Behind the scenes
When our guides are no longer our guides
I recently read a piece about the evolution and trajectory of Rob Bell’s life and work that stirred up some feelings. There were points I agreed with (trips to a chain supermarket—even one as cool as Trader Joes—as an essence of joy?). But mostly, as some of the commenters pointed out, it felt off-putting—as if people aren’t supposed to change and should always be available for our own consumption (I’m sure that wasn’t necessarily the author’s intent, but I felt at least a bit of that coming through).
I get the disappointment one might feel if they haven’t moved in the same direction as their one-time teacher. If they no longer find value in what that guide now has to say. But isn’t that just the nature of being human? We all change. Did you expect him to be the same person that he was 15 years ago?
Maybe I sympathize with Bell because I know I’ve “outgrown” many of my own guides from my early years of deconstruction. I’m no longer that same person who started questioning my faith in and shortly after college. I’ve changed, but some of those guides haven’t changed along with me. And that’s okay. I just move on.
Or do I? If I’m honest, maybe I don’t move on as easily as I think I do. Because even if I’m not writing hit pieces on why I’ve moved on from guides from my past, I do sometimes low-key (did I use that right?) judge them. And maybe the ones who don’t affirm the value and humanity of our LGBTQIA+ siblings are worthy of a bit of that judgement, but what about the ones who simply have more rigid doctrinal standards? Or have higher views of scripture? Maybe I can still value what they taught me without looking down on them. And I try to.
And here’s the thing: I think Rob Bell does just that. I still follow him on the socials, and despite moving beyond the confines of “orthodox” religion, he’s not writing pieces on how upset he is that his followers haven’t all moved on along with him. And considering how he was treated by many of those within the “orthodox” camp, that’s quite an accomplishment! He accepts that we all change, grow, and evolve differently and at different paces—and that we may never end up in the same place.
I was never a Rob Bell stan, but I did read Jesus Wants to Save Christians, Velvet Elvis, and What is the Bible?, watched the documentary The Heretic about his embrace of universalism, listened to his podcast, and saw him in 2018 on his Holy Shift tour with Peter Rollins. His work has been very influential for me. And while he’s been quieter recently and his current work (podcast, plays, art) has moved beyond anything explicitly religious, it still follows a trajectory of finding joy and peace in life. It may no longer be found in specific religious teachings and may not be the way I would talk about God and spirituality, but, honestly, who cares?
*Behind the scenes posts are of a more personal nature and are not shared with subscribers via email or notification, but are published nonetheless because I find the writing and sharing process to be therapeutic.*