I finished Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz this weekend, and I highly recommend it. In it Miller relates the story of a lecture he attended on language, specifically metaphors. The speaker asked the audience to describe the language we use when talking about friends and loved ones. Terms like "value" and "appreciate" were mentioned: the language of economy and business. If how we speak about something reveals the way we think about and engage with it, what does this say about how we think about and treat other people? Miller makes a bold, but I think valid, point about the difference between his time living with "hippies" and all the time he's spent with Chirstians: the hippies loved people unconditionally. It didn't matter how you dressed, or where you came from, you were loved. Many Christians, on the other hand, use love like currency; if you're worthy of it (follow along with what we think) you will get it, otherwise, watch out.
Is there anything to Miller's arguments?
Is there anything to Miller's arguments?
posted by Michael | 10:21 a.m.
8 Comments:
Hmm. I would tend to vote 'no'... In business, "appreciate" would mean the act of something increasing in value.
In personal terms, to appreciate someone or something they do or have done doesn't really mean the same thing.
Value is a pretty broad term, basically it is meant to assign importance. In business that means the ability to garner cash, in personal life it means... well, whatever one finds important, really. It *could* be the same, or it could be emotionally based, or it could be morally based.
I wonder what words the 'hippies' would have used? Keeping in mind that when talking about 'loved ones' love is already implied.
On the third hand, I imagine we could all take a lesson about using the word love. "Value" and "appreciate", used to describe how you feel about someone, are verbs - and so is "love." Would you have used it that way this past week if it weren't for Thanksgiving?
Ha, ha... luv is a verb... anyone else thinking DC Talk?
Ohhh, good one, Kimberly! Another tough one. Hmmmm, let me think about that one....
Good one indeed! I thought up a clever answer though:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
us acting that out probably makes up some of the more difficult things we ought to do as Christians. but, there you have the kingdom of God thing again. love requires humility, opening yourself up to someone else, honesty, communication, committment; basically all the things that make us really uncomfortable. but something like love shouldn't be an easy thing.
Tom, that's brillant. You should publish that or something!
I think what stands out about that brilliant answer of Tom's from 1 Corinthians is Love keeps no record of wrongs. How hard is that. Each day we judge people by what they look like (keeping a record of what they wear and what is associated with that, keeping a record of their culture-and what we see of that culture becomes how we see them, even if we don't know them) So it's almost like we keep a record of wrongs when there has been no wrong committed. How can we look at people, forget what they say, do, look like, can do for us and what attitude they have and just love them as people, creations of our Lord? I think it is possible, I really do. I think it will make us uncomfortable as it will go against our common sense and it will require practice, constantly challenging ourselves.. and each other
Well said, Cheryl.
I guess a major problem I've had with 'church' (and I mean in general, not any specific church) is that love towards other Christians feels a lot like the Janet Jackson song, "What Have You Done For Me Lately."
I've felt like this before: like some people are really glad to show me love (ewww, that sounds very much like a cheesy pop song) when I can do something for them, or for the church; but when I'm not needed... c'est la vie.
The hard part for me is to continue to show love to people I feel aren't showing love to me. If I feel people are using me, or ignoring me, or aren't even aware of me. Maybe this is supposed to be easy but(and I thik Kimby's comments suggest other people feel this way too) it's pretty freakin' hard!
I guess this is my round about, meandering way of asking: How do we put the description of love Tom gave us from 1 Cor into action? Can we?
Well, on some levels these few verses represent the whole of Christianity, don't they? One of the beautiful things in it is that everything is meant to flow naturally. Faith to love to works.
We are saved by faith because it's the first step. If we believe in an omnipotent God then naturally we will attempt to learn more about him, it's the only sane response! Upon doing so, how could we help but fall in love with him? Yet further on comes the natural desire to please our beloved Jesus in all things, whether within ourselves or the world around us.
The issue holding us back from all this is that we cling to another nature, our sinful nature. The system works flawlessly, it is we that are broken.
Perfection is within reach, entirely possible. Yet we know that not one of us will reach it. So why keep trying? Well of course, success is not our motivation.
Love is our motivation, the Bible tells us so. 1 Cor 13 says a fair bit more about love. "and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." What does James say? "Faith without works is dead."
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...Hmm. What I'm realizing as I type this is that on a certain level I'm imparting this portion of my understanding in order to deflect the issue. Deconstructing the question instead of formulating an actual response. "Oh, well, you see, this is the great question, isn't it, the question of our whole lives et cetera," so I don't have to consider any more specific ramifications. Note to self: think less, do more.
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