Coming Home: A Half-Hearted Epilogue

Coming Home was a really long story. I think there were three basic lessons in it, for me at least; one for each part. Maybe two. I'm not really sure. I decided to include my outline for each of the parts so that you can more easily remember what was going on in the story without having to reread the whole thing.

Part One

* the rain
* the morning
* the drive part a
* the bridge
* the car
* the police escort
* the woman

The lesson here, for me, is that though my heart is growing, I haven't yet gotten to the point where I'm really applying that correctly. The internal struggle seems like a good sign that I'm moving toward the ultimate goal of perfect love, but the outcome of the struggle really illustrates how far I still have to go.

Part Two

* the tow driver's story
* the dealership
* the book part a

The tow driver's story is what most impacted me from this section. While it, at the time, just really seemed to be a story about listening to God, reflecting on the situation now makes me think it's more just another example of my self-focusedness. I mean, the guy told me his whole life's story, even the most tragic parts of it, and I never even learned his name.

Part Three

* the dinner (vaguely)
* the night
* the breakfast
* the drive part b
* the casino
* the dinner
* the storm
* the star
* the book part b

There are lots of lessons in the storm and the star about hope and perseverance and God's grace through struggles, but I thought those were pretty clear in the main text, and I'd rather talk about the book anyway.

What made Blue Like Jazz such a phenomenal book for me, I think, is that the author's faith is obviously not motivated by fear. So much of what we do as Christians is completely motivated by abject terror; while I was sitting in the Saturn dealership in Tulsa, Pat Robertson spoke on TBN about how the secret to having a healthy marriage, from the perspective of the husband, is to follow three rules: never be in a room alone with a woman not your wife, never be in a room alone with a woman not your wife, never be in a room alone with a woman not your wife.

While there may be some real practical value to that kind of advice, it seems like it's just another form of bondage. What this leads to is a ridiculous level of insulation which deprives us of much of what God has for us. I think.

Donald Miller, on the other hand, seems more willing to be free and active within the context of his faith.

That's where I want to be, but it seems like I can't be free...I'm just too afraid.


I'm working towards it, though.

Peace, love, and joy to you all.