God shaped hole

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jphelmet

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As a Christian I am starting with the assumption, everyone has a "God shaped hole" in their heart that is only filled by the acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in which we can then come to a Holy God.
After reading an old quote from Bono that i had not really thought about in a long time ("[God] gives us our strength and a joy that does not depend on drink or drugs. This strength will, I believe, be the quality that will take us to the top of the music business. I hope our lives will be a testament to the people who follow us, and to the music business where never before have so many lost and sorrowful people gathered in one place pretending they?re having a good time. It is our ambition to make more than good music.") it seems pretty clear to me that U2's rise to the greatest, most popular band in the world is pretty much summed up with this quote.
What I was thinking about after reading this, is how there are many U2 fans who dont quite get it, and mistake the need for Christ with the emotion and feeling that U2 can give through their music. (or any music for that matter, or person or experience) I have read a lot of posts here lately about feeling God's presence at Elevation shows. I have no disagreement with that, i cetainly felt it at all 7 shows i went to, but how many people were having that God shaped hole only filled with just a fraction, b/c they are mistaking U2's music to fill the need. Only getting an absurdly tiny glimpse of the glory and slendor of God through U2's music. Not realizing that feeling in the room wasn't from U2 or their music. U2 were (on the elevation tour ) and are instruments that God uses, just like every person- but how many people are mistaking these created small beings for the Creator?

I love U2's music, and it helps me grow closer in my walk with Christ in many ways. I have grown more spiritually in the last year and a half, than in any time in my life and I see ways in which ATYCLB and Elevation tour helped prompt that, and as excited I am by what is / was happening with U2 on the elevation tour it in no way compares with the grace I have been given by Jesus Christ. It saddens me so greatly for those who are mistaking that wonderful feeling at the shows for U2, instead of our Creator.

I hope this doesnt not come across critically to anyone who was posting on the subject of the elevation tour, and the wonderful feelings they had. From almost every post I read it seems that those who wrote realized the true source of those feelings. I just couldnt help but think fo those who have missed that.
 
good observation...let me tell you my story here...*hands out tissues for those who might get emotional*

well...it all started about a year ago...*queue dreamy music*

my parents were having an unusually hard time getting along last year (unusually as in, they talked to eachother considerably less than before..meaning...uhh..they didn't talk to each other at ALL). i was pretty sure (ok, i was wishing) they were going to divorce. they didn't...they just kept going on like nothing was happening. they'd go to bed together at night, but i'd go downstairs in the wee hours of the morning and find my dad on the couch.

on top of this, my relationships were pretty strained ( i could say as a result of this too i suppose). i was agitated all the time and was rather disinterested in everything. my friends didn't know what was going on and just figured i was having a stressful time and thought it best to leave me alone.

then mid-may hit. my car broke down, leaving me automobile-less...talking to my dad about it would only lead to him freaking out on me. then, i had final exams in EXTREMELY difficult classes that i felt SO inadequate in ( i was a junior in high school last year). so between studying, working, mediating parents, covering up everything to the world, i lost it.

there were nights that i don't want to remember, though of course i do, where everything seemed like a lost cause to me...that all of this was not worth what i was paying. i spent a lot of time pondering (forgive the useage here, but it's the most delicate way i can put it) a dangerous idea that almost (well, and most of the time did) made sense.

my fine friend lent me her atyclb on request. i tell you, when i heard "stuck" it was like a revelation! so intangeable...but a lightbulb went off...i was being shown the secret...that this time i'm spending wallowing in self-pity was such a waste...this low time, was just a moment, it would pass and the sun would surely shine brighter!

it's times like these that make people strong...but after i "recovered" i noticed i was still feeling empty. i think it was late july when i started getting into u2 more...looking at what cause bono to write such gorgeous lyrics. and of course, i saw how they were pretty aware of God. around then, i was feeling that darkness come back. i still felt empty.

