Don Knoup dot com

I debated wether or not to include this video in my post.  Some of you more conservative types out there probably are thinking…"what is with this guy?  He’s a pastor and he puts this racey stuff on his blog?"  The funny thing is that you are not offended by it’s content, but rather the context.  The fact that a pastor used it offends you.  Had you seen this video on television you probably would think nothing of it.

But the video does something really well.  It illustrates one of the reasons why I really dislike music videos.  The problem with this video in my oppinion is that the imagery actually brings a very different meaning to the song.  I think that if you listen to the song without the video and just concentrate on the lyrics, it actually comes off in a much different way.  If you further understand what was happening the lives of the U2 band members at the time they wrote the song, that also changes your perspective on it’s meaning.

Although, I guess the bottom line is that songs often have a different meaning for every person who hears them.  Obviously the videographer had a very different view on the song’s meaning.  At the writing of the song in 1990, U2 guitarist David Evans, The Edge, was going through a tough separation with his wife which later ended in divorce.

For me when I listen to the song there are a lot of different things that the song says to me, but there are 2 essential parts that I hear.  In the beginning of the song we see the struggle of the husband and wife.  He says, does it make you feel better now that you have someone to blame.  And then he goes on to say that they are one but they are not the same.  Because of this they need to carry each other. 

Even for a family who has gone through a divorce and the husband and wife have ended their marriage, they still have a need to carry each other for the sake of their children.  Even after divorce they still need to be one for their kids.  Too often in our society children are the casualties of the domestic war we call divorce.

Later in the song we see how important it is for us in life to carry each other as Christians.  The lyrics are one love, one blood and then goes on to say sisters and brothers.  As brothers and sisters in Christ we need to carry each other through the difficult times in life.  We need to be there for each other.  Bono once said about this song, "It’s not saying we even want to get along, but that we have to get along together in this world if it is to survive. It’s a reminder that we have no choice".

We need to carry each other, but what happens when life is so hard that it seems like we can’t even carry ourselves?  How do we carry someone else then?  Or better yet, how do we just carry ourselves through those times?  What do we do when there doesn’t seem to be a friend who will help to carry me through this?

When you reach the point where you no longer feel like you can carry the load for yourself let alone those around you, then you need to turn to Jesus.  I believe when we reach the point where it seems we can go no further, then the only thing left is to turn to him.  In Matthew 11:29-30 Jesus says, that His yoke is easy and that His burden is light.  When life is weighing down on you so heavy, allow Jesus to take your burden and carry it for you.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28