sustain:if:able kiwi

I’ve found grace inside the sound: a benediction of incarnation

“I found grace inside the sound,
I found grace, it’s all that I found”
Breathe, from U2’s NLOTH album.

This works for me today as a benediction of Incarnation. Bono has made his career from “sound,” living inside the rock world all his adult. While initially warned to avoid “the secular world” of rockmusic, while enduring scorn and criticism for his actions over the years, here he sings of finding grace inside that “sound”. Unexpected favour. That is my prayer today: that in the midst of my life, my uncertainties, my insecurities, in my taking decisions to follow Jesus, grace is what I found.

There is a strong personal note to this blogpost. It’s now my 7th day on the road and I’m missing home. My three speaking engagements have been enjoyable, fulfilling and gone well, but have all been demanding and nervewracking. Today I begin my odyssey/long weekend road trip to the US for the U2 conference and concert. All exciting, but it will involve about 40 hours of flying and 10 airport connections. I have 55 minutes in Los Angeles and I will be lucky to make the connection. Yesterday I had 5 appointments, meeting key people in relation to my new job. I came away excited, but also quite daunted by the processes of change I am stepping into. In the last days I’ve had visits to 4 schools and phoned 2 more, keen to find supportive learning environments for my two “migrant” daughters next year. I’ve started to look at home and rentals and simply been overwhelmed by the choices facing us and the complexity of unknowns we as a family face. I’ve started to doubt the wisdom of our decisions. In other words, I’m needing today to be placing my hope in finding grace, inside the sound of US travel and Adelaide migration, and at a whole range of personal and ministry levels.

Rather than fret, I need to, as Breathe begins:
Walk out into the street,
Sing your heart out.

PS. I actually hate Breathe as a song. Love the lyrics, don’t like the tune.

For more U2 NLOTH reflections see here and here.