So Rob Bell has a new book out. It’s caused a firestorm of controversy and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and read it for myself.
And now I have.
But before I give you my overview of Rob Bell’s latest book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person who Ever Lived (available in hardcover, Kindle, audio version), perhaps it would be fair to give you a little perspective as to where I’m coming from.
Continue reading Rob Bell, Love Wins and why I hope he’s right
In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity – HW Longfellow
Last week I asked…
What is really required of “our faith?”
What are the NO COMPROMISE requirements of your faith?
And I received several good responses.
But as I’m reading and thinking and chewing I keep coming back to the question they asked Jesus.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
The wanted the insight, the inside scoop. They wanted a check list of things to follow and do to be sure they spent eternity on streets of gold instead of the fires of Gehenna.
And some days I wish Jesus had said, “You need to do this, this, this and this. And then if you can do all that, do this, this, this and that.”
Because check lists are easy. We can have a goal and a target. And they make things like knowing who’s-in and who’s-out a lot easier.
But instead of a checklist, Jesus responds, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
And so I’m left wondering… What if really is that simple?
This weekend, Twitter and the blogosphere were a flutter over the idea that a Christian pastor might lean towards universalism. GASP!
You can read more here, here, here, here, here and here.
All these folks getting their debate on — over a book that hasn’t even been released yet — and one in which the vast majority of commentators haven’t even read.
Continue reading No compromise (Rob Bell, hell, faith & theology)
Tony Campolo recently spoke at Desert Vineyard in California and shared how the power of love and forgiveness can bring even lifelong enemies together.
I’m sharing the story below, but watching/hearing it on the video (starts around 28 minutes in) brought me to tears. So feel free to watch it instead.
Over the last few days I’ve been watching Fall From Grace, a documentary released in 2005 that tells the story of Pastor Fred Phelps and his church Westboro Baptist.
Whether you recognize the name or not, I’m sure you’ve all seen/heard about their “ministry.”
The Westboro Baptist faithful have been picketing events (including military funerals) across the U.S. for the past 15-20 years with signs that read, “God Hates Fags,” “Thank God for IEDs,” “Thank God for Dead Soldiers,” “Fags Die God Laughs” and more.
Continue reading How do we respond to Fred Phelps?
In 1990, after her party swept the majority of the Burmese elections, Aung San Suu Kyi was expected to become the next democratically elected Prime Minister of Burma.
Instead of a peaceful transition to her leadership, she was denied the results of the election and she’s faced oppression from the ruling regime and spent 15 of the last 21 years under house arrest.
She was released earlier today.
20+ years of oppression and today she walks free.
“The release of political prisoners is the most important thing for all those who truly wish to bring about change in Burma.” – Aung San Suu Kyi (via e-mail from Amnesty International)
During their U2 – 360° Tour, U2 has been dedicating their song, Walk On, in support of Aung San Suu Kyi and those living under oppression everywhere.
With her release, U2 has issued a statement regarding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi today…
I thought they beautifully summed up the ideas behind a Love Insurgency…
“For a life denied the basic freedoms, she has lived so vividly in the minds of her people and supporters and accomplished so much. By putting the people of Burma’s interests above her own, she has lived in stark contrast with her oppressors. Her struggle has become a symbol for all humanity, of what we are capable of – best and worst. Her very grace so infuriating to the bully government whose brutish gorging of the country’s rich resources have left the people of Burma poor and hungry.”
May we all lives that put the interests of others above our own.
May we live lives in stark contrast to our oppressors.
May we all live lives so full of grace and love that we infuriate those who wish to oppress us.
And may we all live lives that prove, beyond a shadow of doubt, that love wins!
