U2, Bono, and Christian Music
The Biblical Pursuit of Building World-Changing Ministry Brands in a Digital Age
The Five FaithBrand Disciplines: Main Thing, Story, Community, Outreach, Praxis.
The rock band U2’s lead singer, Bono, once had a fascinating discussion with the famous evangelist Franklin Graham about the nature of Christian music.
“You … you really love the Lord?” Franklin asked. “Yep,” Bono responded.
“Okay, you do. Are you saved?”
“Yep, and saving.”
“Have you given your life? Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?”
“Oh, I know Jesus Christ, and I try not to use him just as my personal Savior. But, you know, yes.”
“Why aren’t your songs, um, Christian songs?”
“They are!”
“Oh, well, some of them are,” Franklin responded.
“What do you mean?” Bono said.
“Well, why don’t they … Why don’t we know they’re Christian songs?”
Bono replied, “They’re all coming from a place, Franklin. Look around you. Look at the creation, look at the trees, look at the sky, look at these kinds of verdant hills. They don’t have a sign-up that says, ‘Praise the Lord’ or ‘I belong to Jesus.’ They just give glory to Jesus.”
I wonder. Could Christian music be more than praise and worship? And I love praise music. Can Christian music also be more relevant to social concerns? Just like the Gospel? And does this lesson apply to all Christian communication?
The second discipline of a great ministry is the stirring way it tells its Christian story.
U2 music is worshipful and relevantly radical because it applies Christian truth to contemporary situations. It gains a stature that is, dare I say, prophetic, which is sometimes overlooked by today’s ministries.
Love this. Good read.