Oh No, Not Another Nooma!

I was looking for the 7 volumes of Martin Luther's sermons on Christianbook.com and came across a NOOMA video (You can see it at http://www.christianbook.com/nooma?event=NOOMA18VHP although it may eventually be taken down). I've heard many things said against these NOOMA videos and the man featured in them, Robb Bell. Based upon what what I've heard, I made a rash, negative, harsh, judgment.

Now though, I watched for myself this new video in the NOOMA series called "Name." I want to stay clear of being prejudice or critical. I watched it bearing this in mind. I do realize the importantance of relevance. If I remember reading correctly, even Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers understood the importantance of keeping up to date with the times. Well, the NOOMA series does just that (perhaps way too much though). A description on Christianbook.com of the DVD series says it best:

"Today's generation demand a new format for getting Christian perspectives. Nooma is the new format. It's short films with communicators that really speak to us. Concise and to the point, 10- to 14-minute DVDs tackle topics like forgiveness, discipleship, and unconditional love, making biblical truths vivid and relevant for today's generation"

Before I get into the video I watched, we must understand that there is a line that must be drawn as to how relevent we, as professing Christians, are allowed to go. It's safe to say that if you must do away with the truth in order to be relevent, this is too far. Infact, I feel sadden when I think that a professing believer in the Son of God could ever do this. To toss the truth off to be relevent looks similiar to when Judas betrayed the the Christ with a kiss.

There are certain areas in which we need to be relevent but I think many of the ways in which we've become relevent aren't the ways we're suppose to. You might ask, "Well can you show us the proper way to be relevent?" To which I reply, no I haven't figured it out myself yet either. I will say this though. They're too many factors to take into consideration when finding an answer to that question.

Anyways on to the video...I'm going to describe it as best I can neutrally. I've made a judgment regarding it but it's first by examing what I've seen in the video. Throughout the video you see various people taking off shirts and on the back of the shirt is a word or phrase. At first I didn't quite understand what these words meant but then I realized these are words that people use to describe WHO they are. Every new shirt they shed, you see a new word printed on the back which show all the factors and labels which can make up WHO a person is. The goal of the video is to get stirred up within people to find out the answer to the question as to their real identities, "Who are you?" It is at this point that I find a major problem. Indeed, I agree the question is an important one. However, the way Robb Bell assumes we find the answer to that question is by what we see. We're flesh and blood, we're neighbors, we're husbands and wives, we're teachers, we're on a more deeper level HIV positive as he shows in the video, we're liberal, we're orthodox, we're faithless, etc., we're made up of our history, this makes us who we are. Everything comes together, all the ingredients are mixed and out comes the results of our own individual unique persons.

Robb Bell is speaking in a fleshly sense. He talks as if they're isn't anything called "faith" whereby you lay hold of something which is the real substance. This is a very crucial key and for many I believe through this video, the spiritual, the invisible, which endures forever will be darkened. Whereas the flesh faileth and the world passeth away, yet by this video this is all viewers will know. I don't question Bell's sincerity in wanting to give a dying world hope but their hope isn't in this dying world that they're apart of; they're hope isn't going to be found in anything that they can see. To say it rightly, you aren't what you do, your deeds don't declare who you are, what declares who you are is God. That is what makes you who you are. I guess we can put our finger on the problem this way: the focal point of the problem, as this is the main reason of all problems is the fact that Robb Bell attempts to usurp Christ and God out of the picture. God's word has no power. Man's word and deeds do. What we see is what we get. God says your righteous in heaven though on earth your unrighteous. So what is the real you? If we used the devilish wisdom I'm assuming Robb Bell is using, it would be the flesh and what you do down here. Yet the life that is lived by faith, says the other. You really are not what you see but what you hope for.

I would say to be very careful of these NOOMA videos and Robb Bell. I've written the best that I can and I also understand my writing to be very imperfect. Also my intellectual powers aren't fully strengthened and illuminated but still I'm faulty in my thinking. Please forgive me for my errors and if you find any improvements that you might suggest to make, please let me know. However, from what I've analyzed up until this point, I say, be on guard against this!

Comments anyone? Want to hear your responses...