Who gives away the most anticipated new album of the year to the entire world for free?

Certainly not the biggest rock band in the world, right?

That would subvert the entire process we’ve become accustomed to as consumers.

That would flip the recording industry on its head.

That would be unheard of…if it didn’t just happen.

You’ve probably seen by now that after 5 years of waiting U2 finally released their latest album “Songs Of Innocence” completely free to anyone with an iTunes account.

And they didn’t just release it – it’s already sitting in everyone’s purchased music folder, waiting to be downloaded. The album is a gift to every iTunes customer, just waiting to be received.

Who could have seen something like this coming?

Actually, it sounds kind of familiar.

Sounds kind of like a God giving away His gift of salvation completely for free.

After all, something like that would subvert everything the world had come to understand about religion.

Something like that would flip the church on its head.

A God who gives His greatest gift for free to the world all of the sudden and out of the blue. And not just that – the gift is already waiting in our operating system available for download, if we’re willing to take Him up on it.

Of course, free is a complicated word.

Someone did in fact pay an incredible price for the free music of U2.

Bono explained how the free album came to be on U2.com after the huge surprise announcement:

You’ll have noticed the album is free to U2.com’ers from the band. It’s also free to everyone on iTunes thanks to Apple. To celebrate the ten year anniversary of our iPod commercial, they bought it as a gift to give to all their music customers. Free, but paid for.

“Free, but paid for.” Hmmm.

That sounds kind of familiar too.

There is such a thing as free. But it always comes at a cost.

Whether it’s an unannounced album already synced to your iPhone or an unexpected savior dropped into a lowly manger, the greatest gifts often show up in the ways we least expect.

Be thankful for these gifts. Someone paid for them, and you may never know what the true price was.

Keep your eyes peeled. God has a way with the unexpected.

You never know what He has in store for you next. Available for free (but paid for).

Are we ready to be swept off our feet,

And stop chasing every breaking wave? – U2, “Every Breaking Wave”

Have you downloaded the free U2 album yet? What are your first impressions? What do you think of their incredible free gift? And what do you think about the cost of freedom?