Love here describes itself as a child born in straw poverty, the most vulnerable situation of all, without honor. Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas, 2005

I believe in the poetic genius of a creator who would choose to express such unfathomable power as a child born in "straw poverty"; i.e. the story of Christ makes sense to me. Interview with Jann Wenner (Rolling Stone), November 3, 2005

As an artist, I see the poetry of it. It's so brilliant. That this scale of creation, and the unfathomable universe, should describe itself in such vulnerability, as a child. That is mind-blowing to me. Interview with Jann Wenner (Rolling Stone), November 3, 2005

The idea that God, if there is a force of Love and Logic in the universe, that it would seek to explain itself is amazing enough. That it would seek to explain itself and describe itself by becoming a child born in straw poverty, in shit and straw… a child… I just thought: “Wow!” Just the poetry… Unknowable love, unknowable power, describes itself as the most vulnerable…. and I saw the genius of this, utter genius of picking a particular point in time and deciding to turn on this. Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas, 2005

… you see this child born in straw. And it's so perfect to me. At a particular time, at a particular community… Interview with Jim Daly (Focus on the Family), June 25, 2013

That there’s a force of love and logic behind the universe is overwhelming to start with, if you believe it, but the idea that that same love and logic would choose to describe itself as a baby born in shit and straw and poverty is genius. And it brings me to my knees, literally. "Bono's American Prayer" by Cathleen Falsani (Christianity Today), March 2003