grace wins

Jon Sontag turned me on to this interview from Christianity Today with Bono:

Assayas: I think I am beginning to understand religion because I have started acting and thinking like a father. What do you make of that?

Bono: Yes, I think that's normal. It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.

Assayas: I haven't heard you talk about that.

Bono: I really believe we've moved out of the realm of Karma into one of Grace.

Assayas: Well, that doesn't make it clearer for me.

Bono: You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics--in physical laws--every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you reap, so you will sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff.

Assayas: I'd be interested to hear that.

Bono: That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I'd be in deep shit. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.

It was challenging to consider whether "Karma" is in fact a truth of the universe. Bono makes some good support for that idea. The difficulty with embracing Karma for me is whether or not you believe Karma is an answer to the world's problems. If we, as humans, make enough "good" action will the world respond with an equally "good" reaction. I think that there are some basic concepts one can embrace, but if you have a Biblical worldview then Original Sin becomes a real problem for Karma being the answer. Those who are "good" from the outside must ultimately consider their "inside," just as Jesus challenged the religious leaders of his day to do. And the real question then is, "Does my 'bad' inside deserve an equal and opposite reaction of 'bad' if on the outside I am 'good'?"

Someone self aware enough, like Bono, is able to recognize that no amount of "good," spiritual, or religious effort is going to be able to overcome the true state of mankind and have a saving reaction. With the attitude "I can't do it on my own," we become open to Grace. Grace imparts to us what we cannot do on our own. It begins to reshape us in the form of ultimate Grace. The Bible argues that Jesus, as God and man, is that ultimate Grace. We then become students of Jesus in how he lived and moved outside of "Karma" and into life at its most complete.

The things I have heard Bono say about life and God have always driven me to be a better student of Jesus and the Bible. Here Bono says, "I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity." I too want to choose to hold on to Jesus for life now and life to come.