Bell, Commentary, and the God who can handle our questions

I want to start off by acknowledging that this post is simply my small contribution to a discussion that is already happening. And yes, it too is commentary.

Rob Bell is my favorite author. When I was in high school, my small group read his debut work Velvet Elvis, and I have been captivated ever since. His other works, Sex God and Drops Like Stars have proven to be equally thought provoking, and his book Jesus Wants to Save Christians is one I am eager to finish. I love his fresh thinking and how his books cause me to think about things in a different way. Every time I read something he has written I can't help but think, "Hmm, I've never thought about it that way."

However, in addition to the ideas he presents, he also extends an invitation. An invitation to choose. He openly encourages us to decide for ourselves what we believe about what he has written.

In Velvet Elvis, Bell states that he doesn't want us to just believe what he has said without thinking about it first. He desires his readers to test, probe, and wrestle with what he has written because, "God has spoken, and the rest is just commentary" (Bell 87). I believe in the truth of the Bible. I believe that it is the infallible word of God that is perfect and holy. I also believe that no matter what christian artists you listen to, or what christian novels you read, or what christian speakers you enjoy - all the thoughts, songs, ideas, and sermons we hear is commentary. Whether it is Third Day or Chris Tomlin, Beth Moore or Rob Bell, John Piper or Joyce Meyer it doesn't matter. All the songs, books, and sermons we encounter are all a response to their experience with the scriptures. It's all commentary, and what makes all these outlets unique from the Bible is that we can pick and choose what we believe from what they present to us. God's Word is all or nothing. Novels, songs, and sermons aren't.

We don't have to like or even agree with every sermon we hear or every verse of every song we listen to. We can choose. We can agree with some parts of a book and not others because it is not the Word of God. It is ok to be selective.

It's no secret that Bell's new book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Everyone Who Ever Lived, has caused quite a stir. It has sparked a controversial discussion in the christian and non-christian communities about the fundamental belief many individuals have regarding Heaven and Hell. I always knew I would read this book, but I wanted to do some research first. I have come across countless interviews, blogs, and videos that have provided both praise and criticism for both the book and Bell, but one in particular stuck out. It was a youtube video by someone who appeared to be in his 2os. In his video he makes the claim that, "When we question God, we get into a lot of trouble." I could not disagree more.

I believe that at the core of sincere questioning is humility and courage. We all know what it can be like to have a question but be too timid or prideful to ask it, right? I know I have. So, just the simple act of questioning shows a great deal of meekness, and I think that God appreciates that. I think that God would rather have his children ask questions and know what they believe and why they believe it instead of having followers who are content to believe whatever they hear without taking the time to consider why.

What is wrong with knowing what you believe?

This discussion about Heaven and Hell that is brought up in Love Wins - why is everyone so scared to take part in it?

And this discussion that is so vibrant and humble and earnest - why is everyone turning it into an argument?

God is bigger than our questions. He can handle our discussions. In all honesty, I think they can bring Him a lot of glory. There is no question we can ask or discussion we can hold or issue we can bring up that is too much for Him. There is never anything said to which God responds, "Whoa, now. No comment."

With a humble heart, ask God questions. Wrestle with the commentaries you have encountered in songs, books, and sermons, and feel free to pick and choose what you believe from those. Seek wise, godly counsel for things you can't make sense of on your own. Take part in what is going on around you. Above all, search God's Word for answers.

So, instead of challenging you or trying to convince you to read Love Wins, I simply want to invite you to educate yourself, decide what you believe, and join in the discussion - because God can handle it.

2 Timothy 3:16
"There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another - showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way."

Familiar Song

I love music. I always have.

Everyone has habits when it comes to music, and this is one of mine. I will find a song that I like and then download every single song by that artist that I can get my hands on whether I know it or not. I put everything on my iPod, but for a while I only listen to the one song that I already knew. I don't know why, but that is just how I do things. Sometimes, though, I will put my iPod on shuffle and just let it go. That is how I came across "Familiar Song" by Isa.

My love affair with Isa's music began with the raw recording of her song "Rend the Heavens." One listen to that song and I bought the entire album without ever having heard any of her other music. I have listened to a few other tracks from that record, but I never listened to "Familiar Song" until tonight. I was in my car on the way back from a sorority event and this song caught me completely off guard. The lyrics describe my heart's condition right now so perfectly that I cannot seem to hear them enough. All the feelings I could not seem to put into words, this song details beautifully.

Below are the lyrics to "Familiar Song" by Isa. It is a short little song at only a bit over two minutes, but well worth the listen.

"In the night as I lie awake and tears flow down my face, I think of you - I dream of you. Of how I long - how I long to see your face. I seek you, Lord. I have need of you. Nothing to give - what else can I do? I so thirst, thirst for you. My heart yearns for you, my love. My love."

I cannot find a link to this song anywhere on the internet. My only advice is to go to iTunes RIGHT NOW and buy it. You won't regret it.

"God, you are my God. I search for you. I thirst for you like someone in a dry, empty land where there is no water" -Psalm 63:1

Voluntary Brokenness

I have felt detached for so long, and it is all rising to the surface now with the force and fury of a tidal wave.

I am, unfortunately, the type of person who does not deal with emotions very well. I have difficulty processing them. I have not always been like this. In fact, I used to be a rather emotional person. I cried, I felt happiness, I felt sadness - I felt, period. My college years have been wracked with what seems to be a bombardment of trials and hurt, and it was emotionally draining. As a result, I developed the ability to disregard all emotions as a defense mechanism because it is easier to simply push emotions to the side and ignore them rather than look them in the eye. I got pretty good at it, too.

Over time, I grew this tough exterior shell around my heart to protect me from my emotions. I initially just wanted protection from things like hurt and disappointment. However, I eventually lost the capacity to feel anything at all. So, while I succeeded in losing my ability to feel negative emotions, I ended up with more than I bargained for because I also lost the ability to feel positive emotions. Things like happiness, anticipation, and love. I became hollow. Like the Tin Man, I was without a heart - minus the squeaky limbs.

So, the question becomes: why would anyone do this to them self? Well, when you deal with things, you have to come face to face with all your junk. That is one of the scariest and most painful things we as humans have to do. Sometimes owning up to things causes us to look back on moments in our life that we are ashamed of so we can forgive ourselves. Sometimes it compels us to re-open wounds we thought were closed years ago in order to truly heal. Other times it forces us to face all the rejection, heartache, betrayal, and loss we have ever encountered so we can acknowledge our pain and move on. Emotions don't go away when they are ignored. In fact, more often than not it only makes them worse.

This is a lesson I have learned the hard way. Now, I am bringing all my emotions to the surface, and it is one of the hardest things I have ever done. I am so tempted to just keep them locked away, but I know I have to deal with all the negative in order to experience the positive.

There is no way I could face all these things alone, but luckily I don't have to. My God is good, and I know He will see me through - I just have to let Him. He has been patiently waiting for me to come to Him for help, and while I am still hesitant and scared, He is confident and capable. All I have to do is rest and relax in His control. Oh, how He loves!

"Therefore, He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf." -Hebrews 7:25