March 18, 2011

In florida and thinking

This is the view I woke up with today...


This is the thought process that has been going on in my mind (warning - I might have used a few CAPS LOCK words):
Why is everyone so upset about Rob Bell's book?  Why is everyone so upset about Rob Bell?  Why is everyone so quick to argue their point and get their voices heard?  
For all the good that CS Lewis' books have done in the world, there are people who disagree.  For all the good that John Piper's teachings have done, there are people who find fault.  After the hundreds of thousands of people who have learned and grown and encountered the Creator through Rob Bell's works, there are those who still call him a heretic. 
Does he claim to have the final word on theology?  Does he claim to interpret the WORD without error?  Yet all the critics attack and malign with little-to-no apology.  There are too many people right now claiming that they know the God of Grace, the God of Love, the God of Judgement, the God of (insert character trait here)... but Rob Bell does not.  Is it possible that Pastor Bell is right?  Is it possible that he is wrong? (The answer to both is YES!) 
Let's start adding our voices to the cause, showing the world a God who LOVES, who SAVES, and who GIVES of Himself freely to ALL.  And let's stop sinking our claws and judgment into a fellow brother in Christ who is already doing it.  Do you have to agree with everything he says?  (The answer is NO!)  I don't, but I would be foolish to try to oppose his ministry and his message just so that I can argue the finer points of theology with him.  Instead, let us join our voices and make the message that much louder.
Finally, I've been taking pictures each day in front of the mirror to show-case the burns, tans, and six-packs that have been forming during this week in Florida, and those will be uploaded at the end to give you a true appreciation for the hard work I'm doing now.