Unwarranted Controversy?

I received my copy of Rob Bell's newest book titled Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell And The Fate Of Every Person Who Ever Lived on Wednesday, March 23 and finished reading it on the evening of Friday, March 25. I have to say it's an extremely compelling book challenging the long-held traditional view of heaven and hell by western, and more so American, Christianity. The last 235 years of this country has seen some incredible warping of the gospel message, effectively reducing the gospel down to "Jesus rescues us from a God who's eager to exact punishment on fallen man."

There are a few different points discussed and I think they're all excellently argued, supported by Scripture, that makeup Love Wins. He also notes in the preface that the thoughts conveyed in his book aren't necessarily original, that they are theological interpretations that have existed since the apostles and the early church fathers, therefore he argues that they are true orthodox interpretations of scripture.

+ First, he argues that heaven isn't somewhere else in the deep recesses of outer space like so many believe. Rather, heaven is here. He echoes N.T. Wright and theologians before him when he argues that heaven essentially occupies another reality from our own at the present, and it's right here. This is why Christ taught us the Lords prayer which contains the line "thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven." There are implications behind this prayer that are far greater than American's are typically taught to understand.

+ Second, he argues that because Heaven's reality is here and that essentially Heaven and Earth are on a collision course with each other as the New Creation continues to emerge, that instead of sitting on our hands and awaiting for signs and wonders to occur, we have an active role to play in the present. He's saying the future is now. What Christ started at his resurrection is continuing on through today. What he started is the redemption, the restoration of the whole of creation, the entire cosmos. Not just human beings, not just a select few, but of everything from the sub-atomic to the cosmic scale. Much like my exhortations in blogs past, Bell contends that our roles in bringing forth the New Creation look like seeking to liberate and bring justice to the oppressed, feeding the hungry, and being generally loving, compassionate and generous.

+ Thirdly, and most controversially, he argues that God's love trumps all of our preconceived notions of what hell is and the doctrines that have been built around those notions. In a provocative video released prior to the book entering the market (and coincidentally in one of the opening chapters of the book) he tells a story about an art show they held at his church recently. He goes on to describe that one of the most compelling pieces of art work was a painting of Mahatma Gandhi. At some point during the art show, someone decided that it was their responsibility to inform people about Gandhi's present whereabouts by tacking to the painting a note that said:

Reality check: he's in hell.

In both the video and the book, Bell immediately challenges that thought. "Really, he is? We're sure about this." That in and of itself is an argument that's desperately lacking in American Christianity. The argument that we don't know who is, and who isn't in hell. We can debate until we're blue in the face but when we die I can guarantee that we're going to be surprised by some of the individuals that we're surrounded with.

So he continues down this line of thinking, utilizing parables such as the story from Luke 16 about the rich man and Lazarus.

The two main arguments he has in his challenge against the traditional concept of hell is that;

+ Hell, just like Heaven, can be all around us depending on whether or not we choose to support actions that align with the life of Christ. At the same time, those in the receiving end of those same actions are subjected to the same hell (e.g. victims of human trafficking, rape, financial schemes, etc.).

+ Those that pass away and end up in hell remain there because they continue to refuse God's invitation of love. In the instance of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man was a man who perpetuated the status quo in his life, maintaining a social hierarchy where he believed Lazarus unequal and beneath him. As a result, he continuously ignored Lazarus' pleas for help. In death, Lazarus arrives at Abraham's side and the rich man is in hell, he begs Abraham to have Lazarus give him a drink of water and then to warn his family of what awaits them. Abraham denies both requests. Bell then notes that the great chasm described in the parable between where the rich man is and where Lazarus is, is the rich mans heart. That he refuses to repent (change his way of thinking) and even in death he views Lazarus as beneath him and desires for Lazarus to serve him.

So, those that die and end up in hell remain there out of their choosing. Bell states that "God gives is a generous God and we can have all the hell we want".

So Bell's presenting a very orthodox and historic view of life after death (or as Wright puts it: life, after life, after death). I find it extraordinarily compelling and exciting. The conversation has literally existed for thousands of years since the birth of the church and will continue on into the future until Christ returns and the dead are resurrected. The overall message is, that unlike the futuristic, dispensationalist interpretation of the resurrection, heaven and the future of creation; we have an active role to play in bringing God's Kingdom here to Earth as it already is in Heaven, and it's done through the multitude of ways that we implement God's love.

Finally, I've had a few discussions with various people that felt some measure of confusion surrounding Bell's latest book (though I maintain the confusion isn't actually from him or the book, but from the critics who's mission is to muddy messages such as this).

