My wife is a huge fan of the band U2. No, really, she is a huge fan. Some of you might remember the study she led, “U2 and the Bible” where she explored the music and lyrics of U2 from a spiritual perspective. Much of their music has been influenced by the members’ Christian faith. One of my personal favorites has been the song, “Grace.”
In 1982, the band has something of a spiritual crisis. Bono, the Edge, and Larry Mullen were attending Shalom Fellowship. It’s a charismatic church in Dublin which was born out of an alternative to the ongoing Protestant-Catholic tensions in Ireland. At one point, a member of the fellowship has a prophetic vision about the band. God wanted them to quit playing rock and roll. The pastor and others in the fellowship put great pressure on the three. Although I might have completely discounted this vision, to their credit these band members took it seriously. They decided that the only way they could move forward is if they could find a way to maintain their faith while remaining in the band. Thankfully, they found that path.
Here’s a fascinating video where Bono shares a bit about his faith.
On Thursday, we were scheduled to take a U2 tour of Dublin for Sara. Unfortunately, some confusion occurred, and the tour guide never came. Needless to say, there was a great deal of disappointment. Then the tour company called us apologizing saying that they got the time wrong. They wanted to make it right.
The company sent over P.J. Murphy-O’Brien who took us on a walking tour of Dublin with an emphasis on U2. P.J. is also a James Joyce scholar so we had plenty of Joyce with our U2. And, he threw in a pub crawl as well.
Many Christians are dismissive of James Joyce. He certainly can be very critical of the Catholic faith in which he was raised. After all, in chapter five of Ulysses, he compares the lotus-eaters in Homer to those who partake of the Holy Eucharist. Still, Christians should be gracious enough to hear the criticisms from our “cultured despisers.”
The tour was great, and it even ended with a public reading of James Joyce. If you are watching Dublin television, you might even catch Sara and me reading an excerpt.
Pastor 139 