What is music? I mean really, what is it?

If you’ve had a significant musical moment, you will understand that music is far more than notes and rhythms, more than sounds and instruments, and more than what you hear. The real music is what drives that – but we cannot really describe it adequately. What is that something that takes a pretty melody and makes it beautiful? How is it that someone can sing a beautiful song and have it sound wooden? Why can two people play the same piano in the same talent night, yet only one play music?

I still don’t know what music is, and I’m studying music in college. Every day, weeks and months on end. I’m learning how to do something I don’t really know what it is. But it’s there. So, I will not try to spoil it by describing it away, but enjoy it, God’s gift to us. For I suspect that is what should be done with beauty.

Wed, July 21: Blandon Mennonite Fellowship, Blandon, PA; 7:30 pm
Thu, July 22: Shippensburg Christian Fellowship, Shippensburg, PA; 7:30 pm
Fri, July 23: Venue TBA, Hosted by Island Creek Mennonite Church, VA
Sun, July 24: Foothills Community Chapel, Columbus, NC; 9:00 am
Sun, July 25: Cold Springs Mennonite Church, Abbeville, SC; 7:00 pm
Mon, July 26: The Prizery Center for the Performing Arts, South Boston, VA; 7:30 pm
Tue, July 27: Dayton Mennonite Church, Dayton, VA; 7:00 pm
Wed, July 28: Oakwood Mennonite Church, Conowingo, MD; 7:00 pm
Sat, July 31: Church of the Good Samaritan, Paoli, PA; 7:30 pm
Sun, Aug 1: Weaverland Mennonite Church, East Earl, PA; 2:30 pm

But is that altogether necessary? I have wondered that many times. It seems like other Christians don’t need to struggle so much, they just live the Christian life, and things are fine. They don’t need a deeper dimension to life, and are happy the way things are. I kind of wish that were true for me too – it would sure be simpler if I didn’t have to think about things. And yet, somehow there is a depth to my life that wouldn’t be there if I would be simpler like that.

As I wrote earlier, struggle is a part of life, and the things struggled through and for are the things worth having. If faith were simple, everyone would have it, and it wouldn’t mean as much. But it is worth struggling for, is it not? Maybe in the middle of the struggle it doesn’t appear so, but somehow I think it is. To my fellow strugglers – tarry on!

But is that altogether necessary? I have wondered that many times. It seems like other Christians don’t need to struggle so much, they just live the Christian life, and things are fine. They don’t need a deeper dimension to life, and are happy the way things are. I kind of wish that were true for me too – it would sure be simpler if I didn’t have to think about things. And yet, somehow there is a depth to my life that wouldn’t be there if I would be simpler like that.

As I wrote earlier, struggle is a part of life, and the things struggled through and for are the things worth having. If faith were simple, everyone would have it, and it wouldn’t mean as much. But it is worth struggling for, is it not? Maybe in the middle of the struggle it doesn’t appear so, but somehow I think it is. To my fellow strugglers – tarry on!

Jesus was not a martyr. I just read that this morning from Oswald Chambers. Really, it’s a startling thought. We all assume Jesus died for our sins and stuff, but never really think about why it was he died. We think he died a heroic death, at the hands of the Jews and Romans, but what he did was not only heroic, it was necessary for us to have any hope of salvation. Innocent blood needed to be shed, and only his would work. We can be saved because of his death and resurrection, springing out of God’’s love. God loves us, but it is only through Jesus” work that we are saved. Thank God for his love, and for Jesus’ atonement.

We had this test in class the other day, and everyone was loudly declaiming math as the number 1 hated subject. But I like it. I mean it’’s a lot of work, but there’’s something about math that appeals to me. Maybe it’’s the idea that there is always a right answer. There is no gray areas, it’’s all black or white.

I”ve lived 23 years, and found a lot of gray in life. Issues arise and questions face us that seem so black and white. At least until we face them, when all we can see is gray. Maybe I”ve resigned myself to living a life of gray, but there is still something that thinks black and white is simpler and more to be desired.

Maybe that’’s why I like math. There is always a right answer. If you end up with a wrong one, the proper thing to do is correct it. With math, you can always do that. It may be a lot of work to find where you went wrong, but it can be done.

Maybe life is like that, but we just impose the gray on it. I dunno. Do we?

The book is almost a collection of essays on different aspects of Christian life, like money, faith, love (to others and self), grace, belief, church and romance. Don is an almost hippie, almost liberal almost conservative, almost-a-lot-of-things. But there is the struggle of life written on the pages, his struggle to make sense of what happens to us, why we doubt, and why we live.

His writing style is not very polished, much more conversational. It seems you are sitting in a room with him and he is just talking to you. He tells lots of stories to illustrate his points. He doesn”t write about profound theological insights, but about the everyday issues we face while being a Christian.

Blue Like Jazz added perspective and depth to my life. I recommend it to you if you sometimes ponder the meaning of life or the meaning of being a Christian.