the prodigal god.

I am very excited about a book I've been reading as of late.  The last "best book ever" I read that was non-fiction (because obviously, Twilight, A Long & Fatal Love Chase, and the Host would all reign in the fiction category) was Blue Like Jazz.  Totally amazing book, by the way, if you haven't read it already.  

Tim finally got me to start reading a little book that he read in like a day.  It's called A Reason for God by Tim Keller... and it, like Blue Like Jazz, has really opened my eyes to see the true condition of my heart.  It's always tough to work through your demons, but also crucial when it comes to your walk with Jesus.  

So I think in the next few days (or maybe today all at once) I'm going to post my favorite quotes, thoughts, & ideas.  I should probably also tell you what the book is really about.  Tim Keller basically takes the story of the Prodigal Son and looks at it from a very different perspective.  It's one I was never taught growing up.  Usually, the story has taught us that we can be the terrible, slimy creatures that we are and God will take us back with open arms.  And while that is part of it, one really fascinating thing about the story is the way that it ends.  

It simply ends with the "good" son, also known as the "elder brother," being angry with his father and refusing to join in on the feast.  He is angry that despite his efforts to be a "good" son who obeys and succeeds in life morally, his sinful younger brother is the one having a party thrown in his honor.  

The End.  That's it.  The story just stops right there.

I never gave much thought to it until now.  And the most important piece of this story puzzle is who Jesus is sharing this story with.  He's sharing it with the Pharisees AND the tax collectors & sinners.  

I'll write more later.