Seems Rob Bell's latest book is a little controversial. I am in the process of reading it right now so I will hold off on giving my opinion about it, but the way people have responded to it has gotten me thinking.
Upfront, so that you know where I am coming from, I like the way Rob Bell writes. He asks lots of questions and doesn't feel it necessary to answer all of those questions for us. He looks at things from a different perspective a lot of the time and challenges us to think about it. I appreciate that whether I agree with his opinion or not. He takes what we have always heard and does a pretty good job of turning that upside down.
A couple of reasons I like that style. First, that comes naturally for me. I like to challenge things "just because that is the way we have always done it". Why are we doing it that way? Is there a better way? Have we gotten it wrong? What if I am missing the point and need to change how I see it? Those questions are where I start. Another reason is because when I read scriptures, I see Jesus doing the same thing. He says things like "You have heard it said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matt. 5:43) This is what you have always believed, now turn that upside down. See Jesus often challenged what the "religious" taught. He would challenge them to see the bigger picture or tell them they had it wrong.
That is thing that has me curious by the harsh responses to Bell's new book. Is this how people responded to Martin Luther's radical ideas back in the day? Is this how the Pharisees responded to Jesus' new interpretations of what they had always heard? Now I am not saying that Rob Bell has it right. I don't know. What I am saying is their room for us to be challenged? Could what we have always heard be wrong? Could we grow beyond what we currently know? Do you have it all figured out? If someone disagrees with you, are they going to hell? (Depending on how you see hell apparently.) Accept the questions. Dig into the scriptures and see what you think it has to say. Don't take someone else's word. Don't just fall back to what you have always heard either. Questioning isn't bad. (I sure hope it isn't anyway.) Blindly accepting things just because that is what you are comfortable with or you have always done it that way or grown up knowing, that is when it gets dangerous. I can disagree with someone who challenges my way of thinking and still respect them. I have a harder time respecting someone isn't willing to be challenged.
What do you do with the radical? How do you respond to someone who challenges your way of thinking? Probably says more about your heart than it does about whatever topic you are talking about. Remember, for those of you who are my friends, questions are good. When I ask that second question with 6 sub-parts, I am helping you grow, not being annoying.
2 comments:
Have you read anything by Hans Urs von Balthasar. He dealt with what Bell is trying to deal with, and he did a better job, in my opinion.
I think one of the big issues the current American Christian community has with Bell is that there is SUCH a movement toward Reformed theology (Driscoll, Piper, Sproul, Grudem, etc.). And most of my friends who've gotten really obsessed with Calvinism have forgotten about Christ. They're so into their 5 points that they've forgotten the two greatest commandments: love God, love others. I'm not reformed myself, but I don't think their theology is the big problem, I think it's the...all or nothing...do or die...if-you're-not-a-Calvinist-can-you-even-be-saved-oh-well-it-doesn't-matter-just-means-you're-not-elect mindset. I think I disagree with Bell (though don't want to say for sure till I read the book) but one thing I love about him is that hell BOTHERS him. I've met some, mainly of the reformed set, who are so into their theology and dogma that hell ceases to be a point of sorrow to them. Ug. May it never be.
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