Donald's Outlook

About a week or so ago, I found this excerpt on Christianity and spirituality on Donald Miller's blog. He's a really nice guy and just so happens to be my favorite author by penning my favorite book I've ever read - Blue Like Jazz. I identify with his outlook on life, relationships, and most importantly, Christianity. He's a very intellectual guy. Far more intellectual than I'll ever be. Therefore, when I read this excerpt on the heels of the Pat Robertson incident about Haiti, I greatly connected with his point of view - thereby solidifying even more my common outlook on things that I share with him.

I really enjoy his take on life, love, relationships, spirituality, sports, etc. He doesn't take himself seriously, AND he's an avid cyclist. Therefore, he can't be too bad!

Here's his excerpt:

This is from the comments made from Pat Robertson about the earthquake in Haiti.

• I’ve found that the more I trust in Christ’s redemption to be sufficient, the less overtly religious I am. And, quite honestly, the more suspect overtly religious people become to me. When I’m with somebody who talks zealously about faith, about Jesus, about the Bible, after a while, I find myself wondering whether or not their faith is strong at all. For instance, if I were with somebody who kept talking about how much they loved their wife, going on loudly and profusely, intuitively I would wonder whether or not they were struggling in their marriage. I would wonder whether they were trying to convince me they loved their wife, or if they were trying to convince themselves. (Now that I think of it, though, some of my favorite people talk about how much they love their wives, but these are less public proclamations and more sighs of appreciation.) Faith in Christ, for me, is similar. It’s intimate. I’m more comfortable giving quiet prayers, intimate prayers. Often alone, in fact. I speak of faith the way I speak of personal matters. Of course there is a time for proclamations, but that’s the key, isn’t it? There’s a time. Anyway, I love that the New Testament is mostly intimate letters written to small groups of people who met in homes. I like the quiet authenticity of our faith. Robertson’s loudness and shock-jock verbiage seems strange and oddly uncompassionate. It felt like he was trying to tell us how tough he was, not how compassionate God is.