Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THEY SAID IT “I was born a child of grace, Nothing else about the place, p 6 Everything was ugly but your beautiful face.” & U2 January 24,2005 ■. < -all because of you' I and the JASON STEELMAN/THE GAMECOCK David Bishop, who plays bass for The Shack, performs as part of the Sunday REUNION service. Music is an integral part of The Shack’s Sunday night worship services. Above, The Shack band performs during the Sunday night REUNION series entitled, "VERTIGO: a spiritual commentary on U2’s most personal album.” Right, Lou Belue plays violin for the worship services at The Shack. U2 inspires student Christian services By B.K. KENNEDY THE GAMECOCK Serious rock music doesn’t seem like a likely place to find Christianity. This idea is only made more concrete when the bands who are known to wave that flag are bands like Creed. This isn’t always the case for Garrett Curry, who is the pastor at The Shack. Curry has started a new REUNION series entitled, “VERTIGO: a spiritual commentary on U2’s most personal album” in which U2!s critically acclaimed new album, “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” is examined on how it deals with the Christian faith. “U2 has always been very vocal about their faith,” Curry said. Though he notes they have been very ambiguous about it, he is quick to point out that U2 is not a Christian rock band. “U2 speaks for a lot of Christians who don’t think what the Church does,” Curry said. “They are a band that is misunderstood by the secular world and tend to offend the Evangelical orte”. when one is ready to associate tnem with Christianity, U2 manages to shroud itself around enough controversy to stave off unwanted associations. Curry also said he thinks U2’s members are unique because they aren’t ashamed to speak of scripture and values Jesus promoted, such as love and helping the less-fortunate. “U2 has used their platform to glorify more than themselves,” Curry said. “They have used fame and influence and power for more than just themselves.” He likens U2’s spiritual appeal to that of Pedro the Lion, as opposed to that of Third Day. Curry said Third Day has no agenda and doesn’t seek acceptance among religious groups. Instead, U2 lives in another place that Curry said he feels Jesus stood in, where the world condemns them and they are misunderstood by the religious. “They are not ashamed of who they are in Christ” Curry said. “I don’t believe they want to be associated with institutional religion.” Curry points to Bono’s actions at Super Bowl XXXVI where Bono fell to his knees at the outset of their performance in prayer as another sign of U2’s faith. “U2 is closer to being like Jesus than we are” is an idea in Curry’s sermon. Curry said U2, like Jesus did, faces temptation. “Comfort, power and success tempt both Jesus and U2,” Curry said. “U2 doesn’t live like a stomach, letting their appetites rule their actions, but rather it seems they’ve made a difficult decision to make a difference.” U2 instead has shifted its attention to those in need, such as the African AIDS epidemic and people in developing nations that lack functions the rest of the world take for granted. “You can live like Paris Hilton, or you can accomplish something,” Curry said. “Whether they want to or not, musicians are the preachers of today. Cobain preached about despair, Radiohead preaches confusion, Rage Against the Machine preached anger and Coldplay preaches euphoria. And U2 preaches some good sermons. The songs become the band’s sermons, and people try to adapt to those perspectives of the musicians,” Curry said. “Music is heavier than messages of preachers and politicians.” One challenge U2 faces, Curry said, is defining a Christian: Is it a person who abstains from drinking and smoking, or is it a person who brings forth issues Jesus called upon like love and generosity? He then points to a book by Steve Stockman titled “Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2” as a good resource for understanding U2’s use of faith in art. The group meets 6 p.m. Sundays at The Shack. To get a taste of what goes on, check out www.shackcommunity.com and click on the REUNION link. Comments on ibis story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@grnm.sc.edu “Whether they want to or not, musicians are the preachers of today. Cobain preached about despair, Radiohead preaches confusion, Rage Against the Machine preached anger and Coldplay preaches euphoria. And U2 preaches some good sermons.” GARRETT CURRY THE SHACK PASTOR