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New U2

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sarahwalsh
Dec 06 2004
10:45 am

I realize that it is Grant’s turn to respond, but I’m feeling like I’d like to jump in here. THree of the four members of U2 love Jesus. The fourth, I forget which one, is not a Christian. They are also artist musicians. The fact that their lives have been changed from the inside out means that it can’t help but come out in how they live, eat, sleep, drink, write, sing and perform. They aren’t perfect, but I much prefer their way of communcating what it means to believe, to doubt and to live to formulaic CCM music.

The question of whether or not they are a Christian band comes down to the question of what do we mean by Christian? Is it a label? (Did you know that in their early stages as a band, they were approached and asked to label themselves as a Christian band? They decided not to because they didn’t want to limit themselves and the scope of thier music. THank God!)

What does it mean for me to be Christian? What does it mean for a community to be Christian? I think when we can determine what those signs and transformations of the heart that work themselves out in our lives looks like, we can better answer the question of whether or not U2 is a Christian band.

Clearly, I think they are. Like how I think that Annie Lamott is a Christian writer. She loves Jesus and she is a writer. She pursues her calling with excellence (or at least tries too, I know folks who do not like her) and keeps loving and being loved by Jesus. That comes out in her work.

Cheers. Sarah