Unless you've been living in a cave, you no doubt have heard by now some of the turmoil surrounding Rob Bell's new book. Up until this point I have chosen personally to remain distant from the fray. Now however, after having completed reading the book I would like to wade into the discussion with more than a little trepidation.
Before I do that however, I think I should give some background on my views of Rob Bell and my knowledge of him. Rob Bell is one of a select number of podcasts that I listen to weekly. It is safe to say that I have probably listened to several hundred messages by Rob. In addition I have viewed all of his Nooma videos, visited his church, seen him on tour, and read his books. I have met Rob in person on two occasions, but that does not mean we are friends or even acquaintances. What it does mean is that I have tremendous respect for him both as a person, a speaker, a pastor, and a fellow believer.
Here is what “I think I know.” I believe Rob is a passionate follower of Jesus Christ. I believe he truly cares for those who are less fortunate. I believe he honestly desires to deliver the true message of Jesus as he understands it. I believe Rob is one of the most creative persons in ministry today. I believe Rob uses that creativity to reach and speak to individuals who are hurting from any number of the events that life can throw at us.
As I write this, I have no axe to grind. Unlike many who are writing on this topic I do not see myself as the last fortress and defender of true orthodoxy. Many others would say the same but their actions and their words belie them. I wish I could say that I do not have a “dog in this fight.” But that would be untrue. I truly do care about the topics under discussion. These are vital issues, and cannot be simply swept under the rug. The church has wrestled with many of these very subjects for millennia, and I realize we are not going to settle them in the upcoming months on the Internet.
In upcoming posts I would like to share some of my thoughts on these topics in an attempt to add another voice to this important dialogue. I am actually a little fearful to post my insights because I do not see myself on the same plane as most of the others who are writing on these topics, and I have seen the venom that can be unleashed when you ask the questions that you are not supposed to ask. On the other hand, I simply cannot . . . not speak. The issues are too important and the ramifications are enormous. This first posting is simply meant to be an overview on my part.
Love Wins reads like Rob talks. As I read the book, having listened to Rob speak so many times, I can hear his voice coming off the pages. In reading his words it is apparent that Rob feels he has something important to say. I found myself asking the very same question I asked almost every other book I read. That would be, “What is the author's purpose?” What exactly are they hoping to accomplish in this work. I hope to say something on that later.
As I close this first installment I have to say that I have been greatly pained over the past 6 to 8 weeks. It has hurt – physically – to read some of the hateful comments that many Christian leaders have written. Blog writers, Christians commenting on blogs, talk shows, television hosts, and others have thrown around words like “heresy,” as if they were confetti in a ticker tape parade. I had to ask myself what was their purpose? These are harsh accusations to make on anyone, and some of these same writers would have said the same about Bonheoffer, Lewis, Barth, Schaeffer, and others I fear. The MSNBC host being arrogant, accusatory, and trying to make gray issues become black and white did not surprise me. That is who he is; it is how he gets ratings; and that is his and the network’s “shtick” as it were. But reading Christians applaud him for that appalled me!
Where has the common decent way of allowing two people to agree to disagree gone in this “Christian debate?” Just because someone does not agree with me does not make them a heretic! Just because they are throwing out questions for discussion that are uncomfortable does not make them a heretic. There are numerous ideas I had on my heresy list early in my ministry that can no longer be found there. To make matters worse, many are attacking Rob based upon what they have heard others say and not on what he actually said.
If there is anything we should all agree on it is the manner in which Jesus said we should treat another. There can be no doubt that even though we disagree on numerous topics, that the expectation from Jesus is that we would always exhibit love one for the other. It seems to me that that key element has been missing far more than we would like to admit. And I must say that Rob's character as displayed in recent weeks surpasses that of his attackers.
Did not Jesus say something about a “house divided” that may be a tiny bit applicable here? Have we lost the art of being civil? Does this only occur in print where there is no human face? Aren't we actually being cowardly, not to mention unChristlike, when we sit behind a keyboard and attack another person? If we are so hell bent (pardon the pun) on Orthodoxy, would it not be extremely orthodox, not to mention Biblical, to talk to the other person?
More to come . . .
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