I thought the title of Rob Bell's new book was weird, too. But it is not all about sex. It is about relationships and how we're all so disconnected from each other and how things should be and how it all relates to God.
One of my favorite part is when he talks about how the words "me too" are so meaningful. How it makes things seem so much better when you're upset about something and someone can say that to you. He talks about how if you put a whole bunch of girls together in a room, they will all be best friends within 5 minutes if you bring up the topic of being cheated on and/or having your heart broken. In the same way we have relationships with other people, God has a relationship with us. (There's a whole section in the book that talks about all the biblical references to God being married to his people- it was so interesting!) God has had his heart broken over and over by his people- we've rejected him, cheated on him, etc. And yet he still did so much for us. And so, in a way, the cross is like God's way of saying, "Me too." All the hurt and betrayal that we've felt at times in our lives- God has felt it, too. There's no emotion that we experience that he can't relate to. We never have to feel alone.
Here's a quote:
"This is why for thousands of years Christians have found the cross to be so central to life. It speaks to us of God's suffering, God's pain, God's broken heart. It's God making the first move and then waiting for our response.
If you have ever given yourself to someone and had your heart broken, you know how God feels...
Our tendency in the midst of suffering is to turn on God. To get angry and bitter and shake our fist at the sky and say, 'God, you don't know what it's like! You don't understand! You have no idea what I'm going through. You don't have a clue how much this hurts.'
The cross is God's way of taking away all of our accusations, excuses, and arguments.
The cross is God taking on flesh and blood and saying, 'Me too.'"
Rob Bell rocks my world.
One of my favorite part is when he talks about how the words "me too" are so meaningful. How it makes things seem so much better when you're upset about something and someone can say that to you. He talks about how if you put a whole bunch of girls together in a room, they will all be best friends within 5 minutes if you bring up the topic of being cheated on and/or having your heart broken. In the same way we have relationships with other people, God has a relationship with us. (There's a whole section in the book that talks about all the biblical references to God being married to his people- it was so interesting!) God has had his heart broken over and over by his people- we've rejected him, cheated on him, etc. And yet he still did so much for us. And so, in a way, the cross is like God's way of saying, "Me too." All the hurt and betrayal that we've felt at times in our lives- God has felt it, too. There's no emotion that we experience that he can't relate to. We never have to feel alone.
Here's a quote:
"This is why for thousands of years Christians have found the cross to be so central to life. It speaks to us of God's suffering, God's pain, God's broken heart. It's God making the first move and then waiting for our response.
If you have ever given yourself to someone and had your heart broken, you know how God feels...
Our tendency in the midst of suffering is to turn on God. To get angry and bitter and shake our fist at the sky and say, 'God, you don't know what it's like! You don't understand! You have no idea what I'm going through. You don't have a clue how much this hurts.'
The cross is God's way of taking away all of our accusations, excuses, and arguments.
The cross is God taking on flesh and blood and saying, 'Me too.'"
Rob Bell rocks my world.
Comments