Farewell Rob Bell

Local news reported this week the departure of Rob Bell from the Mars Hill church he started in Grandville twelve years ago. According to the report, many of the congregants wept as they heard the announcement. This is not unusual as popular pastors often elicit emotional responses upon such tidings. The Apostle Paul is said to have had the same response when he told the Ephesian church which he founded that he was going to Jerusalem.

The news article I read identified Bell as the author of Love Wins, "a controversial book about hell." (For my analysis of the book, see the archives of this blog.) His website lists four other books he has penned, but undoubtedly, Love Wins created the biggest stir among evangelicals, so it is natural that the secular press would focus on it. I was interested to note that Bell's future plans involve a move to Los Angeles where he plans to "work on a TV drama based loosely on his life," as well as continuing to write and speak around the country.

Since reading that report I have tried to imagine the Apostle Paul jetting off to do anything autobiographical. Other than a few verses in an epistle, Paul said almost nothing about himself in any of his writings we have record of. The Apostle went to Jerusalem with a benevolent offering for hungry Christians there. Because the temple was still operating and the Jews still persecuted followers of Jesus, Paul knew he might be in danger; a prophet had said as much. Paul went because he knew the call of God directed him there.

I cannot say that Rob Bell is not being similarly called to Los Angeles. Perhaps the news report was unfair to make it sound as if Bell's call was to propagate more about Bell. Perhaps it is coincidence that the same week I read of Bell's new ministry I also read Francis Chan's relevant comment in his book,  Crazy Love. Chan remarked that someone once complimented him on his excellent presentation. After basking briefly in the glow of the praise, Chan realized that the compliment was for him, not God. He asked himself if that was really the sort of result he wanted; was that the result God wanted.

Is it just me, or does it seem that the church puts too much emphasis on the messenger and too little on the message these days. Whether it's Schuler or Bell or Hybels or even Graham or Moody, I wonder if we are not prone to give too much glory to the man and not nearly enough to the Man they represent. Paul said he had died and Christ lived through him. I hope that is the intended message of the upcoming TV drama about Rob Bell. I hope that is what people say about me.