Love Wins Review: Part 2

Another great chapter, and one that many people seem to be skipping in their reviews, in favor of getting to the juicer and more controversial stuff! This chapter is called "Here is the New There" and it's a discussion of heaven.

In this chapter, Rob takes some time to discuss what heaven is. What did Jesus think about heaven? What does the Bible say about heaven? I've heard that it's much like N.T. Wright's "Surprised by Hope" (haven't read it); but I'll summarize Rob for you.

Heaven is right now, somewhere else. This is our traditional understanding of heaven - that it is in fact somewhere, right now, out of our field of understanding.

But Heaven is also right here, sometime in the future. Heaven will be on Earth (Revelation talks of Heaven coming down to Earth). So there is at least potential, where we are, for Heaven.

And finally, the least understood aspect of Heaven, is that we are invited to create heaven here and now, in this moment, in this place.

That's a quick summary of the chapter. One common criticism I have read of "Love Wins" is Rob's use of the greek word "Aion." Aion is most commonly translated as "forever." However, Rob wants to drag us back to some of the other meanings of the word - "eternal" It can also refer to "a particular intensity of experience that transcends time." I know just enough greek to be dangerous, so I can only make a small comment. What some of the greek scholars and theologians on the internet seem to be taking Bell to task for (choosing a meaning based on what fits his thoughts best) can be turned around very easily. I don't know what the correct translation of Aion is in these passages - but I don't think that vitriol or belittlement is deserved either way.

No matter how you define Aion, the rest of Rob's points hold pretty well in this chapter. He hasn't (yet) gotten away from much in the way of orthodox belief; he is simply using words and phrases at this point that we are unfamiliar with.

Two more things I want to discuss about this chapter: Rob talks about the "flames of heaven" and how in the light of perfect love and perfect judgement how uncomfortable we'll feel. Imagine being a racist in heaven, and realizing that 'those' people are here too. Rob talks about how these parts of ourselves, the sinful dark areas, will be burned away by the light of God's love. It's still a learning experience, Rob believes, because we are not instantly an entirely different person upon death. "Heaven is a starting over. Learning how to be human all over again..."

Also, Rob touches on superstring theory a bit, which made me smile, because it's one of my favorite concepts and ideas. For more of my thoughts, and a basic idea of superstring theory and what it means, check this post out.

Next chapter is simply "Hell."

Love Wins Review: Part 1

After much reading and much talk, I finally got my copy of "Love Wins: A book about Heaven, Hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived" by Rob Bell.

A quick primer, for those of you who didn't catch wind of anything. Rob Bell is the founding pastor of the church I used to go to in Michigan (Mars Hill Bible Church, which is not related to Mars Hill Church/Mark Driscoll). Rob has written a few other great books (Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants To Save Christians). This one achieved a very controversial status after Rob posted a promotional video for Love Wins, with people accusing Rob of heresy and universalism. You can find the gamut of opinions and responses if you look on the internet, but I thought I would offer my thoughts on the book. I'm going to go through the book chapter by chapter and talk about my responses, the controversies as I understand them, and what I think is important in what I'm reading.

The first chapter (What about the Flat Tire?) is in my opinion the best. It reiterates some of the points from the video - "Gandhi's in Hell? Really? And someone knows that for sure?" And then Rob, in typical Rob fashion, goes to town. He just starts asking questions, sharing biblical stories, and highlighting what different stories say about salvation. For example he gives the following list, with each idea coming from how different biblical stories related someones salvation:

“So is it what we say,

or is it who we are,

or is what we do,

or is it what we say we’re going to do,

or is it who your friends are,

or who you’re married to,

or whether you give birth to children?

Or is what questions you’re asked?

Or is what questions you ask in return?”

And that's really all this chapter offers. Stories and the questions that arise from them. And at the end of the chapter, Rob says that this isn't a book of questions, and it's time to start looking at some answers.

One criticism I've heard of Rob is that he asks questions but doesn't provide answers. Well, the end of this chapter was a huge relief in that regard - no, Love Wins isn't going to just poke holes in salvation, ask questions and provide no answers.

