Jesus can you take the time to throw a drowning man a line, Peace on earth...
Now, I'm not overly religious or religious enough, anyway, but this is what I think. I'm not a particularly big U2 fan, but I have so much respect for them. Lately, I've been listening to All that You Can Leave Behind. I've been listening to U2 since I was in kindergarten and I never realized how much Christian symbolism is infused in their lyrics. Like, I never heard the word 'Jesus' before in 'Sunday Bloody Sunday.' I commend them for not being afraid to sing about Jesus on the radio.
One song struck me in particular: 'Peace on Earth.' Supposedly, Bono wrote the song in response to IRA bombings after the Good Friday accords. "Hope and history don't rhyme," It sounds like anti-Christmas song. Bono must have been really pissed. There is a real longing for the world to renew itself. It is a lament for Restoration. It is a cry for peace that reminds us of a biblical story: the story of Jesus walking water.
From what I can remember, the Apostles were out fishing in a boat when they saw the Resurrected Jesus walk out on the water. They wondered if it truly was Jesus. Then, Jesus commanded Peter to walk towards him on the water. Peter did. He got out of the boat and started walking on the water; but, when a firece wind blew he became afraid and began to sink. I think that the line, "Jesus can you take the time to throw a drowning man a line," very much recalls this passage. Peter was in the water sinking and he called out to Jesus to help him. This song is a like prayer to Jesus asking him to save us as he saved Peter from drowning. We've lost faith and we need Christ to bring peace on earth, now. Though it is full of pathos, this song is a vision of hope.