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Get Up Off Your Knees
Get Up Off Your Knees: Preaching the U2 Catalog edited by Raewynne J. Whitely and Beth Maynard Cowley, 2003 212 pp., $14.95, paper |
The faithful never grow tired of hearing the legend of Bono Vox. It reminds them that extraordinary things can, and typically do, come from humble beginnings. As a parable, its lesson is that you, too, should dream big and then work hard to realize those dreams.
Reminding, comforting, and challenging are recurring themes in Get Up Off Your Knees: Preaching the U2 Catalog. Editors Raewynne J. Whiteley and Beth Maynard, both Episcopalian ministers, have produced the first book of sermons inspired by what just might be the world's most influential rock 'n' roll band. Gathering 26 contributors from across the landscape of U2 fandom to offer a collection of homilies, meditations, and essays, they offer a welcome portrait of what's possible when you have three chords and the truth.
Is it any wonder this book exists? For more than two decades, U2 has been preaching basic biblical principles to its chosen congregation of America. Three of the four band members once nearly left the band before it really got going when the Christian community of Shalom, in which they were deeply involved, advised them they could not serve both God and the rock guitar. The three disagreed. Now, nearly a dozen albums and more than a thousand live performances later, millions of fans would likely disagree too, many of whom say they owe a debt to U2 for their own spiritual formation.
Whiteley holds a Ph.D. in homiletics and is the vicar of an Episcopalian church in Swedesboro, New Jersey. Maynard is an Episcopalian rector in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. They share an interest in GenXer evangelism and in using pop culture for starting conversations about God. Both use U2 songs in their teaching. They asked for sermons inspired by a U2 song, and Eugene Peterson (who counts himself a fan) agreed to write a foreword to the volume.
You won't find any deep exegesis of either the biblical text or the U2 song in these sermons. Nor will you get much engagement with a particular strain of theology or critical theory. There is a clear emphasis on the biblical imperative to act on what you know, but the contributors leave it up to the reader to find a specific application of the truths these sermons recall. I found this an odd omission, as it is unlike the work of U2, who have always offered an organization, a place, or a face in need of our help.
Most entries end with the admonition to do something very Christlike—love, share, rebuke, be at peace, be honest, and be blessed—but don't explain why or how these actions would look different when done to exemplify Christ as opposed to, say, the poet Allen Ginsberg, who was all for love and peace. That said, this is also a book with exhortations to go ahead and wrestle with the world, the flesh, and the path of success. The struggle will likely yield a deeper appreciation of grace while invigorating you to then extend that grace to others.
Which takes us back to the legend for a moment. A legend can define a community, provide a narrative for them to fix their ideals upon, and then be the vehicle for transmitting those ideals to the next generation. Legends are a good port of entry for trying to understand a culture, especially a subculture. So let's make our entry.
The facts (as best as anyone can tell) go like this: While walking down Dublin's O'Connell Street in the mid-1970s, a teenager named Paul Hewson was given the nickname Bono Vox by his friend Guggi, who saw it on a sign for a hearing-aid store. Soon thereafter, the newly christened Bono responded to an advertisement at school posted by a fellow student wanting to start a band. The classmate was a drummer named Larry Mullen, Jr. Bono Vox and Larry were then joined by David Evans and Adam Clayton. All four were students at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, a progressive school blending Protestants and Catholics.
