So I was finally able to read Rob Bell’s
controversial book Love Wins as well
as Francis Chan’s response to it, Erasing
Hell. (I will be referring to Rob Bell as RB, Love Wins as LW, Francis Chan as FC and Erasing Hell as EH for the duration of the post.)
LW has been the ‘it’ book to argue, I
mean, discuss about for the last few months. The book is actually not
introducing a new perspective on Christianity. RB is persuading to see a
different interpretation that Heaven and Hell are not real places, but are in
the here and now. As well as how can an all-loving, all-powerful God would send
people to torment and punishment forever in Hell simply because we made the
wrong choice in this short life. He also discusses the idea that Jesus is not
the ‘only way’ to heaven.
I wanted to read LW out of sheer
curiosity to see what all the hype was about. My plan was to give it a fair
chance, to not jump to conclusions or get angry at the first statement I didn’t
agree with. I’m not here to knock RB, to be holier-than-thou or be a ‘spiritual
peacock’ and self-righteously spew out all my biblical knowledge on the topic.
I’m here to give my take on it. So without further ado, I found it to be a
tough read for two reasons.
My first reason is that it was really
hard to follow. It’s one question, followed by another question by another,
leading you down this perplexing journey of questions. These questions had a
tendency to go off on strange tangents. Simply because I was confused by his
writing style, I decided to take notes (not in the good way) so i could work
out his thought process fully in the way it deserved.
Asking hard questions are not
necessarily a bad thing, actually asking hard questions is quite important. I
don’t believe you should believe anything blindly. Asking questions helps you
reach a better understanding.
But in my very honest (and bookworm)
opinion is that he was trying to throw dust in your eyes, play devil’s advocate
and manipulate people. I have read enough books in the same nature and genre to
realize this type of writing. He’s playing Christians like a violin to
intentionally stir controversy.
Which got me thinking, if he really is
writing with this in mind, what are his real intentions? Does he really care
about people like he is claiming to do in LW? **
My second reason was that everything
discussed in the book disturbed my soul deeply. It brought up some hard
questions that I needed to come to some conclusion myself. When you’re asking
these types of questions, one book is not enough to form a conclusion. RB is
asking a lot of questions, so you should look further and ask more. I had
to read EH to see both sides of the argument and get a fully rounded
understanding. It was a huge help in directing me to my own conclusions.
So it boils down to one question in the
end.
In erasing Hell, does it really mean
that love wins?
(See what I did there? I’m so clever.
Haha JK)
In LW, it brought something to light.
We don’t like talking about Hell. We don’t like talking about the possibility
of people we know and love being punished because of a choice made in this
life. We don’t like a God that judges us. We’re not big fans of a preacher who
talks about fire and brimstone and condemnation. When I say, I’m including
myself in this. It’s scary.
But just because we don’t like to talk
about some things does not make it okay to ignore them completely.
If Hell is a real place that means that
what we do in this life has real and serious consequences. The reality of Hell
reflects a heavier responsibility on us.
With this knowledge, you and I cannot
simply sit around and argue that I like the term Christ Follower more than
Christian over our Starbucks coffee anymore. The harsh truth that Hell exists
should compel us to act immediately. We need to get out of our own comfort, to
reach out to everyone and share that there is a God who loves them.
RB in the first chapter also brings up
a few good questions about what it is to be Christian though he never gives us
a clear answer. The conclusion I came up with is this. To be ‘Christian’ it is
not just believing and saying the right words with your eyes closed. RB was
right when he said Jesus is bigger than any one religion. It is the daily
decision to choose your fate. It is constant denial of your selfish intention,
to die daily. It is to get to know God more intimately by studying His Word
everyday. It is to love your neighbor (which is EVERYONE). It is to care for the single moms, the elderly, the
least of these. It is to help the helpless, feed the hungry and care for the
poor. It is to baptize and create disciples in every nation.
God’s amazing and overflowing love can
only win if we change how we live and share that Jesus is the only way as is
clearly stated in John 14:6.
“This is not just about doctrine; it’s
about destinies. And if you’re reading this book and wrestling with what the
Bible says about hell, you cannot let this be a mere academic exercise. You
must let Jesus’ very real teaching on hell sober you up. You must let Jesus’
words reconfigure the way you live, the way you talk, and the way you see the
world and the people around you.”
-Francis Chan, Erasing Hell
So in erasing Hell does Love win? Well,
the answer for me is no. Hell is a harsh truth and a real consequence. Jesus is
the only way. I won’t apologize for my complex God. And being a Christian isn’t
all rainbows and unicorns but a daily choice and action.
But don’t take my word for it. Ask the
hard questions and find out for yourself.
---------
Here are some other books I suggest for
you to read as well as Love Wins and Erasing Hell:
Mere
Christianity and The Problem of
Pain by C.S. Lewis… actually, all of his books.
The
God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
The
Dawkins Delusion by Alister McGrath
god
is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens
Notes
from Underground by Fydor Dostoevsky (It’s not totally on the same topic,
but it’s kind of a stream of consciousness writing about thinking too much and
existentialism. One of my all time favorite quotes is from this novel, “To be
acutely conscious is a disease, a real, honest-to-goodness disease.”)
**As a reader, I like to get to know
the author a bit. I think it helps in understanding their writing no matter
what the genre is.
Francis Chan was the founding pastor
for Cornerstone Community Church in CA and stepped down recently in 2010 from
his pastoral role. He has written several books (Crazy Love is on my list of books to read next) as well as speak at
conferences (which I have had the pleasure of seeing him in September 2010).
