Whoa. It's been awhile.
I received this book from ViralBloggers sometime over the summer (and then I got another autographed copy for winning a Honorable Mention in Matt's Imaginary Jesus contest. ha.) and I had a bit of trouble getting into it at first. I'm not one for fiction, in any capacity. (And I have a degree in English. Go figure.) However..
This turned out to be one of my favorite books of 2010. Not only is it set in my favorite city that I've never visited, but he does what I've always wanted to do: Punch fake-Jesus in the face. Granted, the Jesus that gets decked is one of the many Jesuses (Jesii?) that I've taken a liking to over time, but that's fine.
Matt's book really got me thinking about who I'm following. Anne Lamott has said that we know that we've made Jesus in our own image when he hates all the same people we do. That is one of the truest statements I've ever read. This book made me realize that my "I love being poor!" Jesus is no better than Pat Robertson's "I hate Haiti!" Jesus.
I forget exactly how I'm rating books on this blog, but if we're going with the usual 5 stars type thing, I'm giving this one 5. Thanks, Matt.
I received this book from ViralBloggers sometime over the summer (and then I got another autographed copy for winning a Honorable Mention in Matt's Imaginary Jesus contest. ha.) and I had a bit of trouble getting into it at first. I'm not one for fiction, in any capacity. (And I have a degree in English. Go figure.) However..
This turned out to be one of my favorite books of 2010. Not only is it set in my favorite city that I've never visited, but he does what I've always wanted to do: Punch fake-Jesus in the face. Granted, the Jesus that gets decked is one of the many Jesuses (Jesii?) that I've taken a liking to over time, but that's fine.
Matt's book really got me thinking about who I'm following. Anne Lamott has said that we know that we've made Jesus in our own image when he hates all the same people we do. That is one of the truest statements I've ever read. This book made me realize that my "I love being poor!" Jesus is no better than Pat Robertson's "I hate Haiti!" Jesus.
I forget exactly how I'm rating books on this blog, but if we're going with the usual 5 stars type thing, I'm giving this one 5. Thanks, Matt.
January 22, 2011 at 8:46 AM
Hey Sierra--
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed Imaginary Jesus, and I'm thrilled that it has you thinking about who you're following. I wish you all the best in following the real Jesus.
Matt