How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Like the dork that I am, I bought U2’s new CD the day it came out, but I’m still not able to make up my mind about it. There’s an interesting review today on By Faith. If Chuck DeGroat is right, that’s cool. I have a sneaking suspicion, however, that he’s not. Either way, his last paragraph is something we would all do well to take to heart:
By the way, what is that atomic bomb anyway? My hunch is that it is a state of the heart, possibly the fate of a generation bent on self-reliance, science and medicine, Dr. Phil books, Oprah-ology, political solutions to spiritual problems, an entrenched narcissism, and a deeper belief in the power of a military than the power of prayer. How do you dismantle an atomic bomb? U2 offers very biblical hints, beginning with the most obvious – get on your knees, and ask that your heart be broken first. Someway, somehow, in the brokenness that results, something of a “dismantling” of sin might just take place, might just lead you with hands raised to Yahweh, might just lead you to shout in the streets, or on the O’Reilly Factor, or wherever God gives you a voice, that “the sun is coming up on the ocean.”
December 9th, 2004 at 8:13 pm
I like the term ‘Oprah-ology’
December 9th, 2004 at 10:29 pm
I majored in Oprah-ology for a while.
December 10th, 2004 at 12:16 am
Well, like you said, IF he were right that would be cool. But I think the while that’s an interesting take on U2’s musical progression, I think it’s a bit over interpreted. Regardless, I do think that ATYCLB and HTDAAB (apparently in this 3rd age of U2 they have given up on album titles that you can say in 1 breath) are probably their most spiritual albums yet, certainly out of their more recent albums. I don’t say their most “Christian” albums because I haven’t examined them close enough to claim that the albums are Christ-centered, but there are quite a few songs that would seem to point in that direction.
All that said, their new album took me a few listens to really warm up to it, but the more I listen to it, the more I enjoy it and get out of it… which is the mark of truly good music.