explain it

So I'm very excited for this new book coming out, called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell. I've read a couple of his books and really enjoyed them. This new book is causing a lot of controversy (though it hasn't even been released yet.. [read: hasn't been read yet by almost anyone]).. But I've very much enjoyed his books in the past so I look forward to reading his new one. I pre-ordered it today. Yay!

But this is interesting. I realized today how quickly I can get fired up. And really, I didn't get that fired up. Just a little.

But I posted a status on fb about pre-ordering the book and being excited.. and the youth pastor from the church I went to in high school commented (side note: do you ever wish you could filter it so only nice comments are actually allowed? Sometimes I want to live in la-la land where only nice things are said. Anyway.) He commented and said "Let me know what you think of the book. He is thought provoking. I really struggle with his theology though. Enjoy!" and it immediately rubbed me the wrong way.

I know some of HIS theology and I wanted immediately to say "Yeah, well I really struggle with some of YOUR theology. So?"

For example, women in ministry. Not allowed to be pastors. Another example, communion. Only if you're "right" with God. (Let's think about this. Jesus died to make us right with God. I believe it. I have been saved by grace, therefore there is no condemnation. I am right with God. Under grace, there is nothing I can do to change that. Taking communion is a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus was so that we could be right with God. So you're saying, I can't participate in the reminder of something that happened and I believe therefore I am right with God, because somehow, according to some human standard, I am not right with God? Then what was the point of Jesus' death?) Where is the logic there?

Oh, I digress. But man alive, I was stirred up. And it felt good! It feels really amazing to be starting to understand what I believe and not only that, be able to form sentences to explain it and talk about it. Wasn't like that in the past.

And, similarly on the topic of what the book talks about, I was having a conversation with a dear friend and I wondered, why do we want some people to suffer? Why do we [society, collective, not necessarily you or me] want some people to be going to hell? I've read some of the statements some big-name people have said about the book, criticizing the idea of thinking critically about what hell means and who might be going there.

Why do we think it's "justice" or "fair" for some people to suffer? Why do we want there to be a hell that people go to who do "bad" things or aren't right with God?

Don't get me wrong. I'm in no way saying that I don't believe in hell or that people will be going there. I just want to understand the why.

Maybe the book will give me some answers. Maybe I won't find answers til I can chat it up with God in Heaven when I die. Either way, I've learned that taking something at face-value is not all it's cracked up to be. Challenge what you think. Challenge what others think. Together, let's grow.