Thursday, March 24, 2011

Love wins?

I am amazed at the number of people who are outraged and angered by the release of Pastor Rob Bell's new book, "Love wins." If you google love wins, or Rob Bell, or even the words heaven and hell, together or apart you will most certantly receive search results regarding Bell's new book. It has caused such controversey that Bell has been featured on news broadcast from local ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates to CNN, all dealing with his new book. And whats so controversially abou this book? The idea that God gets what God wants, that God has allready reconciled all humanity to God's self through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, thats so controversial? I mean scripture does say that God desiereth all mankind to be saved, and that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. So...that's what's so upsetting to the droves of Fundamentalist ego maniacs like Mark Driscol and other less known preachers ministers and lay people who have come out and attacked Bell, mind you many of them have not even read the BOOK!!! I honestly believe that Bell is a religous genius and spiritual catalyst for the post modern church, or perhaps mostly for the modern church which is trying to (by any means necessary) hold on to power in Christedom as it slips into post modernity, as if the idea of Christendom will even exists in a post-modern world. I had a long, and meaningful conversation with my wife last night about this and when I called Bell a catalyst my wife said, "That's exactly what he is!" She went on to explain that a catalyst is something you add to a formula or mixture that expedites a change. The change will happen, it has to because of the chemical make up of the mixture, but the catalyst causes the change whether the mixture is ready to change yet our not. Christianity must change if it is to have any part in post modernity...whether we are ready our not. Authors like Bishop John Shelby Sponge, Brian Mclaren and even Rob Bell have been telling us this for years and I think most of "us", that is Christian ministers (lay and clergy), realize this because the Holy Spirit has been speaking it to us. What Bell has done with this latest book if force at lest the discussion of change and I for one welcome it. The message is clear LOVE WINS and there is nothing anyone can do about.