Love Wins (except for when people are really mean)

I watched a good movie last night. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like I could say that. The movie was Easy A and it was funny and smart and I don’t need much more than that in a movie. It’s worth putting in your Netflix queue if you haven’t seen it. I especially loved the great supporting cast which included Stanley Tucci, Lisa Kudrow, Thomas Haden Church and Patricia Clarkson.

There was only one thing that bothered me about the movie and I’ve been contemplating it today. As you might gather from the title, the movie is a sort of modern retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlett Letter. To keep with the theme from that book, the main character needs to be persecuted by some Christians. And there was the rub for me. The Christians were outlandish and cartoonish. They were caricatures rather than characters. I felt if the writer and director had created more realistic Christians, the movie would have had even more emotional power to it.

I know there are ridiculously judgmental Christians out there. But aren't most of us are much more subtle in our condescension and judgments?

This is affecting me in two ways. First, I’ve been working for months on a writing project in which I’ve created some Christian characters. For the story to work, one of my Christian characters needs to be judgmental. But I’ve been working hard not to make this character come off like a stereotype. It’s hard. Any tips you might have would be greatly appreciated. What are some of the more judgmental statements you’ve heard along the way from seemingly normal people?

Secondly, all of this relates to a teaching job I have the next three weeks. I’m doing a class called Theology Matters and it is inspired by the hubbub surrounding the publication of Rob Bell’s book Love Wins. Sadly, there was an enormous internet firestorm about this book before it was published (but, I dare say, not too sadly for Rob Bell – nothing sells like controversy!). Ironically, this book that is about NOT judging has brought out some incredibly judgemental responses. Agree or disagree with Rob Bell (and the careful reading I’ve been doing leaves me agreeing with about 93% of what he writes), is the publication of this book any reason to label him an emissary of Satan, a heretic and a false prophet leading thousands to perilous ruin? I’ve been spending a lot of time reading vitriolic web sites this week. After a while I can’t take it anymore because it’s all so sad. Then I find myself wondering how cartoonish the characters from Easy A really are. Whatever happened to subtlety or civility?

Here's some subtle and civil criticism. Although I live in the same town as Rob Bell, I don’t go to his church. I find myself an anachronism, preferring to worship in a place with hymns and an organ. And as a reader and writer, I don’t really connect too much with Rob Bell’s writing style --
which
is
often
like
this.
It’s sort of like reading a grocery list. I have some other criticism of a bit of the book's theology, but you'll have to come to my class to get that out of me.

On the other hand, I want to recommend this book if only for his treatment of the story of the Prodigal Son. I was thinking of preaching on that parable next month and found after reading Love Wins that I changed my mind – because all I’d want to do is plagiarize what Rob Bell wrote. It’s that good.

Read it if you haven’t, and watch Easy A if you haven’t. And most of all, for Christ’s sake, be nice to each other.