I do think this is the most important chapter in the book. Whether or not you agree with the picture that Rob paints from here on out, you have to recognize that the area that we try to plant the flag of our faith on is not as much as a rock as we want it to. There are confusing and contradictory images of how we are saved, and these are in the Bible. We need to recognize that and think about it.

Next Chapter: Here is the New There

Random Thoughts: Being Known

I think one of the scariest things in my life is being known.

It’s very difficult for me. I score a 3 on the enneagram test, which means that I tend to wear a face when I’m with people. I tend to wear whatever face is going to be most well received. This means that I make a very good salesman or performer.

This also means that it’s very hard for me to let down those masks. It’s hard for me to let people see who I really am and what really matters to me; I think in some ways this is a result of my parents. My experiences growing up taught me that if I communicated what did matter to me, then I would learn that it didn’t matter to the person I was communicating with.

So it scares me when people know me before I want them to. My wife does this all the time. It use to terrify me when we were dating – she would say something flippantly, and it would cut to through every façade and mask I had built.

And I took some of that thought process, how terrifying it can be to be known, and started to apply it to God. God had to risk everything that He had, in a sense, to love us. For an omnipotent being, the only possible loss is that of rejection by another being with will. And for an omniscient being, God must have known it would happen. But God still chose to risk and love us anyway.

For me, that means that I must choose to risk and love anyway. It’s easy enough when it comes to my wife (well, most days anyway). But it’s more difficult when it comes to the people who have hurt me in the past – friends, enemies, family. Perhaps especially family.

So that’s my challenge, to you, for today. Look at your life – who is it most risky to love? Who has the most potential to let you down? How will you love them anyway?

Random Thoughts - 12

First, a disclaimer. These are not my thoughts, but my impressions and ideas from sitting in on one of Jess's grad classes.

On the categories of Faith, Hope, and Love:

Faith is primarily a category of the past; a category of memory. It is remembering the redemptive work that has been done in our past.

Hope is primarily a category of the future and the yin/yang of Faith. It is, in one sense, a memory of the future. Remembering the redemptive work that will be done in our future. (My brain hurts.)

And Love is a category of the present. If God is love, and God has no past nor future, then this makes sense to me. Love is choosing to be in this moment of suffering of heartbreak of loss of joy of peace of LOVE.

Random Thoughts - 5

I recently had an experience unlike any other: My first kiss. It was unique (to me) for obvious reasons; I had never kissed anyone before. It was unique for a few other reasons.

I walked Jan to her car. I care about Jan deeply. I have told Jan I love her, and she has said the same to me. Jan is also not her real name, if you're wondering. Jan and I have a long and complicated relationship. I thought things were going to perhaps stabilize once I moved back to the area, and they did, for a week. We started to casually date, and I was actually playing cards with her parents the night I walked her to her car. As we got to her car, she dropped a bombshell.

"I don't want you as much as you want me. I'm not sure; don't know if I'll ever be sure. I think we should just be friends. I'm sorry. I wish that it was easier. I wish I could be sure. I want to want you more than I do. You're not the boy I dream about."

And I am dumbfounded, blindsided by the uncertainty. As I look into the stars, there is no proper response. So I said "Screw it." and then I kissed her.

So that was my first kiss. The rest of that particular story and relationship remains to be told, but I want to focus on just that story. Because as I have been reflecting and agonizing on this, I keep coming back to the Cross.

Doesn't the story of the Cross seem to parallel this story a bit? I am certainly not comparing myself to Jesus, but I think I learned a bit about the love it must have taken to step out in faith. Let me illustrate it for you.

God and People have a long and complicated relationship. God has told People that he loved them, and People have responded in kind. But for whatever reason, People are never able to fully commit. Sin and Idolatry and Adultery keep coming in between them. God moves to the area in Jesus, and hopes for things to stabilize. But People still don't realize the love of God, and are desperately pushing Jesus away. In one last ditch effort, Jesus dies on the cross for the People who don't want him.

Maybe it's sacrilegious, but I wonder if Jesus saying "Screw it, I'll die anyway," is a stretch.