The following interview took place in March of 2004.
Bono: My understanding of the Scriptures has been made simple by the person of Christ. Christ teaches that God is love. What does that mean? What it means for me: a study of the life of Christ. Love here describes itself as a child born in straw poverty, the most vulnerable situation of all, without honor. I don’t let my religious world get too complicated. I just kind of go: Well, I think I know what God is. God is love, and as much as I respond [sighs] in allowing myself to be transformed by that love and acting in that love, that’s my religion. Where things get complicated for me, is when I try to live this love. Now that’s not so easy.
What about the God of the Old Testament? He wasn’t so “peace and love”?
Bono: There’s nothing hippie about my picture of Christ. The Gospels paint a picture of a very demanding, sometimes divisive love, but love it is. I accept the Old Testament as more of an action movie: blood, car chases, evacuations, a lot of special effects, seas dividing, mass murder, adultery. The children of God are running amok, wayward. Maybe that’s why they’re so relatable. But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that 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, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross.
Religion can be the enemy of God. It’s often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. [laughs] A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship.
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.
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 a 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 humbled… . It’s not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.
That’s a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it’s close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has his rank among the world’s great thinkers. But Son of God, isn’t that farfetched?
Bono: No, it’s not farfetched to me. Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn’t allow you that. He doesn’t let you off that hook. Christ says:
No. I’m not saying
I’m a teacher, don’t call me teacher. I’m not saying I’m a prophet. I’m saying:
“I’m the Messiah.” I’m saying: “I am God incarnate.”
And people say:
No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet, we can take.
You’re a bit eccentric. We’ve had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild
honey, we can handle that. But don’t mention the “M” word! Because,
you know, we’re gonna have to crucify you. And he goes:
No, no. I know
you’re expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these
creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. At this point, everyone starts
staring at their shoes, and says:
Oh, my God, he’s gonna keep saying this.
So what you’re left with is: either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. I mean, we’re talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we’ve been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had “King of the Jews”
on his head, and, as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going:
OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it. I’m not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that’s farfetched …
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Why is it that a rockstar can hit the nail squarer than most preachermen?
He has probably been places and seen things, as a rockstar, that most preachers could comprehend. Experience brings understanding, not text books.
Not to say that preachers are ignorant or anything. Many have been there and seen that too.
first of all this rockstar is of the descent kind,and aswell as that i recon that most people that live as fast as bono well i suppose they have to speak from the heart as well as the head,the straight up honest kind of thing,makes things less complicated.
if anything those angels in heaven i belive that they may be equals possibly especially when trust is a big issue with the ancient of days itself,and on the issue of madness even that has a source so no matter what people cunjure up as an excuse to answer some of todays problems,if anything keep things simple afterall did god not state that his angels know the diffrence from right and wrong,so why are people so afraid.
if anything find within ourselves what is right and wrong and try keep our toughts free of greed and our spirit and feelings as humble and understanding as possible.
if ive ever learned anything of the divine one is that heaven is that place without fear.
god bless.
Thanks for posting this interview. I love U2 and Bono and it is comforting to know Bono`s faith is authentic. God bless you sir .
I had no idea Bono had this point of view and to be able to articulate it so well. Dang this was rad!
It was always up in the air to me if Bono followed Christ. I knew that he’s doing a lot of amazing things in the world, but to know that he’s for real is awesome. Thanks for posting!
We don’t know a man’s heart. But you can tell if a person is an authentic christian by the life that they live. I could see with my human eyes that there was something good inside of Bono and that was Jesus Christ. A person relationship with Christ will move us to be more Christ like. God Bless.