He “gives away about 90 percent of his
income (though his church administrator preferred the phrase "most of his
income"). Chan doesn't take a salary from his church, and his book
royalties, which total about $500,000, mostly go to organizations like
International Justice Mission, which rescues sex slaves in foreign countries.”
Rob Bell has also stepped down from his
pastoral role at Mars Hill Bible Church pretty recently to pursue other avenues
in publishing and speaking tours. One such project is a new spiritual drama on
ABC. The show will be cowritten with a writer from the hit show LOST. The show ‘Stronger’
will be loosely based off his life. He and his family have relocated to LA for
this new venture.
‘While based on biblical principles,
Bell's brand of spirituality is not about hard-core evangelical,
fire-and-brimstone teachings,’ New York Magazine reports. ‘Instead, his goal is
to service folks' spiritual needs without the overlay of religious dogma.’
"
Sources
Love Wins by Rob Bell.
Erasing Hell by Francis Chan
Article on Franics Chan
Article on Rob Bell
stepping down from Mars Hill
PART 1 of 2
ReplyDeleteHi, I am becoming an old man and new to the whole social networking thing, people posting stupid things that are not worth reading.
But I set up my Google+ to keep some kind of contact with my growing children who have lives of their own.
Then Google+ told me I should look for other people or I would be lonely, well know one wants to be lonely. Not knowing who to look for, because not only am I not it to social networking, I am not very social at all my friends are just my family.
So I started looking up people I know but don’t know me, like Bob Bell the guy that wrote the book “Love wins” his church is just a few miles from my house and my kids have gone there to hear him speak. In fact my daughter just gave him a hug good bye this week because he is moving away from the area.
With all that said, it brings me to this post by Kristen Solis, talking about the controversial book “Love Wins” by RB
First let me say, I found KS’s post very good and worth reading as well as some of her other post. And her links to Francis Chan who I also liked his videos on youtube.
I have been a Christian my whole life saved at the age of 8 making me a 43 year old in God years. As a young man I believed I knew all things and was not afraid to stand for Christ. I had a big Praise the Lord brass belt buckle and told people they would burn in Hell if they didn’t turn to Christ. But now that I am older I realize that even with all my knowledge, I don’t know much.
This is way I like RB’s book Love Wins (that’s Rob Bell’s book, not Arbys book) just in case I lose you there.
Yes, it is controversial, and it may not even be right. But it’s a different way to look at what we believe. It makes you say “WHAT?” and dig into the word to see what it says.
As Kristen said it disturbed her soul deeply, most people know that feeling when something you know so deeply to be true is said to be untrue. It makes you sick and your blood boil, those are fighting words.
But it is the same feeling that people that believe in Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Baha’I, Jainism, Shinto, Cao Dai, Zoroastrianism, Tenrikyo, Neo-Paganism, Unitarian, Rastafarianism, Scientology, African Traditional, Chinese Traditional and so on and so on………. Sorry I can’t list all of you but there are over 5000 to list. Each one believe as strong as we do that they are right and if you tell them they are wrong it will disturbed their soul deeply.
PART 2 of 2
ReplyDeleteIn Rob’s book he is asking a lot of question and your right he does not give any clear answers, I hoped he would because I wanted to know. But maybe like the rest of us, he does not know the answer yet himself. But at lest he is asking questions that should have been asked all along instead of people just following what is told to them by another.
Most of us believe what we do because of where we live, where you where born and who you came in contact with. So is salvation a game of chance or a luck of the drew?
This is what I think Rob is asking, How can there be one God and 5000 ways to get to HIM we all can’t be right. Now if you are sitting there reading this and you are saying “well I know about you, but I am right!!” Your probably wrong.
As for where Heaven and Hell are, here on Earth or somewhere far away. I know That God knows and will uses them wisely. I also know that just being without God sitting in a room with clean water and a soft bed would be Hell knowing I would never be with him again.
Today, I was watching the news, and a very sad story came on, after it was over a friend of mine said “see there has to be a Hell so God can burn them forever” Just be cause we feel it would be right does not mean God things it is right.
Francis Chan said at the end of the video I watched that “we have to be careful we can’t afford to wrong on this issue” Oh how right he is, what if we are the wrong ones what if the church is the anti-christ. Can we afford to make that mistake?
One God means there can only be one truth for the entire world and Love is a big part of that truth. Jesus said to love others as ourselves. This means that agree or disagree with them you still give them the respect that you would want them to give you.
I feel that Kristen and Francis did show this love and respect even thou they did not fully agree with Rob.
If you read what Jesus teaches you will find that HE dose not put a lot hell in his teachings but HE dose put a lot of love. The big thing HE put out there for us is to “STOP SINNIG” the church peaches forgiveness. But that is Not there until you stop sinning.
That statement always stirs controversy.
Now, I leave you with the secret of life, (well as I see it)
“The line goes the other way”
I know “What?”
Most of us spend our whole lives trying to make it in the world, we clime our way to the top, stepping on others as we go. If we could just make it we would be able to help others and people would look up to us. Oh to be someone.
But Jesus said “the first will be last and that the last will be first”
Could we be working our way to the end of the line? Is the homeless man with his hand out the front of the line? Remember no matter who you are or what you do with your life you are know better then the lowest of lows and you will hold your place up front. But when you put yourself above others you have stepped out of line and you now must, go to the end of the line. This is a hard question because the lowest of lows is not just the homeless man. But the person that raped or killed one of your love ones or even you.
The person who has lied to you or stolen from you, the person that has hurt you.
Would you give your life to save that person? If so then Love would win .