Friday, April 8, 2011

Bono & John Newton on Spiritual Progress

A little something as Lent roles on:

"I have heard of people having life-changing, miraculous turn-arounds, people set free from addiction after a single prayer, relationships saved when both parties ‘let go, and let God’. But it was not like that for me. For all that 'I was lost, I am found’, it is probably more accurate to say, 'I was really lost, I’m a little less so at the moment'. And then a little less and a little less again. That to me is the spiritual life. The slow reworking and rebooting of a computer at regular intervals, reading the small print of the service manual. It has slowly rebuilt me in a better image. It has taken years though, and it is not over yet."
- Bono of the rock band, U2
U2 BY U2, p. 6

And here are a couple of pertinent quotes from John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace:

"I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am"

"Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a mighty Savior."

2 comments:

Catharine said...

I very much like that you put these two people and quotations together in one piece. It helps me see the companionship.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant! Thank you.