I finished reading Pride and Prejudice last night. The characterization is well done; and so is the story.
And yes, I know what it is. If you want to know… go read the novel.
Coincidently, and conveniently, the copy of Searching for God Knows What that I ordered came in the mail today. I read the first chapter just now, and it’s just like Blue Like Jazz in almost every way. I don’t believe that I, or you if you read it, will be disappointed.
“Katie Couric was interviewing a fellow who had written a book about how Donald Rumsfeld was actually the Antichrist, and I must confess, I practiced answering all her questions, knowing that I, too, would some day be interviewed by Katie Couric:
You really make Mr. Rumsfeld out to be a monster, Mr. Miller. This seems unfounded. How did you come to these conclusions?
I had him followed by a private detective, a high-tech guy I found at Radio Shack. Everything in the book is documented, Miss Couric. Or may I call you Katie? Or may I just call you?”
“I had terrific ideas; I really did. I was going to write a story about a nun who takes over small third world countries by causing their evil dictators to fall in love with her, leaving a trail of magachurches and democracy in her wake. The book was going to be called Sister Democracy, Show Some Leg!”
“Of course, I got frustrated. And it really got me thinking that, perhaps, formula books, by that I mean books that take you through a series of steps, may not be at all compatible with the Bible… …My friend at the Bible college believes the qualities that improve a person’s life are relational, relational to God and to the folks around us. This made a lot of sense, too, because when Jesus was walking around on earth He taught His disciples truths through experience, first telling them stories, then walking with them, then causing stuff to happen like a storm on the sea, then reiterating the idea He had taught them the day before. Even if it took years before the disciples understood, and even then the Holy Spirit had to come and wrap things up. So it made me realize that either God didn’t know about the formulas, or the formulas weren’t able to change a person’s heart.”
–Donald Miller, Searching for God Knows What
There is a lot more covered in the first chapter, much more than I could possibly quote without getting busted by the copyright police. Particularly, he talks about how he was unable to find a formula to happiness in the Bible by examining the lives of Peter, Paul, and Stephen.
Well, I’ll keep reading.
P.S. I will now be keeping my copy of Pride and Prejudice in my van. So now when a girl asks me, “You own a copy of Pride and Prejudice?” I can say, “Yes, yes I do… And I’ve read it.”
Related posts: