Fathers, Earthly and Heavenly

Somewhere along the way, I decided to write off Donald Miller. It could be I just didn't need Blue Like Jazz like I did my junior year in college, or I got tired of his writing style that started to seem more like a gimmick than authenticity, or maybe I began to see his theology as too fluffy and non-committal and elusive to be worth much.

I never picked up To Own a Dragon, because it sounded like it was only supposed to be for guys that grew up without fathers. While killing time in Borders today, I noticed the reissue now entitled Father Fiction, and decided to read a few chapters.

I was pleasantly surprised, today finding that he can carry a pretty good metaphor and paint a pretty compelling picture. Where most books on religion and theology are too heady and philosophical for the average person to even care, reading the chapters 'Spirituality' and 'Sex' came across as apologetics for the everyday man, for your neighbor, your roommate, for the cashier at the grocery store, your uncle who is doing the best he can to get by. Relatable and convincing. Winsome.

Spending that short time in this book made my job as a father more weighty and my response as a son adopted by a heavenly father more thoughtful.

All this to say, there are still a few idiosyncrasies that I'm not sure I'll be able to get past, but I'm not done with Donald Miller.