U2's 'travelling pastor' passes away at home

[deutsey]

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/u2s-travelling-pastor-passes-away-at-home-31016833.html

The Rev Jack Heaslip, who had been battling motor neurone disease, passed away at his home in Howth at the weekend.

His links with the world's most famous rock band go back as far as the 1970s, when he was a guidance counsellor at Mount Temple Comprehensive school.

When the band was on tour he helped the hundreds of staff and crew members - who were away from homes and families - cope with the challenges of isolation and long distance travel.

[cbayer]

1. Didn't know about him. I wonder how many bands travel with "spiritual leaders".

[deutsey]

2. I think I remember reading about his influence on them when they were in school,

but I had no idea he traveled with, and ministered to the band and crew while on tour.

There's a link on Youtube of him giving a blessing for their Elevation tour:

[cbayer]

3. Thanks for that.

I will put in the list of things to watch when I can stream.

I honestly don't know a lot about U2 or Bono, even though I have enjoyed them through the years.

[deutsey]

4. Bono, Larry, and the Edge were all committed Christians early on

Adam was apparently the lone heathen in the band at the time.

If you listen to "October," you can hear a lot of thunderous religious and apocalyptic themes permeating the songs as the three Christians were struggling with doubts about whether they could reconcile their beliefs with becoming a rock band.

I'm familiar with the story because of a bio on them that I read in the late '80s (Unforgettable Fire).

I haven't followed them closely since the early '90s (although I liked Everything You Can't Leave Behind from @ 2000), and I had assumed that they had all drifted away from Christianity, or had developed an ironic engagement with it.

Apparently, I was wrong, based on this article. I even read somewhere today that Adam may also be a Christian now (but I think that was a FB comment, because I can't find anything confirming it).

[cbayer]

5. I didn't know about their religious backgrounds at all.

Would be interesting to know about their paths over time. Dylan's course has been of interest to me.