the gods aren’t angry: rob bell

November 14, 2007 in Uncategorized
Tags: Rob Bell

I spent the evening with Rob Bell, at the Wilter Theater in Los Angeles. His current speaking tour was insightful and entertaining, as one would expect from Rob, but I was left wanting. He began by painting a picture of primitive humanities struggle for survival against natural forces that we are helpless to control. People imagined deities governing the rain, their crops, and disasters, and developed religious expressions in order to appease them. However one could never know if their offering was adequate; altars themselves represented the vortex created by trying to please the gods.

These detached deities are sharply contrasted by the God who calls Abraham, and promises to bless him, requiring nothing in return. Even when God appeared to be requiring his only son Isaac, in the end God provided the ram. Rob argued that this story showed that the God of Abraham was different than all the other gods, who did nothing for the people, but only “took” their offerings.

Fast forward to Jesus. In his world, the religious system is being used to control people’s relationship to God. And certain religious leaders are making a killing in the process. Jesus recognizes this abuse of the people, and misuse of the Jewish religious system, and confronts in head-on. He is repaid with execution. It is significant that Jesus did not perpetuate the violence that was being used to enforce the governments of the day. Rather he bore the cross.

Rob told stories of people still trying to appease the gods, despite our more sophisticated, “modern” worldview. The cross, he argued, is the final verdict that God is not angry with us, and that we must live in this reality. He sees continued use of guilt and shame in Christianity today, instead of an invitation into a life of peace with God. The only offerings we need to make to God are good deeds toward our neighbors.

As one friend put it, Rob is great at speaking truth afresh. While I couldn’t disagree with a thing he said, I was left wondering about how Jesus matters to the other people. Yes, there are guilt-riden folk who need to know that God is not out to get them – the Father of our Lord Jesus is not like the gods of antiquity. I wonder what he would say to folks who could not care less about God being angry with them. They do not feel any guilt or shame for their sin. Might it be good for them to experience a dose of conviction?

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the message very much. It was a great corrective for we Christians who slip into performance-based faith. But it always seems like Rob is speaking to people of faith who have been bruised by Christianity of today. He always seems to be speaking from this place of healing them. What of the person who knows nothing of church of Jesus? I honestly wonder if Rob is not universalist at heart: that is, that God is going to save everyone regardless of their faith or life.

I also things its phenomenal that a preacher from Michigan was speaking in a historic theater in downtown L.A., to a nearly sold-out crowd. Phenomenal in the sense that it is just doesn’t happen every day – or ever. What does that mean about us, if anything?

The moral of the story – live in the peace and security of God’s love, and extend your offerings to your neighbor in need.

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