It will come as no surprise that I loved Rob Bell's new book, "Love Wins." I've spent a lot of energy thinking, discussing, and writing about what I am learning through this book, but I wanted to share beyond any specific story, phrase, or idea written about in the book, why this book moved me so much.
Before we go any further, let me tell you what I believe Rob Bell isn't saying, in "Love Wins" ....
He is not a universalist- He says he fully believes in our free will and that that is the essence of love, therefore, to swoop people into heaven no matter what, even if they don't want to be there, would be against the nature of love.
He is not a heretic- Yes, he is asking provocative questions, but by no means is here tearing down any doctrine or idea that changes the entire meaning of Christianity. He is simply opening up dialogue, and asking questions that people have been asking since Christ's death and resurrection.
He is not claiming absolute truth in anything he has said- He is throwing ideas out there, provoking thought, in hopes of a conversation, to discover for ourselves, what Jesus brings in our own lives. He gives no answers, he leaves everything open ended. They're just ideas.
Now that we've covered that, here is what I believe Rob Bell is saying...
God can handle any question or idea thrown out there- God is not threatened by anything that we could ask Him. God is big enough and wide enough, to take on any one of our questions, doubts, or thoughts. It does not scare Him. So why not ask?
Eternity is now- We don't have to wait to live in the fullness and wholeness until "the age to come" is here. We can live in His peace, joy, and abundance in the present, and that has deep significance. What we do now matters immensely. How we view Jesus and God, shapes us. We can live in the beauty of eternity, today, or choose to live life selfishly, but what we are doing and believing now matters, because eternity is now. There is urgency to know the fullness that Jesus offers now, because it saves us from the torment and anguish that will be felt in "the age to come" if Jesus' love is rejected now. It's not punishment either, it's respect. Our choices are honored by an all-loving God and if we want nothing to do with Him now, he will respect that decision in the future. Believing in Christ's joy and peace now, saves us from the reality of our choices made apart from God. Rob Bell would say that Jesus matters NOW.
He loves Jesus and believes He IS the way, the truth, and the life, he just says that are many ways that Jesus can be experienced. He would say Jesus is exclusively the only way to God, but is inclusive in the way He reveals Himself to people. We can't limit or put parameters and how He chooses to show Himself.
God's love is bigger than we know- Whether we believe in a literal hell or not, whether we believe another opportunity will be given after our death upon feeling God's absence, whether we believe that heaven will be this earth fully redeemed, there's room for our thoughts, because God won't be contained and neither will His love. It is more, greater, stronger, deeper, and wider than we could ever begin to know, and it's ours to experience if we want it.... and not matter where you are in life, what you think about yourself or others, love is always the answer, love always wins.
With all of that being said, here is why this book was so moving to me....
Beyond the words, ideas, and controversy, there is an authenticity, there is a seeker, there is someone who isn't afraid to ask really hard questions with humility and grace. Secretly, but not so secretly now that I'm writing it, that's the kind of person I want to be. Rob Bell's fearless faith inspires me to think more deeply, search more widely, and not be afraid to challenge...and do it ways that are respectful and kind. "Love Wins" compelled me ask tough questions, expand my sometimes simple mind, and embrace that there is so much more than we can even begin to imagine, and that is part of the beauty of this journey of faith.
No matter where you fall on any of the ideas and thoughts that Rob Bell brought up, that's fine. The point is to think, ask, and never stop learning. If on the journey, you feel like you gain pieces of truth, pieces of the this puzzle we are trying to put together, and pieces of yourself, then that's more than any author could have asked for, and that's what this book did for me. It gave me articulation, perspective, and inspiration.
God is moving, He is restoring and redeeming, He is putting us and this world back together one step at a time, so we can be whole again. And the best part is that we can do that with Him. Now. We can care about what He does, and we can experience that joy, peace, and abundance that comes from living a life in belief that what "God has, has always been yours." Nothing we could do would ever make God stop loving us. He just does. His love just is. His love extends beyond what we even know exists. You can't change that. But, you can experience that now, today, in the present, and it will for eternity.
See the good news isn't about a location, it's not about a "ticket" to a destination... "The good news is better than that." When pastors, leaders, or people with strong opinions say infatically and confidently, that if you don't believe in Jesus, you are going to burn in hell, as the selling point or way to get people to know Jesus, it infuriates me. Why? It's because the "good news" should never be rooted in fear or anxiety, which I believe that route produces. The "good news" is an invitation to live! It's an invitation to discover the things that our soul was created for, an invitation to believe that we are redeemed or restored, and an invitation to receive the only kind of love that will never let us down and will always sustain, the kind of love the rewrites our story. THAT is "good news." THAT compels you to share. Who wants to share about a God they are unsure of? We can be sure that Jesus is the way to a God who waits to embrace, who seeks us relentlessly, who offers us everything He has, and who loves us more deeply than the expanse of the universe.
So, what did I take from the book? I discovered a wider and deeper understanding of my love for Christ. I gained perspective that will help me articulate why I believe what I do, and I was inspired to to keep challenging, keep asking, and keep seeking. Does what he threw out there resonate with me? Yes. And it's liberating.
If you are going to read this book, please be open. You will be forever changed in the most beautiful ways if you are willing to embrace what is actually said. If you can't be open, you will not take away anything meaningful from Rob Bell's words. To quote Rob Bell, "And I also believe it's best to only discuss books you've actually read." Don't talk about it, rip it apart, or discuss it deeply, if you haven't read it. I think the material is too good to be misrepresented.
Here is a beautiful quote from the end of the book, that I love...
Keep searching, keep talking, keep wondering.
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