It was a profound experience. Really, it was like no other I have ever had. It was our first U2 concert! Jennifer and I took our "bigs", Emily and Jackson, to the outdoor concert in Raleigh, N.C. on October 3rd. We have pretty much raised all our kids on U2 and their lyrics all along. I will never forget Jackson in his car seat, as a little guy, raising his finger to the song, "Elevation". We have been raising our fingers to that song ever since. Of course, leading up to the concert, we played all the music over and over. It all reached a fevered-pitch when I managed to snag a perfect, front-row, field-level spot for us to soak it in. Listening to all the music in that setting was pretty close to a "religious" experience. My low-key, laid back son, Jackson, was jumping up and down, hands raised, to the music. I was amazed and somehow filled with the powerful presence of Christ in a new and unique way, at least it was for me. I think it is because I simply recognized Jesus Christ in U2's music like I never had before. I mean, I knew that at least three band members were Christians, and I knew that Bono uses his music to communicate his faith, but the clarity of the gospel message in the music had never come through so clearly to me before.
The opening song in Raleigh is a new favorite of mine from their new album, No Line On the Horizon. It's called "Breathe". It seems to me to be really about the breathing room we discover along with the grace of God. When we find the grace of God, we really do not need anything else anymore:
"Every day I, die again and again and reborn Every day I, have to find the courage to walk down into the street, with arms out gotta’ love you can’t defeat neither down or out there's nothing you have that I need, I can breath Breathe now."
"I found grace and its all I’ve got And I can breathe out sing my out I found a place inside a sound I found grace and its all I’ve got and I can breathe, breath her."
There are plenty of other examples, but nothing is quite as clear as the song, "Grace". I praise God that such a clear and beautiful description of God's amazing grace has made it into the mainstream:
"Grace... She takes the blame. She covers the shame. Removes the stain. It could be her name"
"What once was hurt, what once was friction, what left a mark, no longer stings, because grace makes beauty, out of ugly things, grace makes beauty out of ugly things"
U2's music reminds me of Jesus' parables. Jesus used the parables on purpose, not to spell it out, but to come in the back door. The truth is, for most of us, we have got our front doors sealed shut. Too many scam artists have peddled lies to us for too many years. Everything is nailed down with the closed sign hanging. When you read Jesus' parables or listen to the music of U2 though, grace comes in the back door, and it is amazing.
