What Do You See When You Look At Your World?

[spanisheyes]

"It's hard to believe, hard to be a believer, when you see the way the things are in the world. But I am a believer!" -- Bono, 1997

WHEN I LOOK AT THE WORLD
When you look at the world
What is it that you see
People find all kinds of things
That bring them to their knees

I see an expression
So clear and so true
That it changes the atmosphere
When you walk (in)to the room

So I try to be like you
Try to feel it like you do
But without you it's no use
I can't see what you see
When I look at the world

When the night is someone else's
And you're trying to get some sleep
When your thoughts are too expensive
To ever want to keep

When there's all kinds of chaos
And everyone is walking lame
You don't even blink now do you
Or even look away

So I try to be like you
Try to feel it like you do
But without you it's no use
I can't see what you see
When I look at the world

I can't wait any longer
I can't wait 'til I'm stronger
Can't wait any longer
To see what you see
When I look at the world

I'm in the waiting room
I can't see for the smoke
I think of you and your holy book
When the rest of us choke

Tell me, tell me
What do you see
Tell me, tell me
What's wrong with me -- Bono, 2000

What do you see when you look at your world?

Have you ever thought that Bono puts too much emphasis on the here and now?

Or maybe he is just drawing our attention to the obvious turned invisible by the blindness of life's smokescreens?

Does the state of our world with all its hate and injustice affect you to the point of questioning God, and how He chooses to conduct Himself in world affairs?

Have you ever been through a crisis when you felt like throwing in your faith towel, only to receive a revelation about how God works through the human condition?

Any comments about how Bono's quote from 1997, and the lyrics to "When I Look At The World" above relate, and how do you see them in relation to your own personal beliefs?

Does Bono's forthrightness shock you, or can you relate to his struggles, and find comfort in his frankness?

I hope that this post can evoke honest and thought provoking dialogue from Bono's own words, and our own experiences.

Chris

 

[follower]

Chris dear, I don?t think I have answers for all you questions. For me When I Look at the World has always been a song where Bono feels so anxious about the world nowadays...maybe a plain observation, but you know me, sometimes I simply cannot find a better way to convey things...

What do I see? Living in a country still to be developted I see injustice, poverty, a deep hole between the haves and the haves nothing...hope the expression is correct, Bono used it before performing One in Washington, in the millenium eve. Yet I see solidarity and even joy among the poorest ones. I don?t question God, He guides us thru the dark and the light, and He has helped me whenever I need. But I feel anxious as Bono...so much to be done and so much suffering in this world. I can?t help thinking...until when?

As for Bono?s frankness, I admire him, really. He?s like an old friend to me, thru his words and his voice he comforts me whenever I need, even when sings about what he feels and sees as wrong in our world.

Sorry, can?t do better than that for now...

 

[FallingStar]

1000

"It's hard to believe, hard to be a believer, when you see the way the things are in the world. But I am a believer!" -- Bono, 1997
Does Bono's forthrightness shock you, or can you relate to his struggles, and find comfort in his frankness?

I somehow can relate to what he says....I can't describe it at all, but.....actually I don't feel as if I'd be entitled to speak about 'things in the world' and 'that it IS hard to believe sometimes' because I'm too young.....but Bono's words really show that you and me and everybody aren't alone with believing problems and that it is-----gosh, I rather let other people speak up....

 

[Lilly]

Re: 1000

actually I don't feel as if I'd be entitled to speak about 'things in the world' and 'that it IS hard to believe sometimes' because I'm too young

i only have a minute here, but i saw chris started a thread and i KNEW i had to come see it.

don't ever think you're too young for things. just because i'm 18 (and barely so) doesn't mean that i won't post about vietnam, or the 80s. i just had to learn about them as opposed to excperience them. your job is to become informed of what's going on in the world, not to let it slip by. this way, when it comes time, you will be informed and you can make your own differences in the way the world works. i beg you, please, PLEASE don't become a passive passenger here on earth.

i need to run, but rest assured i shall be back.

 

[spanisheyes]

Don't shoot me...I'm just the messenger!

