Thoughts on “Blue Like Jazz”
My critique
Don writes at one point how people just want to be “cool”. Cool is much more important than belief. We think movie stars are cool even though we have no idea what they believe. I wonder if Don had his own version of cool in the book.
His version of cool involves being cool with the non-Christian world. He smokes a pipe. He knows pastors that cuss. He lived with the hippies in the woods. And he was cool with all of them. And that’s what makes him cool, too, right? Is this the Christian liberal version of name dropping? “I’m friends with more protestors than you?”
Or is it not? Is this just the honest sharing about friends he truly loves? I think if anything I’m jealous. I want to be the “cool Christian” who has friends that care about the environment and world peace and sure, maybe they smoke pot or are homosexual or have sex, too. Maybe I’m the one who gave Don the attribute “cool” even when he wasn’t looking for it. This is just another small way my own jealousies, insecurities, and selfishness work themselves out.
Don is a good writer. And you know what? Regardless of whether or not he is “cool”, I know what he believes. And I think what he believes is true, because my personal experience tells me so.
I’m gonna go enjoy God’s handiwork now. Thanks for reading this far.
[...] Posted by germanhokie on January 11, 2008 My parents gave me this book for christmas…but only because i asked for it. i don’t think they woulda got it for me any other way. i’m already readin it for the 2nd time and i love it! it’s an easy book to follow, it kept my attention the whole way through. The style of writing is more laid back and not so…shall i say discriminating as other books on the same thing. it is simply the author telling his story in a very realistic, down-to-earth way, friendly to everyone. he’s not trying to push his ideas on you, he just tells you how he sees things and gives logical and valid reasons why he sees things that way. he tells mainly from personal experience. below there is a link to show you what others think about this amazing book. http://www.nosq.com/blog/2005/03/thoughts-on-blue-like-jazz/ [...]