If you’ve read this blog much, you know I have quite the affinity for the writing of Donald Miller and the message it’s sharing (thus the rEdONculous little drawring to the right). I’ve spoken a great deal about living a better life story (my version: Do It Already, Kara)–something the Don does a fantastic job of describing in his book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.

Part of living a better story, is sharing your life with a community. It makes for a better life experience, and according to another fave of mine, Mr. Dan Buettner (The Blue Zones), faith combined with community can actually help us live longer, happier lives. Oh, Tribe, we’re better together than on our own. Live together; die alone. You get the point.

Anywho, the Don, wrote a few books prior to A Million Miles, one of them being his memoir on faith, Blue Like Jazz. This book–a New York Times bestseller–has been a game changer in the way Christians feel they are represented. Thanks to Miller, Christians are no longer singularly represented as puffed up, antiquated idealists who can’t see they’re stuck in a bubble, pointing a finger, judging the rest of the world. In short: no wonder Anne Rice wanted to back out of the whole Christianity thing.

For the past two years, the Don’s been working on a screenplay and raising money for Blue Like Jazz, the movie. But Hollywood wasn’t quite sure what to do with a script that had its characters placing a giant condom on a steeple (extreme settings make for memorable scenes–who’s paying attention, Don?), and the church, well, the church certainly didn’t want to touch it with a ten foot pole.

The last bit wasn’t meant to be phallic in any way. Sheesh.

Last month, the Don took to his blog to admit the dream of the film had come to a close. The funding had come up short. Christians would have to miss out on seeing a real representation of faith and humanity and struggle and redemption. It. Was. Finished.

Until two swell fellas from down the road in Franklin, Tennessee decided to do something about it. Together and with the blessing of the Don and director Steve Taylor, these two 24-year-olds began a Kickstarter campaign to SAVE Blue Like Jazz the Movie.

The idea was that fans of the Don and the book could contribute as much or as little ($1) to the effort to save the film. The Don and crew were hoping for $125,000 to complete the minimum funding to get the production ball rolling. However, fans had something much more in store for this story. As of this moment, 3997 peeps (like me!) have donated $310,665 to the cause.

We helped do this. We helped make this movie. And the story of today’s Christian will be told thanks to a community of people coming together to share a story. Well, that, and the Don wrote a killer book that resonated and defined a whole generation of Christians, or something.

If you’re a fan of the Don or of Blue Like Jazz, please consider helping to fund the film. Be a part of the story that is making film history. Send Hollywood–and the world–the message that they’ve got us all wrong. Please help SAVE Blue Like Jazz.