Love Wins

Later on this evening in New York, Rob Bell is speaking to launch his new book, 'Love wins: A book about heaven, hell and the fate of every person who ever lived'.

Obviously I have not read the book yet, but I have read reviews and blogs by people who have and quite a few by people who haven't. Being a bit of a Rob Bell fan, and having found two of his previous books challenging and rewarding I am looking forward to this new offering.

What seems of have got so many people hot under the collar is what Rob Bell actually says about hell. The main charge appears to be that in this book Rob Bell has become a universalist - teaching that everyone will go to heaven whatever they believe about Jesus - because fundamentally God is love.

As I say, I haven't read the book - so what am I blogging about it for?

What is of more concern to me at the moment is not so much what Bell says or not - but it is how those who call themselves Christians respond to those they don't agree with.

Jesus said things like, 'love one another...by this everyone will know that you are my disciples' (John 13:34-35), and 'love your enemies' (Matthew 5:44).

USA Today reports that the run up to this book's release has 'provoked weeks of fierce infighting among pastors, theologians and anyone else who scans the Christian blogosphere where critics rage that he's a hipster heretic'. Fierce infighting - strong language.

Rob Bell is no stranger to criticism, and I am sure that there are those among his critics who see this as the final nail in the Rob Bell coffin, hence the Tweet - 'Goodbye Rob Bell'. This is the final proof that Rob Bell is indeed a heretic and that any right minded Christian should have nothing to do with him.

In an address to his church yesterday morning Rob Bell said that his starting point for this book is the belief that God is love.

Whatever we might disagree about, God is love, and God calls us to be loving. If I have learnt anything over the last few years it's lessons about God's grace, about seeing the best in people, about giving people the benefit of the doubt. When I come to read this book (and it won't be right away) I may either agree or disagree with all or parts of Rob Bell's argument - but there is a sense in which that doesn't matter. Whatever his argument I am sure it will be a challenging and thought provoking read.

But Jesus didn't tell us that we will be known as his disciples because we've won the argument - but because of our love for each other. Even if I disagree with the whole book Rob Bell will always be welcome at my house for dinner - if he's ever in the neighbourhood!

Resurrection

Jesus wants to save Christians

Here is another challenging read from Rob Bell and Don Golden - Jesus wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008).

This book traces the story of the Old Testament from Egypt to Sinai to Jerusalem to Babylon - a journey that we read of many times and a journey that Christians continue to make today - although of course not literally.

Egypt is that place of slavery - whether addiction, anger, hate, prejudice, ego, lust, dishonesty... And Salvation is what happens when we cry out in Egypt, the cry that leads to God's intervention, to rescue, to redemption, to grace.

And this takes us to Sinai, the place where we find purpose and identity, the place where we join the God of the oppressed in doing something for our broken world.

And then we come to Jerusalem, which raises questions. What will we do with our blessing? What will we do with all that God has given us? Will we remember Egypt, or will we lose the plot?

And on the times we lose the plot we end up in Babylon, in exile, an exile which sometimes is so subtle that we don't even realise we are there.

An exile which means that in a world where people are still slaves, still go to bed hungry, still commit suicide, still die of AIDS...the church is irrelevant.

This book is a challenge to recognise our exile and to cry out again, to once again join God in doing something for our broken world. It is a challenge to hear the cry of others and allow that cry to change everything, because then we're with God, the God who will say 'Go' - a going that will take a multitude of forms.