Velvet Elvis

I have just finished reading the Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. For those of you that don't know, Rob Bell is one of the founding pastors of the Mars Hill church in America, one of the fastest growing churches in American history and the star of the Noma videos. This was the best book I have read to date this year. It is subtitled Repainting the Christian Faith and he argues that Christianity needs to be repainted for the world that she now finds herself in. In art there is never a pinnacle of art so great that there need never be another artist likewise Rob Bell argues there is never a pinnacle of theology or Christianity so great and so complete that there need never be another theologian. It is impossible to describe my enjoyment of this book, within it I found described and portrayed the very things that I have come to understand Christianity to be about, and the ideas that I have been considering to be concisely written in black and white.

Rob Bell goes from pointing out that Christian doctrines are not so much bricks in a wall (threaten one brick and the wall may collapse) but springs of a trampoline in so much that they can bend and stretch and are not in fact the point in themselves but an aid to the point (to jump :). He goes on to point out that all truth is G@d's truth. Christians should not be threatened if they find truth in a place that is not in one of the redefined sources of truth because wherever it is found it is G@d's. From here he goes on to point out that the word 'Christian' "is a great noun but a terrible adjective" that something can be called Christian (ie Christian music) and not be the best possible form of that thing in fact in some cases it is a disgrace to the art. Just because something is done in church or marketed in a Christian store does not make it any more 'Christian' than something done in the 'secular' market. He also points out that the bible is more concerned with bringing heaven to earth than it is with taking earthlings to heaven. He points out that we can choose to bring heaven or hell to earth and Jesus provides much condemnation for those that do the latter. Rob Bell finishes by saying that being Christian means being the best possible humans that we can be and try to bring heaven to earth for everyone, everyday; that is the good news for the whole earth. No more hidden agendas, no more trying to convince people to be Christian, just to live a life like Christ's. Do not think that this is even close to a complete overview of the book there is heaps of detail and major, awesome points that I have missed. I cannot even quote my favourite sections from this book as it has so many that I absolutely love (and also I have just packed it away and probably won't see it until I reach Dunedin unless someone convinces me to lend it to them :).

Finally, I highly recommend this book for anyone who finds themselves at odds with the church on details of orthopraxy (right action) and maybe orthodoxy (right understanding) but still identifies themselves as a Christian and a member of the church. A person who sees the ideals of the church but despairs of the actuality of the way it has turned out. This book provides a powerful unifying understanding that keeps the best of the past but seeks to reinterpret, repaint them, so that the original image of G@d and desire of Christ for His disciples is retained.