I was trawling my inbox this morning and found this article that I meant to blog about and I can’t find whether I actually did or not. A rare and fascinating interview with Bono from Rolling Stone magazine. Given the website this is, you might be interested in this quote:

What is your religious belief today? What is your concept of God?

If I could put it simply, I would say that I believe there’s a force of love and logic in the world, a force of love and logic behind the universe. And I believe in the poetic genius of a creator who would choose to express such unfathomable power as a child born in “straw poverty”; i.e., the story of Christ makes sense to me.

How does it make sense?

As an artist, I see the poetry of it. It’s so brilliant. That this scale of creation, and the unfathomable universe, should describe itself in such vulnerability, as a child. That is mind-blowing to me. I guess that would make me a Christian. Although I don’t use the label, because it is so very hard to live up to. I feel like I’m the worst example of it, so I just kinda keep my mouth shut.

Do you pray or have any religious practices?

I try to take time out of every day, in prayer and meditation. I feel as at home in a Catholic cathedral as in a revival tent. I also have enormous respect for my friends who are atheists, most of whom are, and the courage it takes not to believe.

How big an influence is the Bible on your songwriting? How much do you draw on its imagery, its ideas?

It sustains me.

As a belief, or as a literary thing?

As a belief. These are hard subjects to talk about because you can sound like such a dickhead. I’m the sort of character who’s got to have an anchor. I want to be around immovable objects. I want to build my house on a rock, because even if the waters are not high around the house, I’m going to bring back a storm. I have that in me. So it’s sort of underpinning for me.

I don’t read it as a historical book. I don’t read it as, “Well, that’s good advice.” I let it speak to me in other ways. They call it the rhema. It’s a hard word to translate from Greek, but it sort of means it changes in the moment you’re in. It seems to do that for me.

You’re saying it’s a living thing?

It’s a plumb line for me. In the Scriptures, it is self-described as a clear pool that you can see yourself in, to see where you’re at, if you’re still enough. I’m writing a poem at the moment called “The Pilgrim and His Lack of Progress.” I’m not sure I’m the best advertisement for this stuff.

These are a list of things I found on the bbc website which Psychologists where recommending for a Happy New Year.

I intended to refer to these at our family meeting on Sunday. I was looking forward to the banter that would have inevitably resulted [Si?]. Some are interesting, some I like and others, well…what do you think?

1) Plant something and nurture it
2) Count your blessings - at least five - at the end of each day
3) Take time to talk - have an hour-long conversation with a loved one each week
4) Phone a friend whom you have not spoken to for a while and arrange to meet up
5) Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it
6) Have a good laugh at least once a day
7) Get physical - exercise for half an hour three times a week Smile at and/or say hello to a stranger at least once each day
9) Cut your TV viewing by half
10) Spread some kindness - do a good turn for someone every day

These are a list of things I found on the bbc website which Psychologists where recommending for a Happy New Year.

I intended to refer to these at our family meeting on Sunday. I was looking forward to the banter that would have inevitably resulted [Si?]. Some are interesting, some I like and others, well…what do you think?

1) Plant something and nurture it
2) Count your blessings - at least five - at the end of each day
3) Take time to talk - have an hour-long conversation with a loved one each week
4) Phone a friend whom you have not spoken to for a while and arrange to meet up
5) Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it
6) Have a good laugh at least once a day
7) Get physical - exercise for half an hour three times a week Smile at and/or say hello to a stranger at least once each day
9) Cut your TV viewing by half
10) Spread some kindness - do a good turn for someone every day

These are a list of things I found on the bbc website which Psychologists where recommending for a Happy New Year.

I intended to refer to these at our family meeting on Sunday. I was looking forward to the banter that would have inevitably resulted [Si?]. Some are interesting, some I like and others, well…what do you think?

1) Plant something and nurture it
2) Count your blessings - at least five - at the end of each day
3) Take time to talk - have an hour-long conversation with a loved one each week
4) Phone a friend whom you have not spoken to for a while and arrange to meet up
5) Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it
6) Have a good laugh at least once a day
7) Get physical - exercise for half an hour three times a week Smile at and/or say hello to a stranger at least once each day
9) Cut your TV viewing by half
10) Spread some kindness - do a good turn for someone every day

We figured that this was a suitable way to blow out the News Years Eve cobwebs. Along with many other people it seemed! But it was a great walk. At Saulcey Forest near Northampton they have built a tree top walk. It is basically a ramp that rises to 15m above the ground, and then a platform that rises another 5m. I really was impressed, and so was Jack, once he dragged his tired 7 year old legs along the muddy path to it. And what is more it is free - even the car park!! Well worth a visit!!