U2 - Some Reflections

 As a teenager with severe asthma I had almost tasted death on several occasions.  Being so conscious of death made me also conscious of spiritual things.  So much so that, at the age of 17, I started going to church and Christian groups.  Although I made some long lasting friendships during this time the spiritual life I was presented with was legalistic and stifling.

I don't remember being particularly interested in music before U2.  I know I listened to Madonna and Michael Jackson a lot in the 1980's but I think that it was just because everyone else did.  There was no real connection.  This all changed when, in 1988, I first listened to The Joshua Tree.  I was struck by the beauty of the lyrics, the raw energy behind the performance and the sound of it all.  I was particularly struck by the song 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'.  To me that song spoke straight into my spiritual confusion.  I felt that I had been understood.  The spiritual honesty in the song inspired me to continue searching, and not to expect easy answers.  

In 1990 I began studying a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English Literature.  I was told by various Christians to pray before reading books which were written by non-Christian authors. I really wanted to follow Jesus, but I have always hated rules.  Particularly rules that made no sense to me.  As a result I listened to even more U2 - dancing and singing alone in my bedroom as I contemplated life.  

I remember so clearly when U2 released Achtung Baby in 1991.  It caused such controversy among the Christian community at my University.  But to me it spoke of their creativity and soul searching.  I particularly liked the song 'Mysterious Ways' because it went beyond black and white thinking and into areas that were 'mysterious'.  Eventually I rejected the Christian 'rules' I had been presented with.  So I totally understood when U2 both proclaimed their faith and bent the rules.  After all, they are artists not preachers.

I think there's a difference between the role of an artist and the role of a preacher.  I believe that U2 draw on their faith to make people think an feel and question.  And that, to me, is the role of the artist, Christian or otherwise.  Of course no one can possibly know whether a particular band is 'Christian enough' or not.  But that misses the point.  Listening to U2 helped me when I was spiritually searching, in a way that most 'Christian bands' did not.  They came across as real people who made brilliant music.  In contrast, many of the Christian bands and artists of the time were squeaky clean and, therefore, difficult for people like me to relate to.  And by people like me I mean people from non-Christian backgrounds who had lived a life that fell outside the rules of Christian culture.

As a creative person, I can learn a lot from U2.  I have learned that to be truly creative I must get out of my comfort zone and risk failure.  I have also learned to be true to myself and my craft and not just produce what I think my proposed audience wants to hear.  Of course people follow artists who don't take risks but, I think, the artist is then less inspiring.  

I am impressed that the members of the band have been together since the 1970's, when they met as teenagers.  I think they get a lot out of working together, and bouncing ideas off one another.  I know that when I talk to, or work with, other writers I feel more productive than when I work alone.  I think it's important for any sort of artist to be part of a community.

I value the honesty and vulnerability of U2, as expressed in many of their lyrics.  As someone who has dabbled in poetry, their words are exceptional.  And, finally, I have learned about spirituality from U2.  Whether they fit neatly into a Christian box or not, they have helped me to ask the tough questions and keep on searching.  And that, to me, speaks genuinely of Jesus.

NB: This blog post is adapted from an assignment I did for a course called 'Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Writing and Communication', through Tabor Adelaide.