Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz and A Million Miles
A movie was made out of Blue Like Jazz which was about his life – the screenwriters told him his life was boring – and Don realized they were right – he learned a lot while making this movie…
- Every story is about a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it
- We approach the Bible looking for what we can get out of it, not simply getting to know God
- A perfect character in a story makes people uncomfortable
- To tell a good story: the character has to sacrifice of themselves for other people
- We think if we succeed, our story/life will matter
- But story teaches us that’s not true – we must sacrifice of ourselves
- A character is that they do, not what we wished we were, or what we want
- All about their actions
- We have to want something
- A character must be clear on what they want of they’re pulled from the film
- If we want things that aren’t important, our story won’t be important
- Every great story has to have conflict
- By staying safe and not moving forward into conflict, our stories/lives are uninteresting
- God intends there to be conflict in life
Conflict
- Only way a character changes is through conflict
- Only way they get better is through pain, not joy
- Our stories are uninspired & boring if we avoid conflict
- The true great character dives into conflict
- Act 3 climax: one action makes everything okay
- There’s no climax in our human experience – no point where the conflict ends
- As Christians, we’re taught that there’s a hole in our soul that only God can fill
- It’s not true
- That says Jesus is the act 3 climax that will make the conflict go away
- Not true
- We got this idea from 3,000 commercials a day that instant gratification is possible
- We turned Jesus into a product
- The Act 3 climax in Scripture is at the wedding feast of the lamb – after we die
- In life, we’re in the middle of act 2, right in the middle of conflict
- “I’ve learned the secret of being content…hope that will be revealed”
Other Thoughts
- The Danish are the happiest people on earth – they have low expectations
- We go on such an emotional roller coaster in life
- “This will fix my life, I’m so excited” and then it doesn’t work
- Contentment is our goal – being emotionally even-keeled
- The number one way we understand stories is through each other (not always music & movies)
- Conflict doesn’t mean God hates you
- Many of the reasons we’re depressed are because we think we can get to a climax and it always falls short
Addressing conflict in the church & youth ministry
- Don’t jump into conflict unless it has to do with your story/life
- Biblical wisdom on confronting authority
- The fall of man happened…and it happened to the church too
- Don’t create conflict for the sake of conflict
- Be very discerning in the conflict you enter into
Don is very passionate about helping the fatherless generation
- Where’s the answer to this generation with absent fathers?
- In a wide survey, people were given the choice of government, schools, etc.
- 85% chose the church
- 70% atheists chose the church
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