I downloaded Mars Hill's latest podcast from March 27th, and listened as before the message itself was underway, Rob "introduced" himself with the following:

Opening to March 27th Mars Hill podcast (transcript)



Rob: My name is Rob and I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and I am a Christian. And I believe in Jesus and I believe Jesus is the way, and I believe in heaven and I believe in hell and I believe the Bible’s God’s Word, and I’m not a universalist because I believe that God’s love is so great God lets you decide. I believe in the communion of the saints, I believe the church of the fullness, I believe in the New Heaven and the New Earth. I believe in healing, I believe in miracles, I believe in salvation, I believe in the power of prayer that God is alive and working. I believe there has been a resurrection and there is a whole new creation bursting forth right here in the midst of this one, and I also believe it’s best to discuss books you’ve actually read.



(massive applause).

Rob: I can keep going, did you stop me?

Unknown man: Do you believe the Lions will win eight games next year?

Rob: I said... I’m a Christian, not a dreamer.

So I think that ends any confusion, and stifles any possible accusations of universalism and further criticisms of his book (at least until the critic in question has actually read it, I hope).

So having read this review, may you be compelled to take an active role in the new creation being brought forth right now. May you see that there is beauty in the world that is to be celebrated. May you see that your voice can be a voice for love, liberation, justice, compassion and generosity that reshapes this entire reality. And, as Bell concludes in his book, may you see that Love Wins.

In tune?

I recall a particular NOOMA film where Rob Bell says that when he thinks of God, he hears a song, a song that moves him, a song that has a melody and a rhythm. That people have heard this song across thousands of years, across continents, cultures and time periods. People have heard the song and they found it captivating and wanted to hear more. He continues by saying that Christ came to show us how to live in tune with that song.

Are you in tune? Are you flat, sharp, altogether out of tune or are your keys exactly synced up with the living God?

I've met many different people in my, as yet very short life. People from all different cultures, back grounds, world views, religious persuasions and creeds. I find it so interesting that on some occasions there seems to be more non-Christians living in tune than there are Christians. There are people out there who are campaigning for justice, digging a water well in Peru, delivering food and shelter to victims of natural disasters and I'm convinced that whether or not they know Jesus yet, they're living in tune with God. They have connected with the very essence of being a Jesus follower.

Any yet conversely, there are so many of us who claim Jesus as our rabbi, and yet we're a little bit flat on some strings. Instead of being eager to find some way to bring love to someone who needs it, to bring justice and compassion to the least of these, we're content to badger those around us on doctrinal points and whether or not they're adhering the type of Christianity we think is best.

I love theological discussion, I enjoy it in a very holistic manner. But if our mandate, our commission as Jesus followers is overshadowed by our desire to show other Christians how their beliefs are wrong, then we have completely lost the plot. We have become wholly out of tune with the song.

May we remember to check, and re-check ourselves to make sure that we're not off key, may we remember what our priorities are in this world that we're not here to win souls like notches on a belt, we're here to love, and may we live, as Jesus lived, in tune with the song.

Ethnocentric E-merica

–noun

 

Sociology . the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture. 

 

If you've been following my blogs thus far, you may have noticed a running theme in my writing. If you haven't seen it yet, then no doubt you'll get it by the end of this post. The definition above explains my title, ethnocentric. Does it sound familiar?

The first time it ever occurred to me that western culture is such a way when I was reading the book Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright. In a chapter where he was explaining the ridiculousness of the "rapture" concept (although it much more eloquent, British language) he said that essentially our brothers and sisters across the pond "scratch their heads" at the American belief in a rapture.

So do I.

This is a small sampling of a much larger picture, and thus, my title comes into play. Anthropologically speaking, ethnocentrism is an inherent component of the human condition.

My school is better than your school.

Our city is better than your city.

Our state is better than your state.

Our country is better than your country.

Our interpretation of the bible is better than your interpretation of the bible?

Yup. 

 

That is something I've been noticing more and more in American Christianity. The idea that we have a superior understanding to all of our brothers and sisters worldwide of the words that came from Christ, the apostles and the church fathers after them. This is evident in the fact that there are over 700 denominations of Christianity in America. Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Pentacostals... you name it.

It's also reflected in modern-day evangelizing. It's almost like a competition at some level, that we have to beat our doctrinal opponents to the mission field so that our interpretation of the gospel is what gets adopted by non-Christians.

How sad is that?

