I so dislike "religion" & so does Bono

I've always admired Bono and have ignored the Christian gossip regarding him and others. I've not the slightest doubt that power, money, and fame are very hard on anyone. But to see a man who has been married 25 yrs + and loves his wife so deeply always opens me up to hear more.

Bono grew up in Dublin, Ireland, which is some 96% Catholic. He met Jesus in a very personal way as a teen. While hanging out in a local McDonald's he and his friend observed a man being abused by a Hare Krishna for reading his Bible. the guy Denis Sheedy became their friend and they then began to attend a small Christian community called "Shalom." Growing up in the absence of TBN Christianity Bono and his friends had a much smaller list by which to be judged by in regards to his "spiritual maturity." Bono has struggles big time with American Christianity. I was very touched by his quote that I used a couple days ago in my blog:

"Religion to me is almost like when God leaves -and people devise a set of rules to fill the space." 1997

While still attending the Shalom church the band, U2 began to get some international recognition. The response by one man in their church, a self proclaimed prophet, was that God wanted them to give up their music to show Jesus how much they loved Him. This was a huge falling away for Bono and his band member-best friend, the Edge.

In 1987 Bono told Robert Hillman, "I go to America and I turn on my television set, and I start sweating profusely because those guys have turned faith into an industry. It's appalling. It's ugly . . ."

Bono has been very open about how hard it is to follow Christ when so much fame and wealth have touched his life. He one shouted in one of his Popmart concerts, "I went looking for spirit and found alcohol; I went looking for soul, and I bought some style; I wanted to meet God, but they sold me religion."

Bono truly feels he's called to be a rebel: "Rebellion starts at home, in your heart, in your refusal to compromise your beliefs and your values. I'm not interested in politics like people fighting back with sticks and stones, but in the politics of love."

When Bono was interviewed by the Irish journalist Joe Jackson about a Samuel Beckett Film Festival there was a repeated attempt to get Bono to admit he and Beckett had nothing in common. He pointed out that Bono believed in God and Beckett saw a godless universe - this he said must leave Bono feeling cold. Bono's response: "No, it doesn't because a lot of my friends are atheists. It's lukewarm believers that drive me out of the church."

It wasn't until 2002 that Bono began to meet with Evangelical Christians. He visited Wheaton and Willow Creek (did a video interview with Bill Hybels). He then met with dc Talk, Jars of Clay, Sixpense None the Richer, Steve Taylor, and Michael W. Smith (all Christian superstars).

Lead singer, Jon Foreman of Switchfoot later wrote that the headlines should read, "Bono Comes to Nashville to Convert the Christian Music Industry." He then says, "I was convicted. Guilty." Michael W. Smith spoke of being "woke up." It changed his focus, his energy, and his service to a dying world.

Again, religion makes Bono sick! He says, "I'm not often so comfortable in church. It feels pious and so unlike the Christ that I read about in the Scriptures." He then says, "To some people the church is their ticket to respectability, a certain bourgeois point of view, a safety net for when they go to bed. My idea of Christianity is no safety net, a scathing attack on bourgeois values, and a risk to respectability."

Perhaps in another blog I'll share with you more the man who loves the "Message" Bible, has sent "What's so amazing about Grace" to a fellow rock star, has read Watchman Nee and reads the Psalms daily. Maybe I'll also tell you of how his belief led him to ask the most powerful nations in the world to come to Africa's aid (30+ billion forgiven in debt so far)!

The question is, "Would you have ever guessed what a huge ministry one man had in simply reading his Bible in an Irish McDonald's?"

Serve God where you are - nowhere; that is NOW HERE in the present moment.