Drops Like Stars; Review of Rob Bell's New Book

I received my copy of Drops Like Stars by Rob Bell recently and I have finally had some time to sit down and read it all the way through. The thing about this book is that you find yourself tempted just to thumb through it, in part because of the artistic layout in the way of a coffee table book. (Perhaps this can be my excuse in not reading it thoroughly the first time around even though I have had ample opportunity to do so.) My thoughts on this book are three-fold;

1) Layout - Rob Bell deserves props for the courage to author this sort of book. If you have read Bell's previous books Velvet Elvis or even Jesus Wants to Save Christians; A Manifesto for the Church in Exile, this is a departure of sorts from these types of books. The book itself is physically imposing (shaped like a high school year book) and it includes stunning photography. Some pages have minimal wording on them. The layout is in the way of Rob Bell's video series Nooma. If you were to translate a Nooma video into words and pictures, I believe this is what it would look like. The most important aspect of the layout is that it works!

2) Dialogue - Books that move from being just a monologue by the author into being a dialogue proves to be difficult to find. However, Drops Like Stars proves to accomplish dialogue in ways that I never felt that a book could accomplish. This is the case in part because of the unique layout, and in part because of the personal stories that Bell weaves in throughout the book. With the photography and personal stories married together throughout, the reading of Drops Like Stars proves to be a very interactive experience.

3) Substance - With what seemingly appears to be little said in Drop Like Stars because of the fact that there are many pictures and less words written, "Stars" may surprise because it is very deep in substance. Bell explores the relationship of suffering with creativity. The question that Bell explores is not "why we suffer?", rather the question he asks is "what now?". Rob Bell writes in a way that allows the reader to listen, to talk back, and to explore. I believe that this style leads to a deeper learning experience.

In many ways this book invites further exploration and further questions. Pat answers will not be found, and the ending does not provide any resolve with any modernistic satisfaction. If you are looking for a typical book experience, this may not be the type of reading for you. However, if you want to interact with something that invites a deeper learning experience this may be something to look at, if for no other reason that it does look very nice on a coffee table.

-Dan Jones

Twirling Umbrellas In Our Own Little World

Fall in central Ohio means rain and lots of it. I own an umbrella that gets rarely used. For at least a year, my umbrella rested under my desk collecting dust. Sure, there were times I could have benefited from using it, but I only realized this when I needed it the most. And by that time, I could do nothing about it. Often, I would be kicking myself when I was in the middle of a down-pour, because I realized that the possibility existed of a wet-free scamper to indoors. This was a snapshot of my relationship with my umbrella, that is until recently.

I was at work, and it had been raining all day. I was about to go on my lunch as I glanced at the weather outside. I was in no mood to fight the elements just for a bite to eat. As I peered down at the floor below my desk, I was reintroduced to my umbrella-friend that was still neatly housed in a plastic sleeve. Perhaps one of the reason I never utilized the umbrella is the 6 inch blade on the end. (It is actually just a metal point, but I can just envision a run in with security guards about the potential "danger", especially in these times.) Either way I made the decision to utilize the umbrella for the first time.

I grabbed the umbrella and took off down stairs. As I reached the bottom of my building, I just realized that I had forgotten my badge, which serves as a clearance to renter the building from outside. Reluctantly, I decided it to be a good idea to go back to my desk on the 7th floor to retrieve my badge. Instead of taking the stairs back up 7 flights, (it is a lot easier to go down, then going back up), I decided to take advantage of the open elevator. As I entered the elevator with two other individuals, I have to admit, I was in my own little world. (In all reality, I was way to excited to actually use my new friend the umbrella.) I was in the front of the elevator looking down at the pointed end of the umbrella and I just twirled the end against the floor. As I was doing this, for some unexplained reason, I decided that the plastic sleeve that housed the umbrella needed to come off. Still in my own little world, I slowly lifted the end point on the umbrella and I placed my hand around the plastic sleeve and pulled it off revealing the full glory of the umbrella. (Dangerous point and all.)

To my surprise and humor, the other two individuals had been watching me the entire time. Actually, as I pulled the umbrella from the plastic sleeve, I am positive that they may have been thinking that I was going to attack them with the metal point. Their eyes were as wide as can be, and of course looking back, I can see their concern. I pulled that umbrella out they way you pull a knife or gun out of the holster. I started laughing as I realized how this might of looked to the other two individuals. I reassured them that as ominous as my pointy umbrella looked, I had no plans for any attack on them. Once we arrived at the fourth floor, the two individuals jetted out of there without looking back. (I admit that this made me laugh out loud as I reached my stop at the 7th floor.) It is amazing how when we get caught up in our own little world, we become very unaware of what is going on around us.

If we are not careful, followers of Christ can get caught up in the sub-culture of Christian religiosity. This sub culture is much bigger then we sometimes realize. When you have Christan music, Christian apparel, Christian bumper stickers, Christian talk-radio, Christian television, Christian News, and even Christian magazines, we can get swallowed up by our own little Christian world. This isn't even considering the fact that we have built Christian buildings, Christian Schools, and even Christian sports leagues. Is it no wonder that we can loose sight of what our mission can and should be within this world.

I remember in my short stint in youth ministry, there was a point where I felt very convicted about the fact that I did not have one meaningful relationship outside of church, not one! How is it that I can connect with God's mission to be a blessing to the world (Light on the hill) when I didn't even have one relationship with anyone out side of the church building. How many of us that follow Christ can be convicted in the same way?

In the same way that I got caught up twirling my umbrella in my own little world in the elevator that one day, I believe that the danger exists as Christ followers that we too can get caught up within our own sub-culture, to the point where we are in danger of becoming irrelevant to the world around us. It can be possible to be swallowed up completely in our own world that we may not have any meaningful connections in a postmodern culture that values authenticity. Maybe we need to infuse this culture in which we exist with the kingdom living that is "not of this world" but very much within this world.

-Dan Jones