ZIMZUM: A Book to Get Excited About

I think I've gone on record as being a fan of just about anything Rob Bell does. So you may not be surprised when I say that I'm incredibly excited about his new book that he authored with his wife Kristin, The Zimzum of Love.

I heard Rob and Kristin speak more than a year ago, and they mentioned that they were just finishing this project. One of the things Rob said in that session was that they wanted to write a "non-cheesy marriage book," which is a challenge unto itself.

So the only purpose of this post is to let you know that this book is coming and to invite you to be excited as well.

Oh, and to share the book's trailer.

How to Repent

This post is the first part in a series called After You Believe. I borrowed the series title from a book by N.T. Wright, but the content is not directly taken from the book. I just liked the title.

A few months ago we bought a new car for my wife. When she went to pick it up, the salesman spent nearly half an hour sitting in the car with her and showing her how to use all of the car’s basic features. He wasn’t being condescending; this is standard procedure for new car purchases. They want to make sure you know how to use the car and that you won’t be driving out of the lot while still trying to adjust the seats or turn on the radio.

They want to make sure you know how to use the thing that you just bought.

I think people want something similar with Jesus.

Over the past few years, I have been asked by more than a few people a question that sounds something like, “Okay, I believe in Jesus. What do I do now?”

What they are asking is, How do I use this new thing that is in my life? Can you sit down with me and walk through the manual? How often should I read the Bible? Where in the Bible should I start? How do I pray? How often should I pray? Do I have to start talking to people differently than before? Can you teach me how to properly use words like ‘holiness,’ ‘sanctification,’ and ‘hermeneutics’? Do I need to start listening to Christian music and wearing cross-shaped jewelry? How many Veggietales DVDs do my kids need to have access to? Do I have to buy any Thomas Kincaid paintings and read all of the ‘Left Behind’ novels?

Basically, they want a list: What do I do, and how do I do it?

There is an assumption that we are supposed to be doing something, and if we are not doing it, then we probably don’t really love Jesus.

In the Bible, when people are invited to participate in the story of God in the world, they are told to repent.

In our world, the word “repent” seems to mean “feel really bad about yourself and try to do better.”

However, in Jesus’ world, it meant something different.

In Hebrew, the word for “repent” is the word t’shuva, which means “to return.”

In the minds of the ancient rabbis—including Jesus—there was this idea that God had created each of us in God’s own image. There was an original vision for who we were made to be, and it was good.

However, at some point in the story of humanity, the original vision was hijacked by something else—something less than human. To repent from this is to turn back towards the versions of ourselves that God had in mind when we were created.

In the Hebrew mind, to repent is to return to our original created identity.

So when someone who has recently chosen to follow Jesus asks, What do I do now? Perhaps the better question is, Who am I becoming?

The hope is that each of us would begin a journey toward becoming who were originally created to be.

Do we read the Bible? Yes, but not because we’re supposed to or because that’s where all the rules are listed. We read the Bible because it reminds us what kind of story we are participating in.

Do we pray? Yes, but not because we’re obligated to pray. We pray because it connects us to the source of all life, and it helps us long for the things that God longs for.

Do we attend church? Yes, but not to get our parents off our backs. We attend church because we were meant to live in community with one another—to share life with the other people who are alive at the same time as us.

Do we give generously? Yes, but not because we owe it to our churches or because someone at the church is tracking who gives what. We give because it makes us more like we were intended to be—generous and open.

The point is not what kinds of things we are doing; the point is who we are becoming.

Buy on Amazon

As Rob Bell says in his book Velvet Elvis,

“Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God has made you to be. And anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it.”  (p. 113).

So to the question of what do we do now, the answer isn’t as simple as a list of chores or a step-by-step guide.

Instead, it’s a challenge that is unique to every person: Become the person God created you to be.

It may take the rest of your life to figure out what exactly that means, but the journey will be worth it.

What images or ideas come to your mind when you hear the word "repent"? Does it call back to televangelists and church drama skits about how you don't want to burn forever? Or is it something else?

Click here to read Part 2 of this series.

Rob Bell, Pete Holmes, and the Element of Surprise

First of all, let me say that in telling this story I am not attempting to "name drop." I'm not friends or even close acquaintances with any of the famous people in this story. I was merely involved in a bizarre occurrence in which two celebrities were also involved. We did not exchange contact information, and they both have probably forgotten that any of this ever happened. So, with that said...

A few months ago I was sitting in a small gathering space in Laguna Beach. I was there to spend two days listening to Rob Bell discuss all kinds of things from creativity to doubt and faith. I spent the entire first morning and afternoon soaking up every word, not at all wishing that I was outside enjoying the beautiful Orange County weather. What was happening right here in this space was too good to miss.

Part of the format for the event was open Q&A. There were only about 100 people at the event, so the smallness allowed for a bit of intimacy between us the listeners and Rob Bell. At one point, I raised my hand to ask a question. I began my question by saying, "I heard you talk a bit about this when you were on Pete Holmes' podcast."

Before I could finish my question, Rob Bell interrupted me and said, "Do you like Pete Holmes?" I said that I did.

Pete Holmes, by the way, is an incredibly funny standup comedian who has his own podcast called "You Made it Weird" (he has also recently launched a television show on TBS called, appropriately enough, The Pete Holmes Show; he is also Batman in many of the CollegeHumor.com spoof videos). So, yes, I told Rob Bell. I do like Pete Holmes.

"Have you ever met Pete Holmes?" Bell asked.

That was a strange question, but I went along with it. "No, I've never met him," I said. "But I did see him do a show in Dallas a few weeks ago, and he blew the roof off the place."

Rob Bell smirked. "He blew the roof off the place, huh?" I began feeling like he was toying with me. "If you could meet Pete Holmes, what would you say to him?" He asked.

"Um..." I began to think. I had no idea how to answer this question. I really thought he was asking. But then, as I was trying to think of something clever to say, I asked a question. "Why? Is he here?"

Rob Bell began to laugh and pointed right over my head. "He's in the balcony!"

At that, every eye in the room turned toward the space right above me and began to laugh. I yelled out "Pierce!" hoping Pete Holmes would hear me.

("Pierce" by the way is one of Pete Holmes' staple bits. You can hear it on both of his albums, and you will laugh)

I heard someone else in the room also yelled "Pierce," and I couldn't tell if it was Pete or not.

After all the shenanigans were through, Rob Bell was kind enough to return to my original question. However, there was a part of my brain that continued to wonder, "Did Pete Holmes yell 'Pierce' at me?"

Later that evening, I was standing in the hallway, and Pete Holmes walked right past me. I stopped him and said, "Hey, Pete. I'm the guy who name-checked you before."

"Oh wow!" he said. "That was crazy. You totally knew I was up there, didn't you?"

"No!" I said. "I had no idea! If I had been sitting anywhere else in the room, I would have seen you, but you were literally right above me." I shifted gears. "Hey, Pete. I need to ask you a question. When Rob said you were in the balcony, I yelled 'Pierce.' Now I need to know: Did you yell it back?"

He chuckled. "No. Some other guy yelled it, but I didn't."

"Well, here's the thing," I said. "For this story to be any good, I really needed you to have yelled 'Pierce' back at me."

He laughed, shook his head, and said the one word I needed to hear: "Pierce!"

It was magical.

"Thanks man," I said. I told him I was a big fan of his work, which he probably already knew at that point. He was even kind enough to stand for a picture before fleeing the building.

So that was a pretty weird thing that happened. Thanks, Rob Bell, for orchestrating one of the strangest moments of my entire life.