Bono reveals the Bible translation he reads to his children and Christian books on his reading list
U2 frontman Bono was featured on the "Today Show" for a segment called, “Open Book With Jenna Bush Hager," a new reading literacy series, and he took the opportunity to share the Christian literature he and his family read.
“When I'm busy on the road I love books I can dip in-and-out of. A friend of mine is a great poet and also a prison chaplain, he and his friend they put this book together,” Bono told Bush Hager of LifeLines, a book written by Martin Wroe and Malcolm Doney, two Christian men.
“It's a book about faith but it's not strict or in any sense sectarian or specific … If you're interested in opening up that side of your life, your spiritual life, I would read it,” he recommended.
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As a child, he said he read Chronicles of Narnia and books like it. For his own children he shared they read mainstream books but on their book list is a translation of the Bible.
“We read all kinds of things from Harry Potter to The Bible, the Eugene Peterson version of The Bible we read to our kids,” the rock star told Bush Hager.
Bush Hager is the daughter of former President George W. Bush, who worked with Bono on PEPFAR, a program to help those suffering from Aids in Africa.
Bono has long been a fan of Peterson. The two shot a short film before Peterson's death in 2018, documenting their friendship. In the film, the musician honored the writer for his contemporary-language version of the Bible, The Message translation. They also spoke of their common interest in the Psalms.
In the video series, the U2 frontman also discussed his faith extensively. He has never been one to shy away from talking about Jesus. He spoke of how God played a role in tragedy.
Bono sadly expressed that his mother died while he was still young but said that he's grateful she left him "an artist."
"I began the journey trying to fill the hole in my heart with music, with my mates, my band mates. Finally, the only thing that can fill it is God's love, it's a big hole but luckily it's a big love," Bono said in the 2017 Fuller studio video series.
Despite his overt display of faith, Bono has also received criticism for his support of abortion in his home country, Ireland.
