A Cup of Truth with Bono, U2 and Tolkien - Prose of Ramadhan Part 41

Bono and gang, probably in the mid 1980s.

U2 - FOUR YOUNG IRISH LADS. Bono is a bit old now. He cannot sing as well, his voice less sharp, his breath shorter. He cannot prance on stage as well as he used to, and given a choice between a world concert tour and staying home with his family, he would probably choose to laze about at home. 

An older unshaved Bono.

So if you have a song for God, if you have a poem for the Prophet, if you have written a chapter about humanity and the Lord’s mercy, then by God, sing it now, recite the poem and publish the book. Do not wait!

In 19/20th December 1987 U2 played at Sun Devil Stadium, Arizona their seminal song ‘Where the Streets have no Name” filled with gospel inspiration and passion (Click Here). I often watch the video, again and again. For although Bono is now contemplating mortality, and the Edge is admiring his guitar collection rather than playing them, back then… they rocked the world.

Do you think they rocked it alone and without help?

Tolkien in the Western Front, 1916.

TOLKIEN. I am an avid Tolkien fan, and I remember reading a book containing his letters, mostly to his publishers Unwin. If my memory is fine, Tolkien wrote one letter in which he recalled the difficulty he faced in finishing the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In the letter he said he spoke to his uncle (If I am not mistaken) about the hardship of authorship, to which the uncle poignantly commented, “John, do you think you did it all by yourself?”

Tolkien was a Roman Catholic. I am not sure what Bono's or the Edge's beliefs are. But whoever they may be in the cloak of religion, they, and you, are my brothers and sisters, united in the worship of the One God.

A CUP OF TRUTH. Dispel the confusion wrought by preachers and demagogues who are only concerned with dividing the Lord’s sheep. Look to your conscience and heart, for therein lies the truth. Dip your life in the Sea of Mercy, and take a cup of truth from whence all directors, writers, songwriters, singers, poets and all artistic performers take their own manifestation of Love, Truth and Compassion. If my writing is not to your taste, find your own but remember whence all mortal beauty comes from – the All Infinite Sea of Divine Beauty.

It is something to think about, yes? But don’t take too long. You have a life to live and to compose a beautiful harmony in tune to God’s harmonies of love. And no, you don’t need to be able to read musical sheets to do so. Just learn to interpret your conscience and live by it. I have tried in my own way, but I often falter. I know you can do better...

Have a lovely Sunday, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.