These are quotes (or paraphrased quotes at least- my handwriting is wretched!) from Bono during the recent Willow Creek Leadership Summit. I found his raw communication of spiritual truth riveting and refreshing:
- "I always thought living smack in the middle of a contradiction was a great place to be." – Regarding the paradox of a faithful life and the reality of the psalms.
- "There is a poetic power to a baby being born in straw-poverty." – Regarding his awe towards God sending Jesus to be born in such humility… and the precedence that sets for us to enter into the lives of the world’s poor.
- "We have to overthrow the way of the world." – Regarding the need for the last to be first and the first to be last.
- "Great ideas have the same power of a great melody." – Regarding how the greatest ideas of humankind get stuck in people’s heads and hearts like the greatest melodies on the radio.
- "Love thy neighbor is not advice… It’s a command." – Bono preaching to North American churches.
- "Stop asking God to bless what you’re doing. Ask what God is already doing and do that." – Regarding how we approach "ministry".
- "Our purpose is to bring heaven to earth." – Regarding how we are to live out the Lord’s prayer seriously.
I remember that, Jim… and I like that you’re quoting Bono too! I think Bono really identifies with the concept of grace. On U2’s last album, Bono’s song titled “Grace” says this: “Because grace makes beauty // Out of ugly things // Grace finds beauty
In everything.”
The quote that stood out to me and also got a big laugh from Bono was, “I’m very interested in grace because I’m really depending on it.”