Alan writes - Having spent two unsuccessful Monday mornings trying to get tickets for one of the NZ U2 concerts I got to thinking about how God came into the world as a baby. No tickets, no big announcement. Only a few shepherds, foreign star watchers and a young maid and her carpenter husband were in on the secret. This is the brilliance of Christmas. God snuck quietly, almost unnoticed in a remote and unpredicted way. God came not big and bold with flashing lights and ticket sales but as a baby born in poverty, misplaced by political decision; a refugee on the run.
Below are six thoughts about the coming of Christ and U2
When God came in Christ – God came in a surprising way.
Christmas reminds us that God comes in the most unlikely and surprising of ways. A baby born in a manger in Bethlehem.
But as Bono the lead singer of the U2 band says this is the brilliance of Christmas. This is the genius.
Christianity Today (March 2003) – Bono said “That there is a force of love and logic behind the universe is overwhelming to start with, if you believe it, but the idea that the same love and logic would choose to describe itself as a baby born in shit and straw and poverty is genius. And it brings me to my knees, literally[i].”
When God comes in Christ – God comes as flesh and blood.
At Christmas we need to be reminded that the word of God was not enough. While the word includes law, history, poems, songs, lament, prophecy, proverbs, dramas, angels, miracles, parables, preaching, epistles and visions …when the evangelicals decided the word preached was the most efficient means of communicating they overlooked that God was saying that these things were not sufficient and the Word had to become flesh. Flesh and bone, personality and passion. Feelings and pain. It had to be lived.
[i] Cited in Stockman, S. (2005) Walk On: the Spiritual Journey of U2; p212
Bono, like all the great prophets is flesh and blood. He has been honest about his failings when it comes to his life and Christian journey. While the church might ignore the darkness within and try to cover up its hang-ups with a shirt and tie, Bono has continually shown us himself, warts and all. That the church has covered its eyes perhaps is a hint that it fears such honesty. In admitting to their doubts and weaknesses, the members of U2 got condemned from the very place where everyone should have raised their hands and said’ ‘hey, this is a perfect description of my yet imperfect faith. I believe all this, but man, I need to keep running[i].”
When God comes in Christ - God comes to connect heaven and earth.
Incarnation is – God in humanity. The divine in the ordinary. There are so many questions, tragedies, heart aches in the real world that cannot be ignored. There is so much injustice and pain and abuse in the church that cannot be ignored. Like Jesus the U2 team do not step back from the tough questions. They have their heads in heaven and their feet in the mud. The band has looked the dark side of life right in the eye.
When God comes in Christ – God comes to challenge the status quo -I want it all and I want it now.
U2 represent a different face of Christianity – with an agenda for peace making and justice and a kingdom coming – Bono “I don’t expect this pie in the sky when you die stuff. My favourite line in the Lord’s prayer is, ‘They Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is heaven. I want it all, and I want it now. Heaven on earth – now – let’s have a bit of that[ii].” The church is fighting the wrong issues – Jesus didn’t say the goats smoked, drank or swore too much. He said they didn’t get involved in changing the circumstances of the marginalised by feeding them when they were hungry and visiting them in prison. These were the issues of the kingdom[iii].
Speaking to a group of Christian leaders Bono said:
Today – in the next twenty-four hours – 5,500 Africans wil die of AIDS. Today in childbirth 1,400 African mothers will pass on HIV to their newborns. If this isn’t an emergency, what is? In the scriptures we are not advised to love our neighbour, we are commanded. The church needs to lead the way here, not drag its heels. The government needs guidance. We discuss, we debate, we put our hands in our pockets. We are generous even.
But, I tell you, God is not looking for alms; God is looking for action. He is not just looking for our loose change – he’s looking for a tighter contract between us and our neighbour.
I should be preaching to the converted here. There are 2,300 verses of scripture pertaining to the poor. History will judge us on how we deal with this crisis. God will judge us even harder.
“We are, Bono says, the first generation that can look extreme and stupid poverty in the eye, look across the water to Africa and elsewhere, and say this and mean it: we have the cash, we have the drugs, we have the science – but do we have the will? Do we have the will to make poverty history?”
When God comes in Christ – God comes vulnerably.
What could be more vulnerable that a baby. A baby needs someone to do absolutely everything for them. Maybe as U2 suggests in this age God is not so much answering prayers as asking questions that he has already given us all the resources to answer. When Bono talked of the death of his father he explained that he had prayed that his father would have dignity in death. But realized that death like birth, was without dignity and that what he really should have been praying for was humility. He concluded that maybe humility is the eye by which we get through the needle. He thought dignity might be a human construct next door to pride, or worse to vanity. Humility might be the best thing to have before your maker (p180).
When God comes in Christ – God comes in love
Many of the songs that U2 sing are love songs. Particularly songs that use the word grace and a feminine image of God acting in love. For example ‘Grace’
Grace, she takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name
Grace, it's the name for a girl
It's also a thought that could change the world
And when she walks on the street you can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness in everything
……Because Grace makes beauty out of ugly things
Grace finds beauty in everything
Grace finds goodness in everything
At Christmas it is so easy, particularly in the church to loose the scandal, the surprise, the vulnerability, the challenge the flesh and blood nature of Christ’s coming. Sometimes we need new lenses to see what we haven’t seen before. Maybe U2 can help –bugger I won’t be there to hear it.
Alan, I'm really disappointed you aren't going to be there. Perhaps a generous benefactor might emerge. Thanks for the reflection.
Posted by: Paul Fromont | Thursday, 22 December 2005 at 07:40 PM
I love the Message version of John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood." This King (Christ) needs no bling!
Posted by: Andrew | Friday, 23 December 2005 at 11:03 AM