My understanding of Christianity is that at it's core, Christ was turning the status quo on it's head. He was, in every possible way, reversing the natural order of things. At the heart of Christ's ministry, and the early church was a worldview, a way of life that was totally completely inverted from human instincts and tendencies. By the very nature of being Christ-like, we should be abandoning our habitual ethnocentrism in the interest of spreading the good news. Not our version of it, not our type of religion. We should be sharing the same good news that has been shared historically since the birth of the Christian movement of the first century.

I think the last 235 years of American history have sadly been one of the greatest disservices to the Christian faith. Not because of the "non-Christians" but because of the Christians.

The true message of the gospel is that Christ inaugurated something on a cosmic scale. He didn't just come to redeem humanity. He came to redeem creation. All of it. From an atomic scale to a galactic scale, his interest was everything. Notice I say "inaugurated", his resurrection was the kick-off, now the game is underway and we're all players in it. Being a Jesus follower doesn't mean just saying the "sinners prayer" and then sitting on our thumbs and waiting to be whisked away somewhere else.

No, from the moment we choose to accept the invitation of God's love through Christ then we're also accepting a mission to partner with God in bringing forth the restoration of creation. We're charged with working alongside Christ in seeing that God's Kingdom come and will be done, on Earth as it already is in Heaven.

What does that look like? When we see the tragedy in Japan where thousands have died, many more are displaced from their homes and their way of life, something inside of us should compel us to get our boots on the ground and bring aid.

When we learn that women and children worldwide are being exploited worldwide in human trafficking, we should be chomping at the bit to bring love, justice and liberation to those that have been oppressed and abused.

When we meet someone who has a story of abuse and betrayal, we should sit with them and hear their story (whether they actually speak it or not) and then be willing to join them on a journey of restoration.

These are Christ in true form. This is Christianity at it's best, it's brightest.

When I think of fundamental Christians waving their picket signs that say "Turn or burn" on them and shouting into bullhorns that "the unsaved will burn in hell for eternity", I want to apologize to everyone within earshot, because that's not who Jesus is.

May we rally together under Christ in a faith that is self-sacrificing. May we no longer look at ourselves and believe that we "get it", that we are superior to the rest. May we shed the deeply rooted bigotry, closed-mindedness and arrogance that our culture is immersed in.

May we return to our roots that began with Christ and the apostles and re-learn what it actually means to be a follower of Jesus.

Saint Augustine of Hippo.

I'm really into history, and by extension, church history. I'm fascinated with many of the Early Church Fathers and the ideas they had and the things they said. I reflect on the words of Saint Augustine of Hippo:  

What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.

Why is this so hard for us to understand? I am convinced that if you were to venture to the near east and speak with any of our brothers or sisters over there that they would have a far tighter grasp on the weight of Augustine's words than those of us in the west and, primarily, America. I'm compelled to exhort Christians in the western hemisphere to consider Augustine's words and step outside of their comfort zones. As Christians, we're called to get our hands dirty by showing love to the least of these in physical, tangible ways.

There's a non-profit organization I've recently discovered with a fascinating story behind it's development (which I'll leave you to research and discover), suffice it to say that it's now a very prominent force in digging water wells around the world for villages in developing nations who need them. In spite of the fact that there are so many indifferent Christians here in the U.S., there are many of us that would love an opportunity to get behind something that helps the least of these (whether it's physically, financially or by some other means) but we don't even know where to start. Every night on the evening news we're bombarded with images and stories of human suffering but we're never informed of solutions that we can be a part of. Well, here's one.

Charity:Water. Their mission is simple: clean water is one of the most basic building blocks for a decent society to function and yet it is completely lacking in most developing nations today. I highly suggest you explore their website, read their mission statement and some of the statistics they have available as well as any of the video clips that they have posted on their site. This organization is compelling in many ways, an avenue for all of us to be a part of something that the Lord has called us to do. So check it out, and may this be the beginning of a new season in the body of Christ where we all unite in a faith that is self-sacrificing, not self-serving, where we look beyond our borders and see that the body of Christ exists outside of our country and may we be led to meet those that need Christ's redemptive, restoring and liberating love.

http://www.charitywater.org

Japan.

I've been pretty overwhelmed by what has been happening across the Pacific. I've listened, read and watched various news stories about the devastation that the tsunami left in it's wake along the east coast of Japan. A co-worker of mine showed me a few interactive maps on the New York Times website that showcase before and after images of the affected zones. This morning, a short news brief on the radio indicated that as of today, March 18, the death toll has risen to 6,911 confirmed killed. Beyond that well over 10,000 people are still unaccounted for.

