Thoughts on Blue Like Jazz

I recently picked up my copy of Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller off my book shelf. I originally read the book in high school, before I came to know Jesus. If I remember correctly, it was a very popular book among the "christian" youth of my town. I recall reading it, liking it and assuming it was truth. It therefore heavily influenced my conception of God. I decided to reread it, because it has to come to my attention that I read a lot of books as an unbeliever and a new believer that may have been just plain heretical. So i've decided to go back and take a look at them to weed out the lies from the truth in my mind.

One a side note, there has been a lot of talk recently on the christian blog 0' sphere (is that a word? If it wasn't before it is now) about the emergent church, particularity Rob Bell. If you haven't been following the controversy surrounding Rob Bell and his new book Love Wins. I would suggest doing a little research. A good place to start would be John MacArthur's blog, he has been doing a series of posts on it. (Here's the link to the first one http://www.gty.org/Blog/B110412). (I will probably one day get around to writing about the emergent church and things like that)

Here are my thought's on Blue Like Jazz.

To put it bluntly, if you want to read a book to learn more about the character and nature of God, this is not the book for you. However, if you want to read a book about the inane quasi-spiritual musings of a man named Donald Miller, by all means be my guest.

If I was Donald Miller, I would have put a disclaimer on the front of Blue Like Jazz stating "it would be better for your spiritual state to read your Bible for 30 seconds then to read this book." In thinking that thought I would also like to add a disclaimer to this blog. "It would be better to read your bible for 1 minute then to spend any amount of time reading what I have to say." If there is one thing I have learned recently about what it means to walk with God it is this: your Bible is everything. Over and over I have been shown the supremacy of scripture.

Blue like jazz does not fall short necessarily for what it says, but for what it doesn't say. Never once in the book does mention the Holiness of God, or the wrath of God against unrepentant sinners. Presenting a gospel without these elements is to pervert the true gospel and to blaspheme the name of Christ.

An essential issue with this book is it's misrepresentation of the work of Christ. Jesus Christ, God-incarnate, did not come to earth to rescue the world from it's social justice issues. Jesus Christ came to rescue sinners from the judgment and wrath of an almighty God. Yes, Jesus cares about poverty. However, poverty isn't the root cause of the world's evils; sin is. The sin in me and the sin in you. Outside of Christ we are enemies with God. We are in rebellion and we cannot please God.

Another huge problem is Miller's rejection of the church. He completely throws the church under the bus. The Church is the Bride of Christ. He's got a thing for her and I wouldn't dis her if I were you (to quote Lecrae). As a new believer I can attest that it is almost impossible to grow without being involved in a Bible teaching Church where you can serve, be discipled and be disciplined. So many college students miss this. The Church and it's structure was designed by Christ. We miss out on so much growth by staying away. (I could right a whole post on this issue itself)

Miller's attitude towards sin in Blue Like Jazz is incredibly flippant. It's almost disgusting. If we could see our sins for what they are we would fall on our faces and weep. Which is what Isaiah did when he saw the Lord: Isaiah 6:1-5

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. ² Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one cried to another and said:

“ Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”
⁴ And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
⁵ So I said:

“ Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.”

The faith that this book presents is not a saving faith. It is not in line with historic Christianity. It does not support the Bible. To be blunt, the "gospel" this book presents is rather like a vaccine. It's a weakened form of the real thing that will inoculate an individual from ever receving the real thing. It's a useless waste of paper, good only for kindling.

Donald Miller's version of the good news, is really not good news at all. To him Jesus is just one more option, one more pathway to "living your best life now". These kinds of books are so deadly because they present lies wrapped up in truth. They sell half-truths to undiscerning people. Half truths that destroy them spiritually.