I was suppose to get an advanced copy of the book, but I think it got lost. I finally got around to reading it. You can find plenty of highlights on the interwebs but here’s my quick take.
If you’re looking for things to critique and hate, you’ll find it.
If you’re looking for affirmation of the infinite love of God, you’ll find it.
I’m no academic but from what I can tell Rob Bell hasn’t written anything outlandish and new. What’s new is the book is a great compilation of timely questions and biblically-rooted reflections for today’s culture.
There were some inconsistencies and big gaping holes… but I’ve yet to come across any one unifying ‘theological’ theory of everything that’s even close to being airtight.
What many people don’t understand is that Rob Bell is a poet/artist/provocateur and you can’t read him as you would a scholar or apologist.
There are convictions and even foundations worth fighting for. But with the current state of our world, I am for the entire spectrum of those who hope to bring good to humanity.
If you’re a left-wing liberal tree-hugger and that’s your calling and contribution to our good earth, please keep doing so. And if you’re an old school bible thumping bullhorn preacher and that’s how God’s wired you, we need you to keep doing that too, and doing it well.
In the end, I think love does win, but whoever said it wouldn’t get messy?
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There’s a popular passage in the Scriptures that has done more than it’s share of spawning fear, conversion, cults, and even an entire Christian media industry.
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. ~ Jesus in Mathew 24
This passage has bothered me for the past decade of my Christian journey, as it doesn’t actually state who get’s taken, or who get’s left.
And more importantly is being ‘left behind’ the worse option of the two?
The only perspective I’ve ever really heard taught on this is that this is the climatic moment in human history where the Christian’s get to safely evacuate the planet while everyone else rots on earth. The Simpson’s has a great depiction of this in ‘Left below‘
Maybe you can blow plenty of holes in this, but could it be (like it describes Noah in this passage) that it is the good who will remain on earth? Could it be that it is the wicked and those who destroy the earth that are ‘taken’?
I’m probably totally off. Here’s a song by Larry Norman covered by DC Talk “I wish we’d all been ready‘ that proves I’m flat out wrong (I still think it’s a sweet tune though).
What I find even more fascinating is one of the comments on the youtube video, “I am so happy I’ll be left behind if the rapture happens! It’ll be awesome to have this world without Christians for a while.” What do you make of that?
okay really, this post was just for link juice from all the silly christians out there.
Update: NY Times and Christianity Today weigh in on controversy
HarperOne the publisher has moved the release date up to March 15th 2011
Update 2: RSVP at the facebook page as Rob Bell will appear at an interactive, live streamed event on March 14, 2011 in conversation with award-winning Newsweek editor Lisa Miller.
Bonus: Love him or hate him, here’s a huge list of Rob Bell links I compiled a while back (including an audio of the message that inspired his latest book, Love Wins).
Update 3 – Below is Rob Bell explaining Love Wins to his church recently
Update 4 – You can watch or listen to the full 72 minute livestream interview of Rob Bell by Lisa Miller below
Honor those who’ve made you who you are. Eminem is by far a bigger superstar than Dr. Dre is these days and yet Eminem makes this a tribute song to Dr. Dre. He raps about how he’d be nothing without Dre, who risked his career and believed in him when no one else did.
Giving credit where it’s due is rare these days. We all want to be self-made heroes, but the reality is that for many of us there were others who paved the way ahead of us.
Tell stories that are true of your life. This is typical with Eminem – openly declaring his own failure, neglect as a parent, and addictions is trademark with him. Despite admitting to being a physically abusive husband, his transparency earns him grace amid his flaws.
In “I need a doctor’, Eminem shares of how Dr. Dre seems to be struggling, possibly due to the loss of his son. He brings up Dr. Dre becoming indecisive, second guessing himself, having lost his way. It’s easy to sing and talk about ideas and concepts; revealing truth and brokenness is a whole other story.
Draw humanity out of people. The very best line of the entire song is when Eminem screams out “I demand you remember who you are“.
This statement is loaded, and I doubt many of us have ever uttered a phrase like this to another person. Eminem comes from a place of power and yet he cries in desperation for this broken ‘doctor’ to bring him back to life.
I’d like to insist on others being all they can be, but I’m afraid the only way I could say it with integrity is if I were trying as well. I could use a doctor…
One of my favorite scenes from the movie Gattaca – where genetically insufficient Vincent reveals how he defeats his genetically engineered brother Anton.
Minimalist Monday thought: Regarding whatever project, initiative, goal you’re working on – what would it look like if you went all in, and saved nothing for the way back?
