Surrender, by Bono: Part Two

Last updated on: March 19, 2023 at 1:15 am by Ben Witherington

Surrender, by Bono: Part Two 2023-01-29T07:47:14-05:00 Ben Witherington

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This auto-biography of a rock star is atypical in so many ways, not least it is not about dissipation, immorality, drug taking, and it has a lot negative and healthy things to say about the narcissism of fame and stardom. Nor is it about suddenly growing a conscience long enough to do a benefit concert for some worthy cause. No there is much more here to show that this person, and the band that supported his efforts was going well beyond one time altruism. My favorite chapter of the book, about half way through chronicles Bono cajoling first the President’s aids, then Bill Clinton himself, until there was an actual plan to provide debt relief for some of the poorest countries in African. When it became clear that it would not be enough to have Dollar Bill on board, Bono goes and gets an audience with John Paul II, persuading him to make an appeal for debt relief for the poor in Africa. In a hilarious scene at the announcement at the Vatican, it turns out the Pope fancies Bono’s blue lensed sunglasses, which Bono promptly hands over and the Pope puts on as he makes the announcement. Bono was in the ‘whatever it takes’ mode, and yes he helped persuade multiple countries to do debt relief for Africa. There isn’t another rock star around that could have pulled that off. But then Bono acts out of a deep social, spiritual even Christian conscience when it comes to the issues of justice, poverty, violence.

As Bono will say again and again in the book, the success with the music gave him a platform to do much bigger things than just entertain the masses, though, and he is right about this, music can do more to persuade people to do the right thing, than yet another boring speech, time after time. But why is that? It’s because it reaches people at an emotional level that mere words don’t. Music and art in general can spur people to do incredible things.

I also loved the conversations recorded in this book that Bono had with Warren Buffett, Bill and Melinda Gates, Steve Jobs, Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and many more. One of the reasons Bono had time and energy to do all this is because of his ongoing, wonderful marriage to Ali, and the mutual love they shared for each other, that led them before they had children to go to Ethiopia and stay in a refugee camp trying to help rescue orphans from a terrible war. I also love they fact that Bono understood that one’s reach should indeed extend beyond one’s grasp. ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ encapsulates so much. He was always striving to write better songs, perform better, be a better man, a better husband, a better follower of Christ. And he has some apt words to say about religiosity divorced from social conscience. He would like John Wesley who said there is no spiritual holiness without social holiness, and vice versa.

Bono, as it turns out is a pretty good poet in the rock world. Not, say on par with Bob Dylan or Joni Mitchell or Leonard Cohen, but moving in the right direct, and sometimes his words and rhymes are so memorable and apt they stick in your heart and mind.

This biography would be a psychologist’s dream, as again and again Bono plumbs the depths of his soul, trying to get to the bottom of his relationship with his mom and dad, with his brother Norman, with his band mates and other life long friends. Sometimes his angst bleeds all over the page, and you want to give the man a hug. And indeed, he is now a man approaching old age. 63 years old. I am very thankful for this biography, and for the impact U2 has had on several generations of youth, who know they need to go on a spiritual pilgrimage, and need to make a pilgrim’s progress in life including the impact their ministry has had on me, a fellow poet and musician. Like U2 I was profoundly affected by the Beatles and was never the same thereafter.

I was fortunate enough to see U2 at one of their best tours, the Elevation tour here in Rupp Arena now a good 20+ years ago. Like many of their concerts, it felt more like church than a concert, with the crowd in full throat singing Yahweh, among other things. It felt like a good revival, and catharsis was there to be had, for people can change for the better, with the help of God’s grace. And it is better to be moved from within to change, than browbeat or dragged into it. In short, it involves ‘Surrender’. If you only read one rock bio, this is the one.

Careers, Workplace and Religion

Family, Parenting and Religion

Uncategorized

Previous Post

March 18, 2023

Surrender: by Bono--- Part One

Next Post

March 20, 2023 Women and the Gender of God--the Review

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz