Blue Like Jazz

Blue Like Jazz. I don't know when I first heard about the book, but I do remember a few first impressions. The book title seemed weird. I'd heard it was associated with the emergent or emerging or post-modern or whatever movement. I didn't know anything about the book, but I knew I was against those movements and if that book was advocating those movements, I didn't care to read it.

But my wife had the book and she wasn't post-modern or any of those other things. A couple of friends had the book and they weren't any of those things either. Josh Harris liked the book and he wasn't post-modern. Of course, Brian McLaren liked it too, and he was one of those emergenty guys.

A friend eventually offered to lend it to me and I reluctantly began to read it, ready to pick it apart.

It's funny how you can go into a book your guns blazing and walk away wishing you could have the author over for dinner.

I resonated with author Donald Miller's sentiment towards Christian religiosity. I was challenged to think about what it means to be a Christian and what it means to talk to others about being a Christian.

Quotes that hit home or made me think include,

"My most recent faith struggle is not one of intellect. I don't really do that anymore. Sooner or later you just figure out there are some guys who don't believe in God and they can prove He doesn't exist, and some other guys who do believe in God and they can prove He does exist, and the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it's about who is smarter, and honestly I don't care."

"My Sunday school teachers had turned Bible narrative into children’s fables. They talked about Noah and the ark because the story had animals in it. They failed to mention that this was when God massacred all of humanity.

"...I think the devil has tricked us into thinking so much of biblical theology is a story fit for kids. How did we come to think the story of Noah’s ark is appropriate for children? Can you imagine a children’s book about Noah’s ark complete with paintings of people gasping in gallons of water, mothers grasping their children while their bodies go flying down white-rapid rivers, the children’s tiny heads being bashed against rocks or hung up in fallen trees? I don’t think a children’s book like that would sell many copies."

"I really knew I needed Jesus like I need water or food, and yet it was frightening because Christianity is so stupid to so much of our culture, and I absolutely hate bothering people about this stuff.

"So much of me believes strongly in letting everybody live their own lives, and when I share my faith I feel like a network marketing guy trying to build my down line.

"Some of my friends who aren’t Christians think that Christians are insistent and demanding and intruding, but that isn’t the case. Those folks are the squeaky wheel. Most Christians have enormous respect for the space and freedom of others; it is only that they have found a joy in Jesus they want to share. There is the tension."

There are so many other quotes, but then, there's a whole book full of them.

I've been thinking about the book a lot lately because of Blue Like Jazz The Movie. The movie had a screenplay, producer, actors, and everything else a movie needs. Except money. Everything was lined up but the money.

Miller announced on his blog that the movie was dead due to being unable to procure the finances. It didn't take long for some people to put together SaveBlueLikeJazz.com. In just 10 days they used crowd-sourcing to raise the $125,000 necessary to make the movie. There are a lot of other people who want to see this movie made.

I want to see this movie made too. I want it made because a lot of people who won't read a book will watch a movie. I want it made so others can see the honest portrayal of Christians loving others as they are.

There are still 4 days left before Kickstarter.com closes the window on contributions. If you want to see the book become a movie as much as I do, head on over and drop a few bucks in the bucket. The movie is now funded, but it's on a shoe-string budget with a lot of people volunteering their time. Every dollar will help make it that much better. Besides, if less than $10,000 more can be raised, this will set a record for the largest crowd-sourced project in American history.

And if you haven't read Blue Like Jazz, you're missing out on a great story.