What we talk about when we talk about "What We Talk About When We Talk About God"

I saw my first Nooma video by Rob Bell when I was 16 at a church camp, and since then, I feel like I have sort of grown up with him. Through college, and as a young pastor, he's been a very influential character in the shaping of my ministry, of my priorities, and of how I see God. Even before publishing his latest work: What We Talk About When We Talk About God.

Read my review for WWTAG

Just last week, while touring to promote WWTAG, Rob was interviewed by a reporter in San Francisco about his thoughts about gay marriage. The response of this ever-controversial spiritual leader was unapologetically for!

There are a lot of people saying a lot of things about all of this, so I'm not publishing this to be unique, but because of how personal my journey with Rob has been, and because even though I disagree with the man at times, I think what he has said, and all the controversy around him, and around this bigger incendiary debate: Christians vs. LGBT has been really good for me. And really good for the church.

Bell gained a lot of critics and lost a lot of followers with his last book, Love Wins, which questioned the existence of Hell. Then pretty much answered that question with the word "nope." Just more subtly. As a result, at least seven books were published in response to Love Wins. This requires Belline emphasis.

Seven.

Books.

(That I'm aware of.)

I hate to think that a lot of Christians will start WWTAG out jaded, or never read this at all because of how they felt about his last book, Love Wins. In the end, Rob's book are important chances for us to challenge our beliefs, to be critical of ourselves and our interaction with our church or our world, to know who we are and not feel obligated to explain him.

And that last thing, it's the most essential part. It's something that I had to wrestle my way to through my own dissent about Love Wins. I don't have to explain Rob.

You don't have to explain me or apologize to anyone because I say something stupid or offensive or wrong. Not even if I write it down. Not if I say it on record in an interview. But we get really upset about this stuff, right? We feel obligated to explain it all, right? I mean if not, why did everyone tar and feather Rob for writing Love Wins?

It was sad to see that happen. I watched and ached and sympathized for this guy I disagreed with as people spewed resentment and voiced displeasure against this man because they disagreed with him. I think Rob was really hurt by that. I think he should be. I think it comes out in some uncharacteristically cautious statements in WWTAG, but I'm really grateful that he went through it because in its own weird way, it was a really good thing. From it I learned this lesson: I'm in control of me. Rob is in control of Rob. You're in control of you. And that's it. 

Earlier I said Rob has influenced my priorities, not that he determined them.

For a nation without slavery, we really like exerting control over each other. And control is really the issue here. It's what gets us upset and at each other's throats. And it's how we find ourselves in this boxing match between the church and the LGBT community, which in its own weird way, may be a really good thing.

As you'll see in my next blog.