HELL!

Our discussion group at the Sunrise Cafe have been reading Rob Bells book "Love Wins". I found it to be a good supplemental book to the Emerging movement. Especially as he talks of the non religious and more so the non spiritual members of our human family. A lot of the Emerging literature focuses most heavily on the emerging members of the existing religious communities As I mentioned in the last post there has been a fair amount of criticism especially from his own Evangelical realm. I didn't realize how much so until a friend showed me a recent Time article regarding his book. The title says something like "What if there was no HELL", big red letters and all. As I read the book I found much to like and I had no major concerns about the perspective Bell takes. In the article, however, I do have a major issue with the sensational nature of the prose. Suppose I shouldn't be surprised as it seems to be the normal media perspective in the personal, political, social and even in daily news items. Media has to sell their wears and one of the most effective ways to do so is to tickle the senses. Basically we're dealing with the same reasoning as to why emergence, transcendence and non-dual or both-and thinking are not good hot buttons. When you remove judgmentalism, framing right and wrong from an ego centric perspective you remove the victory, and the spoils. With no Winning involved you loose excitement in the contest; It's boring. Unless, of course, you feel passionate about Love as the answer. The article is actually not bad except for the hype mode of the title. "Love Wins" in no place denies the existence of HELL(except for the pictures and red tights and all). Bell does reframe how we may view this dimension(Hell) and also just how personal that existence might be. Many years ago a friend of mine who spent several years in seminary was relating a perspective which I have always remembered. He said that one view of hell is that it is as simple as the lost of, or an absence from God. As simple as that thought is it is very impactful when one looks at the totality of the existence of God in all of creation, nature, music, art, beauty and love. Essentially one is referring to the turning of your back to God. Absolute isolation. Is that even possible for all eternity? "Love Wins!" most dramatic point is not so much where we end up but who wins in the end? Does God loose? "And so, beginning with the early church, there is a long tradition of Christians who believe that God will ultimately restore everything and everybody, because Jesus says in Matthew 19 that there will be a "renewal of all things," Peter says in Acts 3 that Jesus will "restore everything," and Paul says in Colossians 1 that through Christ "God was pleased to ...reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven.""(Love Wins, pg 107) . I believe that God Wins. I believe that Love Wins. So I rest for now, and forever, in the Peace of Christ! RV

He Is Risen!

In the liturgical community of Grace Lutheran Church, and I assume in many other Lutheran churches, it is a common statement and response at Easter to hear "He has risen" ... "He has risen indeed"! An interesting declaration. Almost like one could be saying this with so much emphasis as to make it more factual. The fact of the Resurrection is an area of some degree of scientific study and is accepted on faith by most Christians. For myself this is an historical fact accepted by faith and a fair degree of evidentury proof. The proof is not so important to me but the study is interesting. To myself the event of the Resurrection is the most important aspect of the Christic experience available to us as humans on an historical timeline. This is the point in the ventury or center of the hourglass presented by Richard Rohr in his study of the cosmic Christ. The point of transition from the eternal Godbeing of Christ, through the Godman being of Jesus, and into the GodManSpirit being of the resurrected Christ and later in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. This is the pattern for all of us to follow. Last time I spoke of the book by Rob Bell which has engendered much controversy especially within the more fundamental and conservative Christian churches. Most probably because this writer is coming out of that same background. I'll just call it Emerging. Anyhow I'd like to dwell on that debate a bit next time but for now to just focus on that Resurrected Jesus as Christ. As I see that event as being the transitional or transcending event of man in union with God and that event being the start of a new era. Then I'd just like to restate that previous declaration as follows: "He has Risen!"...."He has Risen In Deed"! Think about that for a moment. Instead of being a declarative statement of a past action at a point in time it is a descriptive statement of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our present day. Much better, In my opinion. Pax Christi! Happy Easter! Roberto Vincente

All You Need is Love! ??

I have been very neglectful of posting my thoughts in this forum lately. Mea culpa, Mea culpa, Mea maxima culpa! Somewhere around four months. I do have reasons but no valid excuses. In the past few months I've undergone a geographical move of a few miles due to financial needs and a bit pridefully, I believe that the posts of the past year have quite a depth of consideration in the realm of meaningful thought. Wondering what more I can say. Not all the answers but a very vibrant and yes Loving way of seeing this existence and our path within. This past weekend I had a great visit with my son, Michael, and he asked if I was going to continue this medium and it seems that at every corner I'm experiencing a new acquaintance, or book, or rainbow which interacts with and embellishes the path I've started in the past couple of years. So further comments should be posted for me to hold it together in some tangible form. The written word as well as other communicative and artistic forms seem to be a very expressive example of the "image of God" we seem to be blessed with and challenged by.

I chose the title of this post as It seems that the common element of all these writers whom I've gleaned much these past months have taken the concept of God to a declaration of Love. God is Love. I don't wish to be too simplistic about the subject but since I lived through the era of the 60's I feel that I have some valid perception. As Marianne Williamson noted in her book, Saving the Soul of America, we had a great idea but it was thwarted in its infancy for many reasons. The Love generation had some great drive but it seems to me that it got hijacked down several roads to the point of narcissism and ineffectiveness during its nascent moments. Recently read a book by Pastor Rob Bell titled Love Wins. At first it seemed that the book was not near as impactful as some earlier read but the substance of his points are very solid. He has a very open, accepting and loving approach to Heaven, Hell and the Gospel. So much so I can see why he has been branded as a heretic by many of the more conservative bent. I'm going to copy a portion of his jacket as kind of a synopsis of what he's saying. Before doing so thought I'd make note of the reason for the shell as a picture for this post. Many of the writers promoted here have commented on the innerconnectivity of all creation as being an example of the Christic presence in all of it. I don't pretend to understand it completely but it is obvious enough for little ol me to acknowledge the possibility and I feel the probability of such connectedness. Anyhow one of the ideas mentioned was the "Golden Mean" which is a ratio found in many places within nature. I'll have to look that number up again but I recall that it is represented in the rings of the shell on a snail, so that's why the picture.

The jacket quote: "Millions of Christians have struggled with how to reconcile God's love and God's judgment: Has God created billions of people over thousands of years only to select a few to go to heaven and everyone else to suffer forever in hell? Is this acceptable to God? How is this "good news"? Troubling questions-so troubling that many have lost their faith because of them. Others only whisper the questions to themselves, fearing or being taught that they might lose their faith and their church if they ask them out loud. But what if these questions trouble us for good reason? ....What if it is God who wants us to face these questions?" In light of the total picture. More later but there is an interesting question as a title to one of the chapters in the book; "Does God Get What God Wants?", i.e. renewal and reconciling of All things to Himself!

Pax Christi! RV