Daily Archives: October 5, 2009

The last couple of days, I’ve reflected on conversations about the concert last week. I’ve watched some of the video. The thing about the video is that it reminds me of the experience and the experience was great but it was a vehicle. Nothing more really. A vehicle.
Vehicle’s take us places. And where I was taken was to see Him there, among the 55k ish people, above in the nearly full moon which tracked just behind the North Star (I assume) which made their was across the sky above the stadium. I noticed them because many times as I sang along, I was struck by nuances in the lyrics that I had not quite noticed before and looked into the sky contemplating God above, or the world beneath or the fans around. (Why can’t you just enjoy the music? You ask. I guess I’m just wired this way…) Upon reflection, I realized that listening to a lecture or a sermon live and in person is different than an mp3 on my ipod. I guess that principle was at work when I heard things in a new way when I heard them live.
There are many kinds of worship that people experience. And I admit that many of the people who go to concerts (and even in that very football stadium, the local college football team, well maybe) are displacing their worship. But as I listened and sang and yelled I was drawn to Him in a different way. But it was to Him, not the band, that is clear.
A friend asked about the expense of the whole thing and what about putting all that money into helping the poor. Its a valid question. But my response is that the One campaign is making a difference and that because of that event many more people had their consciousness raised to the needs of African people.
The next morning, I was driving around doing some business and heard Walk On and thought of the democracy leader in Burma who has been jailed for seeking freedom. I think it was near this point when Bono said “Freedom was born on Christmas Day.”
So, days later, I am thankful to He who is Freedom and is Magnificent to whom I sang under that moon and star that He made. For the talent and creativity of U2 is not really theirs, but something He gave them as an act of His Grace.
It was He that I get to worship, in the wood, on this porch, on trains, looking at the Danube from the castle, in churches and cathedrals and in small groups and yes indeed last Thursday night in the stadium called Scott, section 105 as the music was my vehicle to contemplate Yahweh.