“But in reading all of the passages in which Jesus uses the word "hell," what is so striking is that people believing the right or wrong things isn't his point. He's often not talking about "beliefs" as we think of them--he's talking about anger and lust and indifference. He's talking about the state of his listeners' hearts, about how they conduct themselves, how they interact with their neighbors, about the kind of effect they have on the world.”
Rob Bell“As a pastor, you get invited into the most poignant moments of people's lives. Whether it's a wedding or a funeral or a hospital visit, you get invited into the center of the event, whether or not you know the people.”
Rob Bell“The myth of redemptive violence - Caesar, peace, and victory - is in people's bones so deeply, we aren't even aware of it. You crush the opposition; that's how we bring peace.”
Rob Bell“Suffering, it turns out, demands profound imagination. A new future has to be conjured up because the old future isn't there anymore.”
Rob Bell“I believe the discussion itself is divine.”
Rob Bell“If it is true, if it is beautiful, if it is honorable, if it is right, then claim it. Because it is from God. And you belong to God.”
Rob Bell“Jesus is God's way of refusing to give up his dream for the world.”
Rob Bell“Freedom is not having everything we crave, it's being able to go without the things we crave and being OK with it. ”
Rob Bell“God is in the best, and also the worst. God is in the presence, and also in the absence. God is in the power, and also in the powerlessness.”
Rob Bell, What We Talk about When We Talk about God“Take faith, for example. For many people in our world, the opposite of faith is doubt. The goal, then, within this understanding, is to eliminate doubt. But faith and doubt aren't opposites. Doubt is often a sign that your faith has a pulse, that it's alive and well and exploring and searching. Faith and doubt aren't opposites, they are, it turns out, excellent dance partners.”
Rob Bell, What We Talk about When We Talk about God“We want a little risk in our lives because it keeps things interesting. It wakes us up, it gives us a sense that we're alive and breathing and doing Something! Throwing yourself into it begins with being grateful that you even have something to throw yourself into.”
Rob Bell, How to Be Here: A Guide to Creating a Life Worth Living