A new sermon excerpt, as promised. This is by Henry VanderSpek, who traces the theme of mortality in U2 with special attention to their most recent work.

Perhaps part of the problem is that Western culture has lost the thread of reasoning and motivation to contemplate death. "Why bother with such a depressing task? Leave it to medieval monks to keep a skull on their desk for meditating on life�s brevity! I�ve got things to do, places to go. Life is too short to walk around moping and being depressed. I need to make my mark in life."

It is interesting that "Kite" asks the question of life, "Did I waste it?" What allows one to really make a mark in this world? Those obsessed by beauty and youth are rarely remembered for their life�s work. Only those who are freed from the fear of death � often hidden in an obsession with beauty, youth, wealth, or power � can really go on to accomplish great things. Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King will be remembered years after the most fashionable stars of their day. It is an ironic paradox that only once we get over our fear of death can we then begin to produce something significant and memorable.