particular group.
His personal viewpoint on life is separate to the particular content of his music. His music appeals to every part of society and is not isolated based on its content.
Thanks Dan for clearing up the date issue. I guess that means your article was “hot off the press”! (smile)
Regards,
Donnell Duncan
Founder and President
The Cracked Door
If the Door is Cracked, the Door is Open
Comment by Donnell — October 21, 2005 @ 3:12 pm |
“His personal viewpoint on life is separate to the particular content of his music.” From everything I’ve read and heard, I wouldn’t agree with that. I guess I would say the “secular”/”religious” labels don’t resonate with me, because I don’t necessarily see a secular/sacred divide in everything, nor an us/them. Good art/music/film speaks truth, beauty, and goodness into all groups; so in that sense, there should be no “Christian music” v. “secular”, but rather good art v. bad art. And yes, I’m biased, but I’d say U2′s is good.
Comment by Catherina — October 24, 2005 @ 11:51 am |
Good art vs Bad art is one way to look at it and I cannot dispute that. I also am not necessarily a proponent of the us/them concept.
However, Christian music is based on the Bible. If the content of the music does not line up with the Bible it cannot be Christian music. The same goes for all other forms of art.
Inspirational music is about all that is good and I like that kind of music also. However, because it’s inspirational does not make it Christian.
Nonetheless, I’m actually a proponent of the good art vs bad art perspective. U2 is good art! (smile)
Regards,
Donnell Duncan
Founder and President
The Cracked Door
If the Door is Cracked, the Door is Open
Comment by Donnell — October 24, 2005 @ 2:28 pm |
I am going to agree with Donnel’s statement “However, Christian music is based on the Bible. If the content of the music does not line up with the Bible it cannot be Christian music.”
The fact is that we as Christians today want so badly to hang on to the things that give us comfort. Music has been a powerful influence in society since it’s inception long before radio, Television, and other mediums. This is really no different.
The Word tells us that “we will know them by their fruits”. Can you look to into the lives of ALL of the collective band and see fruit worthy of Jesus? Can you hear the Gospel or “Good News” being preached in their music? Do they teach the word of God? All of these are rhetorical questions. In everything that we do in life, we either serve God, or ourselves. Which one is Bono serving?
Comment by Jim Julson — October 31, 2005 @ 12:14 pm |
I found this article to be fascinating. Thank you for the direct questions. For many years, I have been a lover of U2 music but gravitate heavily to the classic Joshua tree album. There are many lyrics that lend itself to some indirect reference to Christianity. Although Bono’s testimony was a bit obscure in the past, I commend him for humbling himself, admitting his beliefs with strong conviction, and desiring to make the world a better place. Good for him for proclaiming his Christian heritage and standing on his principles! No one’s perfect. That’s the beauty of Jesus.
Comment by Jennifer Starace — February 4, 2007 @ 1:43 am |
u2 are awsome band
how did hi belief influence him ask yourself that question
Comment by bmarly — April 30, 2007 @ 11:06 am |
This article to me again confirms the heart of a guy who has spent decades writing and singing of a God of love. A God, who, continues to shape and save our life to love a broken world.
It has been interesting reading the responses to this article. I find it sad that we are so quick to label and judge a creative life of which we will never fully know or understand. Christian or secular lets ‘let love come to town!’
Comment by Love it! — October 26, 2008 @ 3:56 am |