Even Jesse Helms is a fan of U2 and BONO! I have been a U2 fan for 25 years now and I can honestly say I have always loved the passion and energy that they bring to every song and show they perform. I remember turning on MTV in 1981 and watching a music video that was filmed in Northern Ireland and being impacted by the way BONO led young people through the streets as he wailed-out lyrics with actual substance and meaning. I had the privilege of seeing U2 twice in concert in 1984 and I was moved deeply by their music and BONO'S stage persona. I remember wrestling with the questions of the genuineness of BONO'S faith in Christ shortly after my conversion.For a number of years I quit listening to U2 as I came to have serious doubts about BONO'S "form" of Christianity. I would read articles about his wild times on tour and be confused by the kind of expletives he would use during interviews. Well, I don't always agree with his politics, methods, or language, but I have come to see that this man really knows Jesus and has something to say.
BONO is one of the most influential Christians on this planet and he is using his albums, celebrity and concert pulpit to do something worthwhile in the world. As one of TIME MAGAZINE'S PEOPLE OF THE YEAR and one of their PEOPLE WHO SHAPE OUR WORLD, he is getting a hearing from both sides of the political spectrum. That in itself is a minor miracle. Even the ultra-conservative former Republican Senator Jesse Helms raves about BONO AND SAYS OF HIM, "I knew that he was genuine."
Christianity Today carried an interview that BONO did with French music journalist Michka Assayas, where BONO discusses Grace and the Gospel. Based upon this interview, it is clear to me that BONO knows in Whom he believes. Everybody has been talking about him for the last several years, so I figured it was time to give my two cents worth. By the way, their newest project, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb is right up there with Joshua Tree as the greatest work of their long reign as the biggest rock band in the world. U2 IS FOR YOU TOO! I know, pretty corny!
Blessings,
Doug
Tags: U2, Bono, Christianity, religion, Time Magazine, Jesse Helms, music, celebrities
Bono's love for Christ and his understanding of his own need for God's grace and salvation comes through loud and clear in "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb". Our family loves this music. We've worn out our CD listening to it in the car! I've always regretted not seeing them live during my concert-groupie...I mean concert-going years, but more than likely I wouldn't have appreciated them as much as I do now. U2's lyrics and music continue to challenge and confound both the secular world's "rules for rock" and religious views on secular rock.
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