Velvet Elvis - "If it's true, then it isn't new"

I just finished a very thought provoking book, called Velvet Elvis. I read it in one sitting right after I found it on the bookshelves at the Family Bookstore. Surprisingly the book, written by Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Michigan, was published by Zondervan. This surprised me because the book plainly contains criticisms, albeit phrased very positively, of some of the ways of "Evangelical" Christianity. Although I agree wholeheartedly with his criticisms, they are not my reason for enjoying the book so much.

What I found inspiring about the book is the focus on continually questioning our beliefs, with the goal of strengthening our faith and coming to grips with the reality of God in the world.

My initial and prior long term understanding of Christianity was an intellectual wrestling with trying to understand it in modern terms. In many ways I had to close my mind to other ideas and interpratations of truth because I misunderstood what Jesus really meant when He said that He was "the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one cames to the Father except through Him." (John 14:6).

What Rob Bell affirms in his book is that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of absolute truth, not a version of it.

Rob makes the observation that much of the New Testament was written with the purpose of showing how Jesus was not only the fulfillment of the teachings of His own people, the Jews, but also the teachings of the pagans and Greek philosophers that were outside the practices of Judaism. This is plainly demonstrated by Jesus' interactions with "outsiders" and the so-called "unrighteous." It is further seen in the teachings of Paul in the book of Acts, where he quotes contemporary Greek poetry to affirm the nature of God, in whom "we move and have our being." Also in the letters of Paul when he asserts that those who do not know the law are declared righteous by their actions.

If something is true then as followers of the source of truth we can claim it. No matter who says it or what tradition it comes from. This is an Orthodox teaching.

To paraphrase C.S. Lewis - the most progressive person is the one who notices that they are going in the wrong direction and turns around and goes back. As I follow the Way I keep finding myself driven back to the starting point again.

To believe in Christ is one thing, to follow Him is something else. To be a disciple of Christ is not to condemn those "outside", but to affirm the truth that is in them because it ultimately points to Him who is the source of all truth. No human being can claim to have the whole picture of reality nailed down, it's like a velvet painting of Elvis, a likeness perhaps, but not the real thing.

Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Zoroastrians, and other religions have truth within them that lead to a seeking for more. Its been my experience that in all my encounters with devoted followers of each of these paths they all have identified Jesus as a model for their particular faith and practice. To Buddhists, Jesus is a Bodhisattva, to Hindus, an Avatar, to Muslims, a true prophet and the Spirit of God, etc. etc.

The Church fathers teach that salvation is not a one time event that happens when you "invite Jesus into your heart" - which Rob Bell points out, is not found anywhere in the bible. It is not belonging to a church or organization. Salvation is a process that draws us into life with God, a process that continues from baptism, or rebirth in Christ, until forever.