so i thought, "God helped them out so much, i think it's time i looked." (keeping in mind that i have been burned several times over by organized religion and thus i was rather iffy on attempting to accept God into my life {of course, i have now realized that the Church doesn't have much to do with Jesus anymore}) so i opened up my religious side again. this time, i was more willing to accept Jesus into my life. (which is not to say i was forcing Jesus to fit into my life...don't want that argument again.)

looking...i noticed i needed His help, His guidance, and most of all His love. and i am grateful to have it. He has helped me through countless other dark times in my life, and i wouldn't be here without it.

their music has led me back to the Lord, and i can never thank them enough for it. when i listen to r&h version of "still haven't found" i DO get that feeling..."He will lift us up!" and yes, He will. it's encouraging...to see bono go through doubts. i am so very thankfull he shares his doubts through his music. i'm talking about zootv and POP. it's so comforting that someone so religious as bono also had (has) doubts in his faith.


and while, i don't see them as God...not by any means actually, they helped me answer to God...and i will forever be indebted to them for said service.
 
Lilly said:
*hands out tissues for those who might get emotional*

*gladly takes tissue and proceeds to cry through the story*

Shannon, thank you so much for sharing...*hugs* Love you!

And jphelmet...I think you have a good point. There are many people who get the feeling that they are a part of something blessed by God when they attend a U2 show. I have felt that way myself (see my story... http://forum2.interference.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56734 ) However, I cannot argue with the people who call U2 their church...in fact, someone at the show I went to had a sign saying "Our Church". And Bono often says "Take it to the church". I think there is a difference in what people call their church and what people call their God. To me, the church is an instrument of God. And anything that really brings you closer to Him can be loosely termed a church. I do agree with your worry about the people who think that U2 are God and are able to fill that God-shaped hole. But I think that those people will eventually see that U2 is merely a church, or an instrument, of God. If the people claiming that U2 are God are really listening to the music, there is no way they can be mistaken for long. I think that they will quickly realize that Bono, Adam, Edge, and Larry are merely tools of God himself.
 
yeah, thanks for sharing Lilly...I think I can relate to that. I agree with jp's thoughts here, U2 may be messengers of sorts as well as being great artists, but no more than that.
 
I have always felt that whatever help you get closer to God is generally good ... even if it is something secular like music, art, nature, etc.

I agree with your statement jphelmet taht U2's music obly gives us a glimpse into God's splendor and glory, but I dpn't believe that there is anything on earth that can fully show us the glory of God. It is something that is too big for any of us to understand.

Iwould hope that after having a "church-like" experience with ATYCLB and the Elevation shows, it perhaps encouraged U2 fans to at least think about spirituality a bit more ... maybe U2 fans aren't going to suddenly start going to Church or anything related to an organized religion, but maybe they grew closer to God and started a dialogue with God in their hearts. Maybe now, they are at least open to God being in their lives.
 
jphelmet said:


I have grown more spiritually in the last year and a half, than in any time in my life



Same here! I discovered U2 just over a year ago, and I have grown so much spiritually since then, more than I ever have before. They have sort of been the trigger, and led me to all sorts of thoughts and ideas that I hadn?t come across before.

I totally agree about feeling God?s presence at the Elevation shows. I certainly did at both the shows I went to. When Bono yelled, ?The Spirit is in the house!!!!? at Slane 2, he wasn?t joking!

JessicaAnn said:


I agree with your statement jphelmet taht U2's music obly gives us a glimpse into God's splendor and glory, but I dpn't believe that there is anything on earth that can fully show us the glory of God. It is something that is too big for any of us to understand.


This made me think of something I read in "Soul Survivor" by Philip Yancey

He's talking about Frederick Buechner:

"He deeply believes that God is alive and present in the world, yet it surprises him not at all that God gives us only 'momentary glimpses into a mystery of such depth, power and beauty that if we were to see it head on, in any way other than in glimpses, I suspect we would be annihilated.' "
 
Truly said:
This made me think of something I read in "Soul Survivor" by Philip Yancey

Just wanted to say that I requested that book for Christmas, and I love it. :up: Yancey is an inspired writer. Indeed, he inspired me to get into Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy. :D
 
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