"It's hard to believe, hard to be a believer, when you see the way the things are in the world. But I am a believer!" -- Bono, 1997

I find this quote of Bono's quite fascinating as I do with many of the things Bono says when he opens his mouth. He speaks of finding it hard to be a believer...meaning does he find it hard to not just say he is one, but do something about it? Does faith find struggle when belief is based on circumstances of the world in which we live, and this is what Bono is speaking of here?

The tendency is to see the world as so big, that in our smallness of character possibly, we don't see anyway to make a difference. This quote seems to say to me that many say they believe, but there are those persons who don't just stop there, but choose to live a life that makes a difference is whatever capacity their talents or gifts afford.

Lastly, I'm not surprised to hear Bono say this when he success has afforded him the opportunity to see more than the average person. In seeing more, is Bono saying that he has more responsibility to take what he sees and do something about it? Is must be difficult to see as much as Bono has, and evoke the help of those who have not...sometimes, the messenger is the one who takes just as much heat as those who would speak for themselves.

Chris

 

[Lilly]

i am more open in here than anywhere else...

1. What do you see when you look at your world?

2. Have you ever thought that Bono puts too much emphasis on the here and now?

3. Or maybe he is just drawing our attention to the obvious turned invisible by the blindness of life's smokescreens?

4. Does the state of our world with all its hate and injustice affect you to the point of questioning God, and how He chooses to conduct Himself in world affairs?

5. Have you ever been through a crisis when you felt like throwing in your faith towel, only to receive a revelation about how God works through the human condition?

6. Does Bono's forthrightness shock you, or can you relate to his struggles, and find comfort in his frankness?

Chris

1. when i look at my world i see inconstancy and change and the only thing that remains the same is the change continually happening. right now, i'm at a pivotal point in my life, and i feel a lot of pressure, thinking that if i make one wrong move now, i'm screwed for life.

2. yes, i think that bono puts a lot of emphasis on the present. however, you can see the progression with his age. early u2 was more about the present, and with atyclb, so much was in future speak. it is a true maturation when you can look at your day and know tomorrow will be a new one.

3. i think there is a lot to be said about being more conscious of the present. i would admit that a year ago i was having troubles getting out of the present and seeing into the future. the thing is to be careful not to become so engrossed in the present to forget there is a future.

4. absolutely not. i know there is a lot of hate out there, and i can't explain it (or maybe i can, but i don't want to post it). but i do not question what He's doing right now.

5. yes, many times over. each one mre fantastic than the last.

6. bono's forthrightness doesn't shock me, more it draws me in. i am so thankful that he is capable of expressing such candid thoughts and feelings to a mass group of fans. without hearing "open the door open the door to the love of God, to the love that He poured out" in "tomorrow" i don't know that i would be in the same situation spiritually as i am now.

 

[brettig]

i believe...

just because i'm 18 (and barely so) doesn't mean that i won't post about vietnam, or the 80s.

or the Boxer rebellion!

sorry

To answer this thread, I see all sorts of stuff, that frustrates me, challenges me, makes me want to screw my face up and forget about it alot of the time...but I still see hope and truth out there from time to time and that's comforting. One of the great mouthpieces for truth over the years, blunt truth minus the airs and graces of so many so called truthtellers, has been U2. This hasn't always been true for them, but when compared with others, it has been true for longer and more rewarding periods than most.

 

[FallingStar]

i only have a minute here, but i saw chris started a thread and i KNEW i had to come see it.

don't ever think you're too young for things. just because i'm 18 (and barely so) doesn't mean that i won't post about vietnam, or the 80s. i just had to learn about them as opposed to excperience them. your job is to become informed of what's going on in the world, not to let it slip by. this way, when it comes time, you will be informed and you can make your own differences in the way the world works. i beg you, please, PLEASE don't become a passive passenger here on earth.

i need to run, but rest assured i shall be back.

I do become informed and everything, but it is sort of stupid to listen to a 16 yr old talk about things that she can't know enough about. I wish I'd knew enough, but maybe later...

 

[Lilly]

Re: i believe...

or the Boxer rebellion!

sorry

shhhhhuuuuuuttuuuupp (btw, that was the history channel's fault)

 

[pinkfloyd]

HOLD Me THRILL ME KISS ME KILL ME

When I Look At The World , I See That The GOD IS ME .