I've seen a couple places in the fandom recently links to the listing
for U2 on a site I don't want to promote. Its aim is to dig up dirt on
artists in the Christian music industry, as well as spiritually
thoughtful mainstream bands, in order to prove that all of them are
evil, twisted corrupters of pure young minds. I've also noticed, in my
referrer logs, some evidence of people searching for ugly "facts" about
the people in U2 and their families.
All that would bother me a lot anyway. But it does especially when
I'm wrapped up in a book project which takes a diametrically opposed
perspective. We have been so careful throughout work on Get Up Off Your Knees
-- from the very first call for submissions through the editing process
and onward -- to be clear with everyone that our professional interest
as theologians and homileticians was not in the band as people, and most
of all not in their personal lives or convictions or lack of same. All
that stuff is just out of bounds for this project, and should be.
These sermons are about, as someone who got a preview put it to me
recently, "the Big Ideas," and how particular works of art -- U2 lyrics,
in this case, but it could be any artist -- illuminate or question
those ideas.
I wonder if the people behind sites like that would argue the same
way for other artistic genres? Say, that a conscientious person of
faith shouldn't, for example, find spiritual benefit in the "Hymn to St. Cecelia"
by Benjamin Britten and W.H. Auden, or play off it to make a point in a
sermon? Or is the hatred and fear really all just about rock 'n'
roll?
It sort of inspires despair when I see this blood-lust for "dirt"
....and even more when I get afraid that some people might think a book
of U2 sermons would have anything in common with it.
Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions
To all musicians, appear and inspire:
Translated Daughter, come down and startle
Composing mortals with immortal fire.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment