Trailer for Blue Like Jazz: The Movie.
Really excited by this. Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller is one of a few books over the last few years that have really spoken my language - it’s incredibly honest and humble in the way it’s written.
Blue Like Jazz: the Movie is now nearing release, and is probably the biggest fan funded film to be released so far. After it failed to get enough investment from the film industry, fans of the book stepped in to make up the difference. Doubt it will make cinemas in the UK, but if I can hold of it I’d love to do a showing for The Lab somewhere.
Jesus' death killed the consumer
Just occasionally the Resurgence blog comes out with something insightful and thought-provoking. This is one of those:
God’s action in the world never revolves around the immediate satisfaction of wants and needs. His action is focused on reconciliation. The amazing news is the God of the Bible incurred all the cost of reconciliation himself. He paid our debt in full to restore us to his family. And when we see the God of the heavens lay aside his wants and needs to serve us, we can make the much smaller sacrifice of laying aside our own.
Contextualising this into a consumerist culture, you could argue that Jesus allows himself to be consumed on the cross - the price for our consumer debt - in order for us to be free of the dissatisfaction of a life bound by consumerism.
Don Miller (writer of Blue Like Jazz) has also been posting some interesting ideas on Consuming vs. Creating on his blog this week.
For some of my own thoughts on consumerism, see my dissertation from last year: Christian Community in a Consumerist Culture.
