Why Is It That I Like Reading Donald Miller?

I, like many of you, recently read Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I must say that I loved it–and it seemed like everybody else did too. The book is well-written and deep. It is, in my opinion, yet another type of poetry that honestly speaks to the emotions of men. I truthfully don’t know what women think about it, but I would imagine they relate to it more than I think. I liked the book so much because it resonated with feelings I have had. I, too, have dealt with everything from the complex desire for freedom to the temptation to hate people who seem to live their righteousness for everyone to see. That book, like poetry, speaks to me.

I am reading Through Painted Deserts right now. I am not far into it, but I already feel much like I did with Blue Like Jazz. He speaks to what is real…which brings me to my concern. Could it be that we love poetry like Donald Miller’s because we long to live the life that sees that type of beauty, pain, and excitement? I think that is part of it for me, at least. I want the type of freedom and excitement that I read about in his books–as do you. It is as if I live the life for which I long through the pages of his books. In that sense, they are in every way poetry. Why is it then that we settle for lives of familiarity, comfort, and routine? In fact, that type of life is the goal of so many of the Christians I know. All they can think about is getting married young, getting jobs, and having kids. All they seem to want is a nice house, a nice car, and family all around them.

Now, don’t misunderstand me…I am not saying that there is necessarily anything wrong with that. And I really do think that type of life represents to some people the same type of fulfillment that Donald Miller does to me. But I just don’t see how. A life full of little more than familiarity seems to me to be the worst thing imaginable. I’d rather die than live the suburban American dream. I mean that. I feel a deep desire for life, but I wonder if it is simply my youthful ambition coming out in full force. I see so often the youthful fire of people simply sucked out of them by years of a mortgage, little-league baseball games, and an 8-5 job.

I think that deeply affects spirituality. I think that God is so often found within the fire of youth. Why is it that we neglect verses like Romans 8:11 that say the Holy Spirit is working to give us life? In fact, once I preached this verse and it made many within the audience uncomfortable! They had ever heard such things come out of the mouth of a preacher.

What an absolute shame.

Why is it that our culture has taught us that the thing we ought to do in order to find happiness is sacrifice that fire on the altar of cruel routine and suburban comfort? Has it not done that? I know it has in the places I have lived. Maybe in that regard our culture is Satan’s biggest weapon against us. He kills us, not with sin, but with routine and boredom.

May we be people who live lives full of the type of beauty and poetry that we read about in Donald Miller–for it is there that I believe we will find God’s Holy Spirit.