Surrender

A very well written personal reflection on the song "Surrender" is up at @U2. It's worth reading as a piece of writing and for its use of a lyric that isn't spoken much of, but also as an illustration of a completely secular revisioning of one of U2's long line of "idolatry songs." Absolutely fascinating piece for anyone who is interested in how thoughtful folks who aren't tuned in to U2's Christian theological underpinnings nevertheless reflectively appropriate their work as personally (in fact many might say "spiritually" here) meaningful.

For example, Sadie's story is seen independently of any grace/works context, the "it" that frustrates the narrator's efforts to "look for you" becomes a positive goal, and the resultant ending salvo ("if I want to live, I've got to die to myself someday") is reframed as "if I want to live, I have to be true to myself but always ready to change." I wish a hundred more people like this would help me understand how they hear U2 by writing a hundred more pieces like this.