I was first introduced to Rob Bell in Jr. High through the Nooma videos that my church youth group used at various camps and Sunday morning services. Since then I've read Bell's first book, "Velvet Elvis" as well as his most recent short "Drops Like Stars." I also listen to his sermons regularly via the Mars Hill Bible Church on iTunes. In some christian circles I'm already disqualified as following a false prophet.
For those of you still reading:
Because of this video Rob Bell has been accused of being a "universalist." The tweet that sparked the forest fire on twitter was by John Piper. In it, he simply said "Farewell Rob Bell" with a link to a blog post by Justin Taylor entitled: "Rob Bell: Universalist?" You can read his entire post yourself for more context, but Taylor's key point can be wrapped up in this quote:
It seems that this is not just optimism about the fate of those who haven’t heard the Good News, but (as it seems from below) full-blown hell-is-empty-everyone-gets-saved universalism.If you follow Christian tweets or blogs at all I'm sure you've heard the response to these accusations and labels. Now that the waters have begun to settle, the overall equilibrium response seems to be "Ok, what Rob Bell said is definitely a little out there. But let's just wait until the book comes out before we judge." I agree with this response, for the most part.
I've written about asking questions in the past. It seems that many people are scared of questions. The mere act of asking a question shows that you don't know it all. In the above video, you'll notice that Rob Bell makes no statements. He asks questions. And I believe that the content of the video is not what scares people the most and has invoked such strong responses. I think the scary thing to people is that they just might not have all the answers to his questions.
So yeah, I eagerly await the release of Bell's new book so that I can read it and hear exactly what he has to say. I'm not going to hop on the hatred band wagon because Rob Bell said some things that conflict with what some people consider to be doctrine.
But what happens when the book is released and Bell asks more questions that make me uncomfortable? Is it then alright for me to string up the noose, put the firewood around the stake, and nail the cross together?
What if the real problem is that I am simply unwilling to take a brick out of my wall of theology in fear that everything I believe in will come crashing down?
Here's one of the more tactful responses I've seen to the social media flurry:
I have more thoughts floating around in my head about this topic; those will have to wait for another post. I've done posts in the past regarding similar topics, feel free to check them out. Many of them have interesting comments as well.
What are your thoughts?
Colin
P.S. here are some other thought provoking blog posts regarding "Love Wins." Great reads.
- Love Wins - Do You Have Itching Ears? by Chad Estes
- Heaven, Hell, and Rob Bell by Rachel Held Evans
- Why Aren't Fundamentalists Telepathic Comedians? by John Shore (not directly applicable, but along the same lines, and hilarious.)
Great observation, Colin, and a brilliant point that people are already fearful of Bell's questions and it has more to do with their own theology than it does about his.
ReplyDeleteGreat questions!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that people are jumping to conclusions without having the full evidence. It'll be interesting to see what is actually in the book when it comes out.
Small point - the article linked isn't by John Piper but by Justin Taylor.
@Birgit
ReplyDeleteThanks for the catch! I edited the post to correctly reflect who wrote the "Rob Bell: Universalist?" post.
@Chad
Thanks for your comment. I'm not sure Rob Bell is ever going to escape controversy regarding anything he writes or produces. Like I saw somebody tweet, he must have taken some classes in marketing. :)
Colin,
ReplyDeleteI to refuse to jump on the hatred band wagon of Rob Bell. but the fact that this wagon exists caused me to ask some questions. And after talking with some people that I greatly respect I have come to the following conclusion: It isn't so much as to what Rob Bell says, but it's what he doesn't say. meaning Rob Bell teaches us some valuable lessons but what I rarely here him talk about is Sin. And to me and my doctrine, sin is central. it is the driving force as to me needing Jesus Christ. so for now I will continue to listen to Rob Bell, but I will take everything he says with a grain of salt.