Bono
The fashionable view of Bono is that he's full of himself, the most pretentious of all rockstars, that instead of crusading around the world, he should shut up and sing (or just shut up, period). Though I understand where this view comes from - after all, his kind of earnestness can definitely be off-putting - I think it's overly cynical. The man has guts, yet is quick to admit his own hypocrisy. And if you've ever seen him in concert, you know he's a born performer. So I admire him greatly.
Then again, maybe I just like the fact that we've been photographed together...
I recently stumbled across this excerpt from an interview he did a couple years ago, taken from the book, "Bono in Conversation with Michka Assayas":
Q: 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.
Q: I haven't heard you talk about that.
Bono: I really believe we've moved out of the realm of Karma and into one of Grace.
Q: Well, that doesn't make it any 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 and 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.
Q: 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.
Q: 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 humble… It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of Heaven.
Then again, maybe I just like the fact that we've been photographed together...
I recently stumbled across this excerpt from an interview he did a couple years ago, taken from the book, "Bono in Conversation with Michka Assayas":
Q: 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.
Q: I haven't heard you talk about that.
Bono: I really believe we've moved out of the realm of Karma and into one of Grace.
Q: Well, that doesn't make it any 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 and 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.
Q: 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.
Q: 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 humble… It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of Heaven.
Labels: DZ, Grace in Practice, Music, Religion, Theology, U2
posted by DZ at
1:49 PM
3 Comments:
That is so cool! He explains it so well in very plain language. I also like how you get to show off your "Bono and me (and three other people)" pics:)
That is awesome. I also love that he used the world 'shit' in his 'witness'.
Isn't that an older John Zahl in the top photo?
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