Blue Like Jazz - Again

Okay, back to Blue Like Jazz, a bestseller by Donald Miller.

Miller hides his theology inside clever vignettes which he creates from his own life experiences. Once the story has you hooked, he pulls his hands from behind his back and shows you another piece of his religious puzzle. When each piece is finally in place, you find a nice liberal Democrat who has little use for Republican policies or conservative Christianity. He has little respect for the way evangelical Christians live out their faith, preferring the love demonstrated by the free-loving hippies he once lived in the woods with for a few weeks. But he is really nice about it - at least in the book. He is both entertaining and provocative.

As I read, I was reminded of a statement Mike Williams made at a men's conference. He said that many people try to take the Father to the pigstye instead of bringing the Prodigal to the Father. While Miller makes a sincere person examine his own intentions and values, it seems to me that he almost glories in living close to the pig pen.

But Miller does point out a few things that no honest Christian can deny. For many, their relationship with God has been reduced to a church membership and they no longer have an individual responsibility to love or serve. The 'church' does all that. They are comfortable with their traditions and get real nervous if they think their comfort zone is being threatened.

I like Blue Like Jazz because it makes you take a hard look at your own relationship with Christ and your personal responsibility to minister to the world. Some won't like reading it because Miller writes about drinking beer and enjoying his pipe and hippie friends. (If that's you, why don't you surf over to my website and buy one of my books.)

I still haven't gotten to the point that Miller makes best. I'll get that next. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next week. Thanks for coming back to find out.