The Norwegian Interview
1. Why have U2 become "the greatest rock group in the world"?
Goodness me but that is a 6 million dollar question. They have been at the top of their industry now for some 15 years and had dropped off the top in the late nineties only to return with a vengeance in 2001. I guess my hunch is that they have a hunger and a passion that transcends other bands. These were the guys who were so bad that they could not do cover versions so they wrote stuff they could play!!!! They have worked and worked and become the best through sheer desire and perseverance. They were a band with a mission and I do not mean that in a spiritual sense though the fact that they also had a mission in the spiritual sense helped a little too!
2. Please name one thing that you have learned from U2 in your Christian walk.
That my faith is not confined to some spiritual closet but that it caresses and collides with all of life.
3. Have you talked with the U2? What did you talk about?
Very briefly. They were there in a private capacity so it is not for public consumption. And it wasn’t a long conversation or at all worth relating either!!!!
4. How did you get in contact with Relevant Books?
A guy called Kyle Minor, who was working for them at the time, came into my web site and read some stuff on U2. He sent me a bizarre email that gave nothing away. Before he could explain himself I had come up with a book idea on U2 and he came back to me explaining that he was wondering had I ever thought about writing a book on U2!!! Spooky!
5. How many copies will they print of the book?
As many as people want. I think we are close to a second print at present and I am not sure whether it is protocol for me to give those figures. They are not bad but they are nowhere near 1 million!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6. How can we avoid turning down the next budding "Christian and artist" who seems to move on the fringes of what we accept?
What do we accept? I think good art is good art and bad art is bad art whatever the faith is. We all will probably launch My Sweet Lord to Number One around the world in January, thirty years after it first blew us away. I don’t believe in Krishna but I love it. I am sad that Christian artists are given more prejudice than artists of eastern faiths. But let Christians make good art that relates to all humanity and it can be accepted.
7. What is it like being a minister in a conflict-torn country like Northern Ireland?
There are specific scenarios that we have to apply faith too. But every area of the world has certain unique and eccentric dilemmas. I think we can see it as a great opportunity to show how Christ works in a divided society. Love Your Enemy is a far out concept and we have a chance to show it work!!!
At the same time there are frustrations when politics twists Jesus teaching. But I love being from here. It has been the safest city to live in Europe for some 40 years so there are advantages!!!!!
8. Here is a silly one....Can Christians swear, smoke and drink and still be Christians?
I think those things are minor offences compared to what really gets God angry. In the Gospels drink gets mentioned three times – Jesus turns water into it, he gets called a drunk and he uses it as a symbol in the greatest of sacraments. He had a lot to say about money and religious pride and relationships with enemies but nothing at all to say about swearing, smoking and drinking. So yes, it is a silly question. Not it seems on the agenda of following Jesus at all!!!!!!!!
You might as well have asked me could a Christian support Manchester United. They are known as the red devils so of course not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9. And then, any other comments you have on your book...
I think the book is far from a definitive book on the bands faith but I think it fills a gap in the biographical books on the band. I think some people want it and I only hope I am worthy of what that audience wanted. If you don’t like it it is a free world (mostly) so you do not have to read it. I hope you do though!!!!!!!!!!!
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