Imago Dei

I’ve heard the name Anne Lamott pop up in places, but not often. And I’ve never read any of her books. But there’s an interview with her in Relevant Magazine, and now I want to run out and buy all of her stuff!

It’s all good stuff - she speaks from the heart and there’s a lot of wisdom and truth in there. But the best line?

I try not to follow people who follow Jesus.

That’s what I’m talking about. Following Jesus - good. Following people - bad.

I also love this part:

It just doesn’t help me if people are focused on sounding really good like they’ve got their Christian act together, because what they have is an act. What helps me is to come across something that I can read and say, “Oh, exactly. Me too.” It seems that this is what Jesus did. He would listen and nod and say, “I get it. This is really odd for a lot of us.” A lot of our lives feel like mistakes were made because it doesn’t feel very hospitable to be a human on earth—whether it’s 2,000 years ago or in 2007. So I write books where people in them say, “I hate everyone, and I’m not a good forgiver, and I’m in an awful mood, and I’m just going to watch TV, and I don’t feel like being friendly to you, and I’m sorry you’re having a bad day, but go call someone else.” That doesn’t come across as perfect Christian values, but I can’t get bogged down by what it sounds like to other people. I need to tell the truth as it’s come through me. It has helped me grow and get less crazy and less self-centered, which is the source of so much of my unhappiness. I write books that I would love to come upon, so that what I am longing for would exist.

Right on.

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