A few months ago, my ministry partner, Ate Germaine Santos, gave me a copy of the book, Blue Like Jazz, where Don Miller shares his "nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality." In this book, Miller narrates his experiences as a college student in Reed University, his conversations with fellow Christians and non-Christians, and his struggles with Christianity. I didn't plan on reading this book, not yet anyway, until after I've finished another book Ate Germaine gave me. But the moment I finished the first chapter, I wanted to read the rest of the book. The tone is very casual and candid, like a compilation of long blog entries, so it was very light and easy to read. It is not preachy and it wasn't really intended to give a discourse on the Christian belief, but it's interesting enough to keep readers talking about Jesus.
What I liked most about Miller's writing is his accurate portrayal of the struggles commonly faced by Christians. One common issue that turns people off about the Christian faith is the problem of hypocrisy. Some Christians can be inconsistent about their faith - they impose their beliefs on others yet, act contrary to what they preach. They may have the tendency to appear self-righteous and legalistic, everything Jesus isn't. Miller was able to show that while he has serious flaws like everyone else, he hangs on to his faith. He doesn't claim to be better than everyone else who don't believe in the same God. It is precisely because of his flaws and his human nature that he clings closer to God and let Him take control of his life.
After reading the book, I found out that a movie version will be released soon, April 14 to be exact. I hope they show it too in the Philippines. More importantly, I hope it piques the interest of more people to know more about Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment