Rob Bell- Love wins

I went to listen to Rob Bell at the Methodist hall on Monday evening, and have to say first off that I've never heard such an effective communicator... One couldn't help but be drawn in by his rather adept way of communicating the truths we cling so tightly to, and done in a way which draws on an array of stories and theological insight, which subsequently refuses to let one box the Christian message into the confines of their own understanding...
And in light of this, one could ask whether this was a good thing? Or was I merely being led astray by a gifted communicator? Well, it's difficult to answer straight of the bat, and as a theologian I feel that it should be an ongoing dynamic process. However, this is not to say that there isn't any credence to what he's saying.. I jotted down a few points which really hold true for me:

• The good news of God is unapologetically great, based on a love we will never know anywhere else... (Something which should be at the for front of our minds this Easter)..




• The story of God's redemptive purpose is better than we first thought...




• The singular uniqueness of Christ goes hand in hand with the vast, wide love and grace of God.... (which goes with my own inclusivist views on God's redemptive activity).

The last point is particularly pertinent, because I've had all sorts of strange tests of orthodoxy from other Christians, based on a wild variety of hang ups. But Bell's reminder that God's choices/judgement are his own, not ours, is a timely reminder that the subject of salvation must be approached with humility. I really do think that there has been too much second guessing of God, and any preacher who condemns people who think differently to them to eternal punishment, is only speaking from their own insecure need for certainty.

However, as much as I wanted to be totally convinced by everything, there were some times where I felt rather short changed, particularly with the lack of robustness of some of his points. And one particular example is the way he started both his book, and the talk he gave before the question and answer session. It revolved around a woman at his church who was abused, and therefore self abused. And as a counsellor, I'm aware of this cycle and have tried to work with it. But what was particularly emotive about this story was how she handed him a note with a number on it, which turned out to be the number of days she had gone without cutting herself. Sometimes it could be up to a year, another a few days, but as touching as it was, I struggled to see the link in terms of Salvation... Was he saying that because there is so much pain in the world, everybody deserves to be redeemed? Or merely that God loves you, whoever you are, or what you struggle with, and there is also hope. Judging by the placement of story, I would guess it was the latter, but I don't remember the doctrine of salvation being about how much we suffer, as sad as it must be. Neither did I hear too much about God's refining work in our lives, although it has to be said that he did a wonderful job of that in 'Drops like Stars'..

Also, in the question and answer session, he payed a lot of attention to the proof texts of universal salvation (1 Tim 4; Colossians 1:20) ..But I would have to say that I don't know enough about the context of these verses to comment. However, what I could say is that there are a number of texts which indicate both an exclusive and inclusive view of salvation, which one needs to hold in tension.

But with all this being said, I still have a great deal of time for Rob Bell, both as a thinker and a communicator... And look forward to hearing him again at Greenbelt.