reflections of jazz

Well I said I would post more about Blue Like Jazz, so I guess I will do so now. At first I thought maybe I would rattle on about the impact and wondrous things that I learned about myself from reading the book, but then I realized that would be extremely long and arduous to post. So instead here are some questions that I asked me myself when I agreed with the book or when it shone a spotlight on something I avoided.

• Why do we teach our children warm and fuzzy versions of Bible stories when the subject matter and implications are not warm and fuzzy? Don't we owe it to ourselves and our children to not sugar coat the message? When did we start doing this and why?
  
• Even when we know "God will provide" and that "money isn't everything," why is it so hard for us to start giving money to the church or other charities?
• When our worship services sometimes have an air of insider language and a somewhat intimidating environment for new people, why do we continue to insist that people visit the church before we will truly engage with them?
• Why do we get in the way of Jesus, and when we realize we are doing just that why is it so hard to comes to terms with and apologize?
• Swearing, drinking, dancing. Prejudicial persecution, leveraging spirituality for political prestige, treating love like money (something to bestow or withhold). Why do is there so much focus on the first set, when the second set are so much more damaging to society in the bigger picture?
• When science, experience, and scripture all can point to the damage that loneliness can inflict on a person, why do we continue to surround ourselves with means to isolate ourselves? Why do have such an attraction to self-sufficiency when the only means to truly get there are by means of community?

There are probably at least dozen other thoughts I could come up with... but this is all for now. Next up, business trip and another book to go with me!