Pete's Pick: Rob Bell

Rob Bell – Drops Like Stars

Rob Bell is a person who helps stretch me in my faith. Most of the time when I read what he writes or listen to his podcast I feel like he is helping to expose various aspects of my thinking and soul that I have not yet thought about. His perspective on religion is one that I feel is right on, in most parts, and has really helped me grow in my faith as well. Bell is a pastor at a large church in Michigan, but is also a well known author. He has written 4 books, with his most current one being Drops Like Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering.

When I first got Drops Like Stars in the mail I was shocked at the size of it. Bell’s books have had the same dimensions and style, physically, and this book looked like a Rob Bell book on steroids. But I was very anxious to crack it open and start reading into Bell’s mind and teachings once again. The entire book is based on the idea of why art happens, why we create. That suffering is a universal feeling we all can relate to and usually leads to great connections with people on many levels, including art.

This is not a deep and theological book. It is not a book, like his others, that will speak tons of truths into your life. But it is a book that will make you think, and for me helped me appreciate art in a different way, I am not an artsy type of guy. But now I do understand it in a deeper sense. This is also a book that will only take you 45 minutes or so to read, but I imagine a book that you will come back to again and pick it up.

The one downside to the book is that it is expensive. I got mine off Amazon for $20, but it was retailing for around $50… yikes… so my advice, is to hunt around and find it at a good price. I would also strongly suggest and recommend Bell’s other books; Velvet Elvis, Sex God and Jesus Wants to Save Christians… check out his podcasts too!

-- pete