In a recent issue of World Magazine (August 6, 2005) cultural editor Gene Edward Veith reports on a provocative interview with Bono, the lead singer and songwriter, The interviewer, Mr. Assayas, begins by asking Bono, Doesn’t he think “appalling things” happen when people become religious? Bono counters, “It’s a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the Universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.”
The interviewer asks, What’s that? To which the singer explains, “At the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics – in physical laws – every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that… Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff.”
The interviewer asks, Like what? “That’s between me and God. But I’d be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge,” says Bono. “It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out for Grace. I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity.”
Then the interviewer marvels, “The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that.”
“The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death,” replies Bono. “It’s not our own good works that get us through the gates of Heaven.”
The interviewer marvels some more: “That’s a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it’s close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has His rank among the world’s great thinkers. But Son of God, isn’t that farfetched?”
Bono comes back, “Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: He was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn’t allow you that. He doesn’t let you off that hook. Christ says, No. I’m not saying I’m a teacher, don’t call me teacher. I’m not saying: I’m a prophet. I’m saying: ‘I’m the Messiah.’ I’m saying: ‘I am God incarnate.’… So what you’re left with is either Christ was who He said He was – the Messiah – or a complete nutcase… The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me that’s farfetched.”
Whether or not Bono has been genuinely born again by the Spirit of God is beyond my ability to discern, but let me make a couple of personal observations about this conversation: First, as Mr. Veith points out, the hip rock journalist begins his interview with the scorning attitude that “appalling things happen” to people who embrace Christianity. But then as the conversation unfolds it becomes evident that the scorner has never really heard the core truth claims of Christianity – the grace of God, forgiveness of sins through the death of Christ, the uniqueness of Christ as the Son of God, and the essence of the good news of the gospel.
Could it be that there are multitudes of people today who have scorned the Christian gospel, thinking of it in terms of a rigid, sterile moralism – another religious form of Karma in which I get out what I have put in - when in reality Christianity teaches that I receive, not the results of what I have put in, but the results of what Christ put in and then gives out from sheer grace?
Secondly, the interviewer, admits to the beauty of these gospel claims when he confides, “I wish I could believe in that.” Could it be that mankind is so alienated from God that we cannot even believe these things without first receiving the grace of God? The verses of the old hymn say it well,
Come, ye weary, heavy laden, bruised and broken by the fall; If you tarry till you’re better, you will never come at all: Not the righteous, not the righteous; sinners Jesus came to call.
Let not conscience make you linger, nor of fitness fondly dream; All the fitness He requireth is to feel your need of Him; This He gives you, this He gives you; ‘tis the Spirit’s rising beam.
It is reported in a recent article of By Faith Magazine that Ellis Potter, a Zen Buddist who became a Christian and a worker at L’Abri, the Christian Center of Francis Schaeffer, was fond of asking this question of skeptics to the Christian faith, “If you converted to Christianity today, do you think your life would be larger, fuller, richer, more attractive and creative, more involved with the people, circumstances, art and culture around you? Or do you think your life would be smaller, narrower, more withdrawn, judgmental, and negative, less winsome and creative, less involved with the people, art, circumstances, and culture around you?” Most people, like Bono’s interviewer, would affirm the latter expectation.
It is a tragedy to reject Jesus Christ before making an honest investigation of Who He claimed to be and what He claimed to do. And it is folly to try to make that honest investigation devoid of a deep sense of the need for grace without which no one will have either interest or ability to make the attempt.