Eugene Peterson, Bono and the Psalms

Recently in church we have been doing a series on the life of David. David's story is told in the books of 1 & 2 Samuel. A story of complexity, a story of faith and failure. David's response to that story is found in another Bible book - the book of Psalms. The Psalms are honest, the Psalms don't pretend. The Psalms model how to make that often illusive connection between where life is at, how we are feeling and who God is.

Eugene Peterson is a (now quite elderly) pastor, who in the course of his ministry translated the book of Psalms from it's original Hebrew language into the language of every day life. The book he produced (he ended up translating the whole Bible and not just the Psalms) has become known as The Message. 

Bono is (to use a well worn cliche) a name that needs no introduction. I enjoy U2's music and last year I read John Jobling's book U2 - The Definitive Biography. Perhaps the most enduring of Bono's lyrics come from the song 'I still haven't found what I'm looking for'. In print and in song Bono always comes across as a man on a quest, a searcher.

Earlier this week a fascinating video has been published on line. It's a video of a pastor (Peterson) and a searcher (Bono) finding one another - and conversing about the Psalms.

In this unlikely (and clearly genuine) friendship two very different people sit down and share conversation about the unique roll that the Psalms have in giving us voice to come to God.

This is well worth a watch - and if it encourages you to read (and pray) from the Psalms then my guess is it will have done its job.

The conversation (filmed at Eugene and Jan Peterson's home in Montana) can be viewed here.

It lasts 21 minutes.