U2 on Psalm 40

Although I often tease Daryl Madi about his 'massive obsession' with U2, his previous post has inspired me to post a link to a song that U2 will often end their concerts with.

It is a song they simply call, "40". Click here for a live video.

Rumor has it that when U2 was finished recording their album War, they had a little extra time left over in the studio. Looking to spark some creativity, Bono opened up a Bible, turned to Psalm 40 and wrote this song in about 10 minutes. The rest of the band quickly learned the song, recorded it, and made "40" on the final track of the album.

The first verse of the song is based on Psalm 40:1-2, and second verse of the song is based on 40:2-3. The chorus is loosely based on 40:3, which reads "He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God..."

I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He brought me up out of the pit
Out of the miry clay

I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song

How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long, how long
How long, how long to sing this song?

He set my feet upon a rock
And made my footsteps firm
Many will see
Many will see and fear

I'll be honest, I love this song. I love the artistry of it. I love how droning bass line and chugging drum beat provide a foundation to anchor the soaring melody and searching lyrics. I love the how it seemlessly transitions between thanksgiving (He brought me up out of the pit...), and lament (How Long to sing this Song?), and hope (I will sing, sing a new song).

A good song will often combine a variety of different emotions and experiences with the purpose of juxtaposing them against one another to highlight the differences between each. But this song does something different. "40" merges together a variety of emotions and experiences, not to to show how they contrast one another, but rather to show how they can (and often do) coexist together. This song reminds me that what we feel and what we understand about life is often messy and meandering.

I resonate with this sentiment. "40" reflects my experience of living in a broken world. As a Christian, when I face difficult circumstances, I often feel some sort of mixture of thanksgiving, lament and hope at the same time. I often move between these emotions/experiences several times each day...sometimes even within a simple morning prayer. U2 is picking up what the Psalms and the Scriptures teach us: life in a broken world is often hard to understand.

But, the good news of the Gospel is that we do not have to have life all figured out before we come to Jesus. No, Jesus tells us something altogether different. He says, "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt 11:28).

Jesus calls us to come to him with our deepest fears, our biggest doubts, our wandering thoughts. Jesus does not expect us to work them out before we come, but he invites us to come to him, broken as we are, and he promises to give us 'rest'. I love the way Paul Miller puts it - "The criteria for coming to Jesus is weariness. Come overwhelmed with life. Come with wandering mind. Come messy". ('A Praying Life').

I love how "40" captures the prophetical and poetical spirit of the Psalms. But, most of all, I love how this song reminds me that Lord promises to love, hear and heal 'messy' people like me.