I've had Midnight Jesus sitting on my shelf for almost two months now. I've been afraid to read it, because a lot of the books I've been getting for review lately have been disappointing. Jamie Blaine, though, has gone a long way in saving the reputation of Christian publishing. This is a collection of narratives, both autobiographical and otherwise, about the messiness of life and reality of love.
Blaine recounts stories from his years of working with people suffering from mental health issues. He also recounts stories from his own journey to figure life out and the ways in which God intersects with everything. There's no theological agenda, though, and no easy answers. He doesn't really provide any answers at all, other than to just keep moving forward and to pay loving attention to the people around you. It's profoundly mystical and profoundly concrete.
There's pretty much nothing but gospel here - and by that I don't mean words about belief and technicality, but words about life and grace and forgiveness, and faith. I think it's officially listed under "inspirational" which is definitely true, but not in the way you normally expect from so-called "christian" books. It's inspirational in a very real way, freeing the reader to be both realitic and hopeful about the human condition and our own personal life conditions individually.
I found great comfort and peace in these pages and I sincerely hope other people will pick it up. This book will do you a lot of good.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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