'VOICE OF THE PREACHER'
Billy
Graham has had many high-profile friends over the years, and among them is U2 frontman and
international rockstar Bono.
Bono
is open about his Christian faith, frequently speaking on the importance of God in
his life and incorporating spiritually-theme lyrics into his songs.
And based on a poem the soinger wrote to Billy Grahamback in 2002, it seems the American
evangelical leader has played a important role in Bono's life
The
hand-written poem, which is on display at the Billy Graham Library in
North Carolina, refers to "the voice of a preacher/loudly soft
on my tears" which was the "lyric voice that gave my life/A
Rhyme/a meaning that wasn’t there before."
Bono
composed the poem in 2002 after visiting Billy and Ruth Graham at
their home in western North Carolina. Several years later he teamed up with pop singer Pat Boone and other musicians to record "Thank
You Billy Graham" as a tribute to the preacher.
I
give thanks just for the sanity of Billy Graham," Bono says in
the tribute's intro. "That clear, empathetic voice of his, in
that southern accent, part poet, part preacher. A singer of the human
spirit, I'd say."
Sojourners
writer Cathleen Falsani spooke with Bono in 2015 on his friendship with Billy Graham and the
surprise phone call the musician received in 2002 from the preacher's
office. Graham, as it turned out, wished to give Bono and his
teammates a blessing.
“I
told [my bandmates], I said, ‘This is a big deal. This is BILLY
GRAHAM!’ And they all said, ‘That’s great. But we’re in the
middle of a tour.’ So I rented a plane and flew there right away in
case he might forget. I was picked up by his son, Franklin, and
driven a couple of hours up to their house. I met briefly with
himself and his wife, Ruth. I think I’ve mentioned to you before
that the blessings of an older man mean a great deal to me.
Particularly this man. I gave him a book of Seamus Heaney poetry, and
I wrote a poem for him in it."
Transcript of Bono’s poem to the Grahams:
The journey from Father to friend
is all paternal loves end
It was sung in my teenage ears
In the voice of a preacher
loudly soft on my tears
I would never forget this
Melody line
Or its lyric voice that gave my life
A Rhyme
a meaning that wasn’t there before
a child born in dung and straw
wish the Father’s love and desire to explain
how we might get on with each other again…
To the Rev Billy Graham (that preacher)
Ruth and all the Graham family
From Bono (March 11 2002)
With much love and respect.
