U2 is bigger than music
By MICHELLE BEARDEN
mbearden@tampatrib.com
Published: October 3, 2009
Salvation came to Greg Garrett by way of music.
In 2001, Garrett, an author and professor of English at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, was suffering from chronic depression. The darkness was overwhelming.
"I didn't know I was going to make it," he admits. "One of the things that got me through was U2 and its music. There is such spiritual beauty in it. I was able to find joy and hope again."
Anyone who is a fan of the venerable rock band from Dublin understands Garrett's sentiments. There's a reason for its worldwide following of longtime devotees. U2 is in a category of its own.
Lead singer Bono needs no introduction. His band mates - bassist Adam Clayton, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and guitarist-keyboard player The Edge - are equally important elements in a unique package. That they've survived intact as a group since the 1970s is noteworthy, particularly in an industry marred by breakups and burnouts.
Whether or not you like their music - or their politics - you have to agree that this group, which comes to Raymond James Stadium on Friday, is one of rock's most culturally relevant acts.
All Garrett knows is that U2 played a role in saving his life. So he struck out on a two-year journey to write a theological analysis of the group's spiritual influence. In July, Westminster John Knox Press published his "We Get To Carry Each Other: The Gospel According to U2."
"They made the decision a long time ago they could be people of faith and still follow their music," Garrett says in a telephone interview. "Thank God they didn't become a Christian band. That would have ghettoized them. They're just a great band that delivers a powerful spiritual message through its music."
Indeed, U2 has touched upon issues not typically covered in rock lyrics: AIDS activism, debt relief for developing nations and the crisis in Darfur. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the group stepped up its efforts, becoming even more visible on the international scene. Bono's passion for his pet causes has frequently put him front and center on the public stage, and has led to impressive fundraising efforts.
The group has transcended what we expect of musicians by serving as ambassadors to issues that desperately need our attention. And they do it through their art, powered by their faith.
Garrett, a former music writer, saw his first U2 video on MTV in 2000. Two years later, he attended his first U2 concert in a 300-seat club in Oklahoma City. He wasn't blown away. And he certainly never imagined the group would evolve to the level it has.
"When they first started out, they were not that talented. That's something they all admit even to this day," Garrett says. "But it's not about the talent. These are artists who have encountered life and they express what they see through their music. They write and sing about politics, personal relationships and faith."
Now a more fervent believer in the group's talent, Garrett has great admiration for how the members all must agree before signing off on a project or lyrics. They are united when it comes to causes, and they work in community.
"As Bono says, where you live should not determine whether you live," Johnson says. "Once we all start to get that, I think we're more willing to reach out and help."
