It’s the last day of Chuck Klosterman week, and I think we have all had a lot of fun. But if you didn’t, in about 200 words you will see why I don’t care. It has got to be hard to write books about your life experiences and still keep your friends. It is this dilemma that Chuck decides to bring “Killing Yourself to Live” to a close.

“Lucy: Chuck, please don’t write a book about women you used to be in love with…I just want to go on record as saying that the idea of writing such a book is dubious.
Chuck: But if I don’t write the book, there will be no record of this entire conversation. Your disdain can only be voiced if I do the opposite of what you suggest.
Lucy: Well fine, just don’t complain to me when all those idiot bloggers write things like, ‘Ultimately, the author should have listened to his friend Lucy Chance.’ Because you know that will happen.”
-Killing Yourself to Live (Page 234)

Let me just say Lucy (on the record), that this blogger is glad Chuck wrote this book. And this brings me to my final point during Chuck Klosterman week: you can’t always listen to your friends. This is not to say that you shouldn’t ever listen to your friends, as often they are our best sources of accountability and reason in our lives. However, sometimes, you just got to do what you know you need to do.

There is a lot in Jesus’ life that didn’t make sense. I always laugh at the people who e-mail us at the show and use comments like, “God gave us a brain to think with and to reason with and not to use it would be wrong.” I always think this argument is a mute point. Why? Because this question is in the same category as the “when did you stop beating your wife” question. You can’t really disagree with it, less you are a moron. But if you agree with it, you are basically conceding to anything anyone wants to say that originated from his or her brain.

Yet God himself says that His ways are not always our ways. And while He did give us the ability to reason, and He does expect us to use it well (like all gifts), sometimes reason has to take a backseat to faith. It doesn’t make sense “to turn the other cheek.” It certainly doesn’t make sense to give money to the poor. And forgiveness is about the most retarded thing I could think up. Yet God wants all three of these elements (and others) to be an active part of each of our lives. And while our brain (and Lucy) might sometimes tell us otherwise, we have got to do what we know is the right thing to do, and pray that God uses it to touch the lives of others.

Chuck, while I would encourage you to find the transforming power of God in your life, I can say with the utmost confidence your book definitely touched my life.