Love Wins by Rob Bell....my comments

I like Rob Bell. I don't know him and I don't listen to his sermons or read all his books, but what I have read and heard I like. Some of his short films have been electrifying in their insights on Christian living.

I read his new book this week. Tuesday night I read the first 101 pages and it was unsettling. Still, I didn't try to draw conclusions until I finished the book, which I did tonight, reading the last 101 pages.

Comment 1. The book wasn't electrifying like some of his other stuff, save for parts of Chapter 7, "The Good News Is Better Than That." The part of that chapter that I thought was the best was his retelling of the story of the Prodigal Son. That was excellent. For me, that was worth the price of the book and the time it took to read it.

Comment 2. Rob Bell wants to reach people whom the Church has been unable to reach because of a view of God and hell that people don't believe, or can't accept, or think is cruel. He's trying to communicate that the Church is a "big tent" if I can borrow a political term, or "a wide stream we're swimming in" to use his terms.

Comment 3. The book is frustratingly vague and often seems like double talk. He talks about people turning to God after death, and everyone coming to God eventually because "love wins" but he also says, "God extends an invitation to us and we are free to do with it as we please. Saying yes will take us in one direction; saying no will take us in another."

Comment 4. Rob Bell doesn't believe in the most common view of hell, what I would consider the traditional view of hell. If I understand him, hell, in life and in death, is of our own making. Hell is not eternal. Some people will have to go to hell before they can get to heaven. Rob Bell doesn't like the phrase "Turn or Burn" but his view of hell seems to be, "Burn Until You Finally Turn" because "love wins."

Comment 5. There is wheat and chaff here. In my opinion it is mostly chaff, but I still like Rob Bell. I worry about what he has written though, because people could read this and conclude, "Well, okay, I'll live however I want, then I'll go to hell maybe for a few days and then turn to God so I can end up in heaven." I'll get to heaven eventually so it doesn't matter really what I do now."

Comment 6. He seems to be saying that no matter what religion or faith you believe you will be saved by Christ whether you realize it or not. So if you believe Muhammad, you'll be saved, but you'll be saved by Jesus. If that's not what he's saying, he should have written with more clarity, because that is sure what it seems like.

Comment 7. My copy seems to have some bad typing errors in it. The last one is the worst because it's the very last line of the book. "And may you know, deep in your bones, that loves wins." Shouldn't that be "love wins" the title of the book?

Comment 8. There is a lot more that I could write. I may add more on another day. It's getting late and I want to go to bed. Nobody will probably won't read this far anyway.:-)