What do the prophet Bono and the prophet Isaiah have in common? More than you might imagine. First of all, both men spoke with power to their generation. In loud voices with a persistent message that is strikingly similar as witnessed in the following video. (blog continued after video).
Of their song, Bono says, “Half of it is an invocation, where you say to a crowd of people ‘Do you want to go to that place? That place of imagination, that place of soul? Do you want to go there, cos right now we can go there?’ To this day when I say those words you get hairs on the back of your neck stand up because you’re going to that place…As a songwriter I have to realise that the greatest invitation is an invocation.”
Notice the similarity; “A voice of one calling: ‘Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.'” (Isaiah 40:3-5).
For me, it seems that life is the moment-by-moment process of finding our way and staying on the road. While that may seem somewhat vague, the Bible is no more clear on the subject. It – life – is really a mystery and having faith while on this road with no name boils down to a person’s tolerance for living in mystery. The Bible stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Moses, the judges, the poets, the prophets, the story tellers, Jesus and the disciples, the Emmaus walkers, Saul of Tarsus blinded on a street with no name, the Apostles, the early church fathers, and us – all of us on our nameless journeys – and all that we have is God, each other, our stories, pictures and songs. These are our guide, companion, and keepsakes each of us is making a way for ourselves. Yes, I know that Jesus is the way – but I am talking about living our lives. You, alone, will make your mistakes and find your remedies for those errors. In doing so, you are like a pioneer pushing your way through the forest or jungle with an ax or a machete – clearing the way. By doing that, you are making it possible for another to recover from their failure, to follow in your steps, to rise up, find the road, stay on it and possibly name it.
Ken
THE CROSSING PLACES 