I used to curl up with a book in bed. With my laptop, curling isn't as comfortable. But for my wanderng mind, my computer was the way to go tonight. I needed to decompress from a day filled with pressing the snooze button a few too many times, packing lunches because everyone hates "sloppy joe" day, calling the realtor to report on window, roof, pool, front step and a thousand other repairs, getting kids early from school for an orthodontist visit, talking to other moms outside school about the latest 5th grade drama, buying end of the year teacher gifts, trying to get home in time for arpet cleaners, calling mom to run to house because I'm not gonna make it for carpet cleaners, checking in with my son's therapist, deciding which of the 500 different printer cartridges work in our printer, searching for candles because of loss of power, helping with steam locomotive model, and refereeing airsoft rifle wars. (That last one might give you insight into my "checked out" state of mind by that point.)
Where was I? Yes. Reading. Okay, so I"m reading blogs, and it's mind blowing when you are curious about one link which leads you to another and another, etc. Soon I am linking my way out to the furthest layer of the blogosphere and I notice a theme. A Rob Bell bash-a-thon , if you will.
If you don't know who Rob Bell is, here's the 411: He's the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, MIch. Controversial because he says things that seem to be culturally relevant while some take him to put wordliness above Scripture. I'm not going to go into all the claims made against him. Just type "Rob Bell" into your browser and you'll find plenty of these accusations.
Don't know him. And I'm not here to defend him, persay. But I am going to take a wild guess that the man loves God and wants to do right. He's young. Hip. Fresh. And I suppose that scares some people. Makes them run for their flood lights to shine upon him from their heights, revealing his sins of apparently magnificent proportions.
Here's my issue with this blogging for or against pastors or any other person in ministry (and I understand it's a free country, free press, yada yada, keeps things interesting and open, yada yada, if we don't expose the false prophets how will people know yada yada yada YA): we are losing any bit of unity that we have. Instead of finding the commonality - that we love Jesus and find motivation in his death, resurrection, and subsequently his indwelling - we are finding every single thing that pulls us apart. Satan must be proud, huh?
Seriously, some of these bloggers have caused me to rethink calling myself Christian. I'm not really sure I like Christ-follower either because it's the latest "trend." I think I'm just going to be Lynn-child of God- lover of Jesus- propelled by the Holy Spirit inside me-except when I try to snuff Him out by self-god that-appears-every-so-often. I know it's long but it's so simple really. Simple. No emergent, convergent, heretic, prophetic, modern, postmodern or any other key word of the day definitions.
I'm nothing more than a girl. A good girl. Who sometimes does bad. But knows that love always wins. In short, redeemed.
So it's hard for me to hear these stupid arguments about people who are just trying their best to serve God and tell people about Creator God and the beauty of His Son Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Funny how intolerant I am of intolerance. I suppose it's the defiant part of me. The passionate part of me. The can't-everybody-just-get-along part of me (some may call it co-dependent). Mostly, it's probably the crabby-I'm-tired-and-need-to-go-to-bed part of me.
So Rob Bell, if you ever read this - which in the 3 people that might actually get to this part, I'm not counting on it, BUT if you do - keep on keepin' on with humility, love, grace and truth. You and I both know that no one has the corner on truth except God himself. So paint away on your black velvet canvas if the Holy Spirit is prodding you. And if the title "Sex God" got people all worked up in a fizzy, tizzy fit, try naming your next book, "Jesus For Hillary Clinton." Okay, that makes me giggle... because I don't really like Hillary but Jesus sure does, doesn't He? He absolutely adores her. Sees her as she is. Not as I see her in all her anti-feminine, truth-twisting, annoying, fragmented ways. He sees beauty and wholeness. Imagine that!
Whew. I've just had a paradigm shift for Mrs. Clinton. And hopefully you Rob Bell-bashers can paradigm-shift a little, too. So come down from the great heights and trust that God will work out all the details . Relax a little. And let Rob be.