Funny how life gets in the way of things we want to do. Like eating, praying, loving, and searching for God. Here finally are my few remaining thoughts on this book and Donald Miller's book which I read at the same time. It was definitely interesting reading these books side by side. Both Gilbert and Miller write in the same stream-of-consciousness style and both books involve the purpose of life and where we find fulfillment. My third dog-eared page in Eat, Pray, Love said this:
"There are only two questions that human beings have ever fought over, all through history. How much do you love me? And Who's in charge?" ... these two questions of love and control undo us all, trip us up and cause war, grief, and suffering.
Interestingly, this quote stuck out to me because (besides the truth of it) it paralleled a human observation that Miller made. In his book, he describes that people without the redeeming power of Jesus live with a lifeboat mentality. This mentality he explains causes us to fight to be deemed better and more significant than those around us and that we are constantly trying to prove our worth by putting down those around us and seeking to be like those we feel are better than us. Basically we spend our lives fighting the rest of humanity to seek more love and more power. And as we struggle with this phenomenon this side of Heaven, even those who know Jesus, like myself, have a tendency to keep crawling back into that lifeboat.
Though they identify the same problem, Gilbert and Miller have different answers for the solution. For Gilbert, its about finding the solitude to seek the spiritual strength she can find in herself. As a brief side-note, her answer is not unlike the answer of many "Christian" self-help books today. The do better, try harder, love more response will work for a time, but aren't we still in competition with others as we look for more inner will-power to accomplish those things? Miller's response is best stated in his words:
Indeed, as Jesus looks across the social landscape into the fear-filled eyes of the inhabitants of the lifeboat, He does not offer a formula that will help us win the game, He offers Himself. I want to tell you without reservation that if there is any hope for you and me, for this planet set kilter in the fifteen-billion light-year expanse of endless mystery, the hope would have to be in this Man who contends He is not of us, but with us, and simply IS. I AM WHO I AM.
This truth is what I needed to hear. I respect Gilbert's attempts to be a better person for I know that I do not live as I should. But I respectfully disagree with her that she can truly love perfectly or completely for I know that I cannot. But there is One who did. And to live as He taught, I need to draw from His spiritual power to seek him more, to jump off the lifeboat, and to eat, pray, and love as His redeemed for His glory.
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