I've been appalled that I've actually been able to find a lack of compassion in some places for what the Japanese are going through. Sadly, those of us here in the U.S. are very insulated from things like this, the pain and suffering that humanity is subjected to whether by natural means or not. I hope that we can rally together not as Californians or Americans, but as human beings wanting to love other human beings the same way Christ loves human beings.

I learned today of a group of Japanese men who have become known as the "Fukushima Fifty", these man are willingly sacrificing themselves by exposing themselves to lethal (or at least severely crippling) doses of radiation by standing in and attempting to control the nuclear reactors while 700 of their other colleagues can evacuate the hot zone. Some chalk this up to the deeply rooted cultural ideal of honor within Japanese society, but I think it's safe to say that their sacrifice is very Christ-like. And whether or not they're Christ-followers, they are indeed showing us a trait that many of us can only dream of owning: pure sacrifice. I find these men inspiring.

If you're interested in finding a way to lend a hand in the relief process, you can check out Convoy Of Hope, an outstanding relief effort designed to bring food and other supplies to regions afflicted by disasters.

Links:
Convoy Of Hope
Fukushima 50 Article

Grace and peace.

Love Wins.

So, I've been eagerly awaiting for over a week now the delivery of my very own copy of Rob Bell's latest book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. I can't believe the controversy swirling around this latest book, but then again, what do you expect with somebody flying as high on the radar as Bell? He's an individual that intentionally uses provocative language to stimulate deep discussion, because if we don't discuss, challenge or question our faith then it really isn't our own. Bell is easily my all-time favorite apologist, quite possibly the most influential Christian leader in the 21st century. I would wager that an overwhelming majority of his critics are such mainly because they're jealous, there's some bitter angst deep within the recesses of their hearts and mind towards pastors who 'get it' better than they do. Christians who have caught onto something that they haven't, who perhaps has a slightly tighter grasp on what it truly means at the deepest levels of our being to follow Jesus. Naturally, when someone feels painted into a corner they lash out at the one with the brush. Bells rightful insistence that "love wins", God's love for His creation trumps everything, is a stark contrast to the very western, very American "black and white" view of God that ultimately boils down to a negative perception of who He really is.

America, especially those that come from traditions originating (or rather, very influential) in the Bible Belt, seems to wholly misunderstand the vast implications of Christ's resurrection. He died for humanity, yes, but it doesn't end there. His resurrection means that everything; people, trees, mountains, great white sharks, panda bears, dirt clods, snow flakes--everything living or not--is redeemed and restored. Brought out of the broken and fragmented fallen creation that Christ entered into, and led into a wholly new creation that will be finished in it's entirety at Christ's return and the resurrection of the dead.

Bell quite brilliantly employs a theatrical phrase when he says "we've lost the plot". We have. Western culture, and specifically America, has deviated so far off the intended course of things by devoting our entire focus on the wrong things, and sometimes things that the Scriptures never say. An example first of one of those things is the American born and bred theology of Dispensationalism. It didn't arrive on the scene until the mid 19th century, yet it's a theological concept that has worked it's way to the core of a majority of American Christians. I quote Britt Merrick, a pastor from southern California, who I heard say once "our theology shapes our behavior". This couldn't be more true. What we believe to be true about God in the end brings us to what we believe to be true about how we should live out our faith. What kind of person do we believe Jesus to be? Those in the ultra-conservative camps of Christianity who believe the aforementioned "Dispensationalism" would have you believe that Jesus was an angry, sword-wielding zealot that marched around verbally shredding people he disagreed with. As a result, we have a large sect of American Christianity that walks around still toting the "turn or burn gospel". The reality is far less grim and entirely more beautiful: Jesus in his travels encountered endless crowds full of every variety of people you can imagine, and he poured out his love on all of them. His compassion is and was unequaled.

I believe we're called to do the same. I like how Bell put it in a recent interview, about works he said "You’ll do good deeds, not for what you get, but out of the awareness of what you’ve already gained." Now, works won't save us, but that's not the point. The point is that when we grasp the notion that we have a part to play in the drama of the new creation unfolding in the midst of the old one, and it looks like loving orphans and widows, defending the helpless and the oppressed, standing for social justice and in general constantly seeking to show loving acts of compassion and generosity. Christ told us that when we love the least of these, we love him. That's what teachers like Rob Bell, N.T. Wright and others like them are getting at: we need to ditch this deeply engrained notion of the "individual" that we Americans have and realize that to follow Christ is to love humanity and the creation we inhabit and to strive in every way possible to show it.

Again, I'm looking to reading Bell's new book and perhaps submitting my review of it on here. I know many that oppose him have already done so despite the fact that they haven't actually read it. And we all know that carries tremendous weight, right?