Bono on God

The following is a ten part series of Bono talking with Bill Hybels at the 2006 Willow Creek Leadership Summitt about his faith, about God, Jesus, the change in his life, and about love. Each part is around 5 minutes long.

Here is Part 1

Watch Part 2
“We believe that the poor deserve an honorable place at the table. They deserve the head of the table is how God would see things.”

Watch Part 3
“Duality is the mark of a lot of great art. It’s one of the things missing, for instance, in Christian art, because there’s no tension.”

Watch Part 4
“I am so fascinated by the idea of the Child being born in straw poverty. To me there is a poetic power to that. It is a remarkable story, the Christmas story, and it never fails to amaze me.”

Watch Part 5
“What else are you going to do with this thing called celebrity. I mean it’s ridiculous. It positively upends Gods order of things. Why would a filmstar or a rockstar or a sports star be more important than a nurse, or a fireman or a mother? It’s actually ridiculous. But hey it’s currency, and I decided I was going to spend mine.”

Watch Part 6
“The church has historically always been behind the curve. It’s amazing to me. In civil rights, in fighting against the rascism in the 60′s and the 50′s in South the United States, and Apartheid in Africa.”

Watch Part 7
(Part 7 seems to be identical to Part 6)

Watch Part 8
“Love thy neighbor is not advice. It’s a command. And who is our neighbor in the global village? Can an accident of longitude and latitude really decide whether you live or whether you die? In the global community, in a globalized world, can you say because that’s happening over there it’s not really my concern? Well you can’t if you’re a Christian. You cannot.”

Watch Part 9
“Stop asking God to bless what you’re doing. Find out what God is doing because it’s already blessed.”

“A lot of people are happy with pie in the sky when they die. But I don’t think that is our purpose. Our purpose is to bring Heaven to earth in the micro, as well as the macro. In every detail of our lives we should be trying to bring Heaven to earth.”

Watch Part 10

I like love Bono.

Filed under: Bill Hybels, Bono, Faith, God, Grace, Jesus, Life, Love, MLK, Music, ONE Campaign, Politics, Poverty, Religion, Social Justice, U2, Willow Creek

Mama’s Boy

How amazing this world would be had everyone been as blessed as I was in the mother department. I have been so showered in love and grace and understanding that sometimes it seems unreal.

There’s a old saying that behind every great man there is a great woman. That is no truer than in my house growing up. As great as my dad was, he’ll be the first to tell you that he couldn’t have done any of it had it not been for my mom. She’s more than amazing.

I know I can never repay her for all that she’s done for me, but the least I can do is live my life in such a way as to make her proud, and to show my son the same love and grace and understanding she has shown me.

There’s a special place in heaven for mothers like mine.

Woman, how divine your mission
Here upon our natal sod!
Keep, oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!
All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother-love impearled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
— William Ross Wallace

I’ll always be a mama’s boy.

Happy birthday mom!
I love you!!

Filed under: Birthdays, Grace, Love, Mom, Mothers

Reprise: The Cynical PK

Having said all that, I still believe in the local church.

I know a bunch of people, including Christ followers on my blogroll, that have had enough to the point that they no longer see the relevance of the local church. But I still find solace there. I see my mission there. I remember reading an article by Rick Warren once where he said that the church is the only organization that is fully equipped to actually make a physical, emotional, and spiritual difference in this world.

And I believe that.

The problem is that most of the time the church isn’t working right, and the reason is that humans are involved. We humans have a knack for screwing up all the good things God has planned for us. But that doesn’t mean we need to throw our hands up and admit defeat. It simply means we have much more work to do. It’s just a shame that the majority of the road blocks in our pursuit of spreading the message happens to come from His own people.

As Obama has stated in his speeches all year, I feel the fierce urgency of now. Sometimes I get a little impatient because people just don’t see the big picture. I feel like we keep falling back into the idea that church is supposed to be comfortable. I’ve got some news for you guys, church is supposed to make you uncomfortable. It should be in a state of constant change. And believe it or not, it isn’t about you at all. It isn’t about me either. It’s about giving hope to the hopeless. It’s about being a light in a very dark world.

So allow me to blow off some steam now and again when I see and hear people who not only don’t get it, but take out their frustrations on a man who has dedicated his entire life and well-being into reaching those lost souls. You can’t ever know the damage you do, not just to him and his family, but to the message of Jesus. The message of love.

Filed under: Church, Grace, Hope, Love

My [Re]Birthday

19 years old and counting.

On this date in 1988, in this small church in Rosebud, Arkansas, I publicly demonstrated my commitment to God. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I haven’t always been perfect, but I am always pressing on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

You with me?

Filed under: Baptism, Birthdays, Faith, Forgiveness, Grace, Love, Sin

Lyle Ellison (1919-2007)

Everybody called him Pops. He had a signature shuffle, liked to lick the butter knife, and coined phrases like, “Put it on account. On account I ain’t got nothin’” and, “You can’t have hair and brains both. It’s a shame to get jipped out of both.”

He took the place of my namesake when I was only a couple years old, so for all intents and purposes, this was my Grandpa. From the stories I’ve heard, the first time I met him I asked my mom if he was Barney Rubble. It turned out he wasn’t, but he was a character unto himself. He absolutely loved to play games. He’d always tell me to save my nickels for the next time we got together. If I won, I got to keep the money. The best part was if he won, he just gave me the money back.

One of the best memories I have is how he loved my Grandma. All he ever said was how sweet she was, how good she could cook, how much he loved her, how lucky he was to have her. If I could take one thing from Pops, that would be it—appreciate what I’ve got, and let her know it…publicly and often.

I wasn’t sure about his eternal future until I heard God talk through my Grandma in the funeral home last Sunday. I have no doubt now. And it makes me happy to know that God’s grace is so much greater than mine.

I’ll see you soon Grandpa… and I’m saving my nickels!

Filed under: Death, Grace, Life

It’s OK

OK — Mute Math

Down on my knees down on my face
You just say it’s ok
So many days I’ve thrown away
You just say it’s ok
I don’t think I could ever repay
Your perfect grace, but it’s ok

It’s ok, It’s ok
It’s ok, It’s ok
You’ve become my embrace
Just tell me that it’s ok

Your precious words intoxicate
A heart that aches; it’s ok
You don’t recall my past mistakes
You just say it’s ok
This human mind can’t calculate
Your perfect grace, but it’s ok

It’s ok, It’s ok
It’s ok, It’s ok
You’ve become my embrace
Just tell me that it’s ok

Even though you’ve seen a thousand times
I’ve let you down
You’re always there if I should call your name
You’re unashamed, unashamed

It’s ok, It’s ok
It’s ok, It’s ok
You’ve become my embrace
Just tell me that it’s ok

Filed under: Grace, Lyrics, Mute Math