My wife and I attend a class after church on Sundays. Last Sunday we wrapped up a book we had been studying for about three months or so and it was brought up that Rob Bell (see above) has a new book coming out (Love Wins) in which he seems to debunk the existence of hell, or at least the idea of hell as a destination for those who don't accept Christ as their savior. This caused quite a discussion. A similar discussion was brought up at a Bible study we went to on Monday night when someone had an article of a pastor's response to Bell, disagreeing with Bell's conclusion.
Being an opinionated person who has more or less devoted his life to ministry and who loves studying theological viewpoints, you'd think I'd be more interested in discussing the relevance of Hell. In reality I find it a bit draining. To be honest I am overwhelmed by the topic for many reasons, a few which I'll list:
1) I'm not comfortable making a hard conclusion either way since only God knows what happens beyond this life. He is in control of what we know and don't know, but I'm more comfortable acting out what I feel to be clear examples in scripture intended for this life, not the next, even though I feel what we are called to in this life is tied intimately to whatever comes next.
2) On the flip side of not worrying about the afterlife, I hesitate to come to a universalism position on Hell. Are there not consequences to our actions? It's easy to give Ghandi a pass, but do we really want to give Hitler a pass, or the countless others who have committed heinous societal crimes?
3) I believe that there are allusions to the afterlife in the Bible, but I believe what the Bible calls us to is rooted in this life and doesn't involve a life changing one time choice. Churches that focus on conversion often make the mistake of alienating community, or even worse, taking God's blessing and hording it for those who they, as fallible human beings, feel are worthy.
I could probably make more points as to why I don't want to make an uninformed decision on something I have no control over. I feel overwhelmed by the topic even as I type this. While I lean towards the position that Hell doesn't exist as a destination, I do believe in evil spirits and Satan. I have had quite a few spiritual experiences in my life, and the most distinct of these has always been negative, probably because being raised as a Christian I have taken the positive experience for granted.
I still remember a dream from my youth: I was walking with some kids I went to school with. It was on a city street and it was dark out. I went back to help someone cross a street and my attention was drawn to an evil "being" driving an ice cream truck. As the truck passed by (it wasn't in my path) I felt myself being sucked beneath the ground and I was in a place devoid of life. I felt dark and cold to the point of paralysis. I can't remember ever being as afraid as I was when I woke up. While this is the most extreme event that stands out, I have had several other experiences similar, both awake and asleep, alone and with others. While my dream doesn't prove or disprove Hell, it also doesn't make it easy for me to think that everyone gets a pass.
Rob Bell isn't bringing a new idea to the table with his book, but I think the reason his book has caused a lot of reaction is because of where he is coming from as an evangelical pastor. I, personally, have liked some of Bell's work and ideas. He has been a proponent for old ideas that are new to much of his audience. My fear is that his focus may take away from more important and relevant discussions to be had. The topic is divisive in itself, and more importantly, has little influence when it comes to much more relevant societal injustices: hunger, the growing gap between rich and poor, the distancing of the mega church (like Bell's own Mars Hill) from the community, racism, etc.
Please don't get me wrong. I'm sure some people will find comfort in "Love Wins." I don't think it's all bad, especially if the book re-emphasizes the message that Jesus' message is available for everyone, NO EXCEPTIONS. I'd just rather focus on things I can have a direct impact on (see issues in above paragraph). I can no more condemn someone to Hell than can I give someone a one way ticket to Heaven. What I will choose to focus on is following the example of Christ which is relevant in this life. I know we can bring a little bit of heaven here to the earth by what we do for others in love, without judgment. You might call me "wishy-washy," but I believe we should focus on this life and let the chips fall wherever God puts them (intentional irony). "...thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..."
I hope that makes sense, and no, I don't care much about what happens after I pass. I believe we are combating forces beyond our control or understanding at times, but I'm comfortable with the way I'm living, as best as I can in Christ's example. Would you put yourself in Heaven? Would you condemn yourself to Hell? Whenever we make these abstract ideas a reality we take away from a calling rooted in reality.
That's all I got, feel free to hit me up in a discussion via e-mail (jsquiggles23@hotmail.com) or if you know me on facebook. I get your comments in my e-mail, but many of you haven't responded in the comments, so e-mail is probably the best way to discuss if you want me to respond.
Grace and peace,
Jason
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