the abbey coffeehouse, indianapolis

i’m sitting at the abbey coffeehouse, just off of pennsylvania avenue in downtown indianapolis.

it’s nice here: there’s a girl playing a guitar and signing like lisa loeb, there’s espresso machine sounds in the background, and there are people sitting around studying or surfing or chatting.

i have started reading a new book that i checked out from the library:

“Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality” (Donald Miller)
it is an interesting book, and not at all your typical book about the christian life.

here’s quote:

I started to sin about the time I turned ten. I believe it was ten, although it could have been earlier, but ten is about the age a boy starts to sin, so I am sure it was in there somewhere. Girls begin to sin when they are twenty–three or something, but they do life much softer by their very nature and so need less of a run at things.

I sinned only in bits at first—small lies, inconsistencies to teachers about homework and that sort of thing. I learned the craft well, never looking my teacher in the eye, always speaking quickly, from the diaphragm, never feeble about the business of deception.
“Where is your homework?” my teacher would ask.
“I lost it.”
“You lost it yesterday. You lost it last week.”
“I am terrible about losing things. I need to learn.” (Always be self–depricating.)
“What am I going to do with you, Donald?”
“I am grateful for your patience.” (Always be grateful.)
“I should call your mother.”
“She’s deaf. Boating accident. Piranha.” (Always be dramatic. Use hand gestures.)

donald miller’s writing style is very informal, and his way of describing what it is he’s been thinking about hits me just right, at least this month it is.

at a time when i am looking at so much in the world with fresh eyes, wondering eyes, eyes that are trying to discern the real from the fake, to read his words with informal questions, discomforts, doubts and just plain uncomfort at this christian faith thing…

well, anyhoo, i’m enjoying it.