tim’s thought property

Even though I haven’t cut the obnoxious television out of my daily habits (that show Lost is some kind of amazing, let me tell you), but I have been edging in time for reading.

I’ve started and almost completed reading Bono: In Conversation. I was taken aback at how engaging the book is. It is a compiled series of conversations between Michka Assayas, a French Writer and Bono himself, taking place over the course of a year and a half. The topics discussed range from the band’s early years, about Bono’s childhood, and his later activism. The book is full of interesting quotes and views and discussions, it has taken me by surprise a couple of times.

Here are a few interesting things he’s said. Michka’s questions are in bold.

There is one thing about your life that I find quite unusual and extraordinary for a rock star. You have been monogamous for twenty-five years.

I wasn’t up for marriage. I was not the kind of person that any of my friends would say “He’s the marrying kind.” But I met the most extraordinary woman, and I couldn’t let her go. I have somebody in my life, after a long time, I still feel I don’t know. And we have a real sort of almost creative distance between us, that Ali manages. Relationships need management. She has an incredible respect for my life and she’s a very independent spirit. So I don’t know how others would have made it through a married life with that length of time, but that’s how I have. I don’t know how you have, or how anyone else does it, but I think that’s what it is. And of course, respect and love. I’m still in love.

But falling in love with another person happens to everybody. I’m sure it happened to you. What is the inner force that has kept you from breaking your marriage.

Breaking my marriage? Maybe a strong sense of survival. I can’t remember his quote exactly, but there is a writing by Jean Cocteau where he says friendship is higher than love. Sometimes, it’s less glamorous, or less passionate, but it’s deeper and kind of wiser, I think. At the heart of my relationship is a great friendship. That’s in fact, in many ways, the key to all the important doors in my life: whether it’s the band, or whether it’s my marriage, or whether it’s the community that I still live in. It’s almost like the two sorts of sacraments are music and friendship.

—–

As I told you, I think I’m beginning to understand religion because I have started to acting and thinking like a father. What do you make of me?

Yes, I think that’s normal. 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 one thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.

I haven’t heard you talk about that.

I really believe we’ve moved out of the realm of Karma into Grace.

Well, that doesn’t make it clearer for me.

You see, at the centre 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. It’s clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the Universe. I’m absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that “As you reap, so will you sow” stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. 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.

I’d be interested to hear that.

That’s between me and God. But I’d be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I’d be in deep shit. It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out for Grace. I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins to the Cross, because I know who I am, and I home I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity.

The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that.

But I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: ‘Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there’s morality as a part of your very sinful nature, and, let’s face it, you’re not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions.’ 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. That’s the point. It should keep us humbled…It’s not out own good works that get us through the gates of Heaven.

That’s a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful even though its close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has his rank among the world’s great thinkers. But Son of God, isn’t that far fetched?

No, it’s not far fetched to me. 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 the 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”.’ And people say: ‘No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet we can take. You’re a bit eccentric. We’ve had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don’t mention the “M” word! Because you know we’re gonna have to crucify you.’ And he goes: ‘No, no. I know you’re expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah.’ At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and says: ‘Oh my God, he’s gonna keep saying this.’ So what you’re left with is: either Christ was who He said He was - the Messiah - or a complete nutcase. I mean, we’re talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we’ve been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had ‘King of the Jews’ on his head, and as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going: ‘OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it.’ I’m not joking here. 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 far fetched…

—–

And working in a store within a book store, it hasn’t left me immune to the vast majority of other interesting things to occupy my mind. I have seen and flipped through three books that look interesting.
They are about current culture, in Rebel Sell; The history of the world through the focus of drinking in A History of the World in Six Glasses; and a memoir about bigfoot, in In Me Own Words. Yet, although I pass these books daily, I don’t feel able to shell out sixty dollars for three books. I whall bide my time and wait to find them on the internet for much cheaper.

There you have it. I’m still reading, and have plans for more in the future.