A Relationship Long Wanted...

It’s no surprise to you who have read my blog that I love Donald Miller. I could not put down Blue Like Jazz to save my life. Miller writes in such a fashion that is both compelling and intriguing at the same time. Of course, there are the flaws in modern Christian writers that I have talked about before, so I shant go on another rant about it…unless you guys want me to…

When I was at GAP camp, his follow up book Searching For God Knows What caught my eye, and so after a quick exchange of money, I was in possession of what was sure to be another great read…and boy was I right.

Miller writes once again in his familiar style, conducting the chapters in the form of memoirs. However, this isn’t a review of the book. I’ve only just started chapter 4, so it would be stupid to write a review based on the opening 3 chapters. What this post is about is something that Miller talks about within the confines of the book.

Let’s set the scene…Miller has just stood in a car wash in the middle of the night, and told god he doesn’t exist…At this stage, I was almost tempted to put the book down, because a) I was extremely tired and b) he had given some pretty compelling arguments as to why god doesn’t exist…but I soldiered on.

The 3rd chapter, aptly named “Feet of Trees” explains what happened after that evening. Miller is a very thorough and wise man, because he knew what he had just done…he denounced god.

Read that last line carefully…he denounced god.

Again…he denounced god.

His idea of god is evident from his writings in the first 2 chapters of the book. Miller saw god, more as an idea rather than a person. He believed that god was a system of beliefs to make him feel OK, not a real Being. He didn’t want this, and wanted to encounter the true God. And he did.

But this is what I want to talk about; the system that he believed god was, is very common in today’s world. People trying to fit in, trying to have an identity. He even tells the story of how he began to memorize vast quantities of poetry, just so he could be flocked by huge numbers of girls, as was the head of the National Debating Team. This is what he compares it to.

A system for safety.

Earlier on in the book, he talks about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and it was astonishing to read that God was considered to be a safety need. Something to make us feel warm and cosy, to make us feel right.

That isn’t god. That’s a 6 pack of beer, 4 packs of Doritos, and day-time TV. (Note, I have, nor do I plan on drinking at any stage…it was the first thing that popped into my head…)

So the question then is who is God really? He isn’t a god of formulas, and bullet points. No, he’s so much more. And I could go on for hours trying to come up with sufficient words to describe Him, but nothing that I could say would come any where close to who He really is.

So then what of those formulas that the “imposter” god symbolises? What is the point, if there is, of those rules even existing? Maybe we need to look past the rules, and focus on the bigger picture. We said earlier on that the god of rules was there to give us an identity, a reason for people to say nice things about you.

What if our whole theology is based on a relational foundation?

Normally, at this stage of reading a book, I would have found something to disagree with. The Rob Bell books are a good example of this. But oddly enough, all that I've read so far is actually making sense.

People, when you look on the surface, need the safety that the god of rules can provide. But deep down, they want more than that. Humans are designed to be relational beings. We need other people in order to survive. We need relationships in order to live. That’s what God can give us.

God is desperate to give us the life we fully need in order to function as his creations;

“My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

- John 10 v 10

Part of that is having a relational based life, with friends, family, and of course the Big G. I can honestly put my hand on my heart and say that if I didn’t have the friends that I have today, I don’t where I would be. Each and everyone of my friends reading this has played a huge part in my life. You are part of the reason why I am who I am today.

So how can we gain this full and everlasting life? Coming up to Christmas once again, its easy to lose sight of the fact that Jesus came into the world so that we can have this full life. He died on the Cross for us. And it is through Him that we can have this full life.

So how can we get this life we so desperately need?




Simple…



Place Him as the Nexus in our lives…

“…He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

- Isaiah 53 v 5