I'm currently reading through Blue Like Jazz, and it's bringing back all those great memories of PBC youth group. Travis and Matt raving about it (and Velvet Elvis (on the list, by the way)). But anyway, those bad/awkward/frustrating memories aside, I think Blue Like Jazz has a few good points. It's kind of nice to read about an author who gets frustrated with traditional American Christianity... it's nice to know I'm not the only one.
One excellent point made by the author was about love; and when you think about it, you think about it in financial metaphors (withholding love, investing in someone, etc.). He talked about how the love of the church has become conditional, withholding if from those we feel need to learn a lesson, or don't deserve it. And when we give love, we expect something in exchange, or give it to feel good about ourselves. I know I'm guilty of that. It made me wonder what would happen if I loved like Jesus loved. He loved the unlovable, the outcasts, and because He genuinely cared about them, they sensed that and responded to it.
I wish I knew how to really love... and receive love... but that's a whole 'nother story.
2 comments:
Such a good book. :)
Maybe I should read that book... More and more I become frustrated with the traditional Christianity in general, now and in the past. Our country and world need a revival--a complete, total, thorough revival--of true Christ-seeking. Think about Abraham, wandering the world. He was not a Jew, not a Christian, not affiliated with any religion. He was a seeker of the one, true Living God, Jehovah, Yaweh.
I was raised in a school whose mascot is the Crusaders, and it wasn't until 10th grade World History that I learned, "Hmmm, the Crusaders were, for the most part, pursuing wealth, not God. The Crusades were a form of genocide." And my grandfather's grandfather was a missionary in the time when a lot of missionaries were, with good or ill intentions, and I can't see whether he was one of them, trying to force Native Americans to be "Americanized"--to take on the culture of the white man. Bleck!
I want to see a world where Christians stand up for social justice and love this world and its people unconditionally. But how does that happen?
This is very long. If you're interested, the continuation is on my blog:)
Love you, Em.
:)
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