Inspiration, not Dedication...

             I had a different post in mind for today, but with the controversy swirling about the Christian community over Rob Bell’s new book “Love Wins” I feel the need to address something that has been on my heart. Something that may be even greater than the claims that Mr. Bell did or did not make and whether or not he is denying them or trying to reword them in his live appearances.

            To quote the intrepid Stan Lee, "With great power, comes great responsibility.". Mr. Bell is the pastor of a rather large church, he has been blessed with a position to shepherd a large number of congregants. With that blessing comes a great responsibility. Since as I’ve stated before, I have received no formal training for the position that God has blessed me with, I think this next point has been reinforced daily in my life and in my walk with Christ in a position of spiritual leadership. As pastors, and spiritual leaders it is, in my opinion, more important for us to not coerce those who have placed themselves under our leadership into blindly following every word that comes from our mouth. It is of great importance that we point them to Jesus, and the Word of God and help them seek the true heart of God. I’ve looked at the debate which is running rampant across the Information Super-highway, and by all appearances Mr. Bell’s supporters are just that, supporters of a man, and his ideas and opinions, with little else to stand on. Those who are opposing Bell’s ideas and opinions  are (for the most part) drawing from a Biblical well of knowledge. And (again for the most part) forming their debate from that standpoint.

           

In the past I have seen many of Mr. Bell’s “Nooma” videos and always thought of him as well spoken, and thought provoking, that said I drew inspiration from some of his points of view. However I feel that even in the Christian “Pop” culture we idolize figures because they speak or write well, pastor a big church, or play an instrument with a certain level of aptitude. I recently attended a large youth workers conference in which Doug Fields (long time youth pastor at a VERY large church, and writer of about a zillion youth ministry books) was speaking. Many people on my twitter feed pined over meeting him in person and wished they had the opportunity to do so. There was almost this “rockstar mystique” placed around him.(By others, not himself!) I’ve drawn much inspiration from Doug’s writings and speaking, but he’s just a normal guy, I just walked up and said “hi” to him. I didn’t have to fight my way through the crowds just to touch the hem of his robe, he was just a normal guy. I wonder if those who were tweeting these things had attended the same conference as I did (But I digress.).

            My point is, I have and continue to be inspired by what God is doing through people like Doug Fields, Louie Giglio, Ben Witherington and many others. I am not however dedicated to them or their belief system, they are people. Men who God has done great things through, but men all the same. They have just as much potential to mess up and disappoint as every one of us. I’m pretty sure we all know what the Bible says about how many of us have fallen short of the glory of God, and where to build our houses.

            I know exactly where I land on the subjects of Heaven and Hell and the many other subjects discussed in Mr. Bell’s book, and I believe in the end TRUTH WINS. 

Blessings, 

Jeremiah