Addendum, including Natalia LaFourcade

First, watch this. And try not listening to 'Ella es Bonita' on repeat for the rest of your life. Natalia LaFourcade is the real deal, get your mitts on Hu Hu Hu if you don't have it. Seriously. Now.

Second, Kevin DeYoung wrote (easily) the best thing I've read yet on the Rob Bell Brouhaha that's taking the interwebs by storm (and, admittedly, I hopped into). Please follow this link and read what he says.

Subtly Selling Lies as Truth

Follow this link. Read Justin Taylor's blog, but more importantly watch the Rob Bell video. But you might not want to watch it more than once, it has the ability to put a bad taste in your mouth. **Note: I saw this by Kevin DeYoung right after I posted this entry. If you skip my blog and read it instead, it's even more enlightening.

And if Rob Bell turns out to be either a full-blown universalist or Karl Barth-type universalist (i.e. his arguments lead him to the logical conclusion of universalism, but he can't quite go there) it wouldn't surprise me. But the philosophically-appealing idea of universalism is unfortunately found nowhere in the Bible, so it simply isn't something we can hold to as Christians.

But what raises an internal sorrow and an internal uproar are the following comments Rob Bell makes in his video:

"Millions and millions of people were taught that the primary message of the gospel...is that God is going to send you to hell unless you believe in Jesus. And so what gets subtly caught and taught is that Jesus rescues you from God."

Everything about this statement is as Biblically unsound as the idea of universalism and it grieves my heart that Christians can buy even these ideas as truth...The truth is that we chose hell, we chose to disobey God and our sin brought upon us all the punishment we deserved. But in His love, God sent Christ to die to offer salvation to all. So ultimately Jesus rescues you from YOURSELF, and from the wrath of God that your actions merit. Romans 5 gives an excellent picture of what our sin has brought upon ourselves and the righteousness Christ's obedience grants us.

Consequently, "we should rejoice that God is gracious and merciful in saving anyone" (Mark Driscoll). And this grace should change us so much that the gospel truly becomes good news--good news that we wish to share with a lost and broken world. Read this book for lots of amazing tidbits, especially the chapters on Predestination and Grace.

So, I guess in the end, I'm worried that Rob Bell, while fighting against this untruth, replaces it with the untruth of universalism. And I'm worried that part of the major reason he may do this is because he fails to see our responsibility and place as ill-deserving sinners who have spat in the face of God. And because he ultimately fails to see what true grace is: a divine miracle that God, through Jesus, offers salvation to all, though only some will respond. A salvation that empowers us, like Paul, to spread it like the good news that it is.

When you met me you were numb...

...from the voice in your head
Conspiracy delusions that your boyfriend kept fed
I swear I want nothing, just give me your hand
I've got the cure for the shape that you're in
-The Low Anthem, "Apothecary Love"

I think I've found my calling. If Jocie Adams worked at NASA and then left that life behind to play a mean clarinet for the Low Anthem, I can easily leave science, take up a woodwind instrument, and join a folk band...

But seriously, the Rhode Island (semi-local!) band, The Low Anthem, make some of the most gorgeous music known to mankind. 'Smart Flesh' (out today) delivers with moving lyrics, sweeping harmonies, heart-stopping clarinet, crooning pedal steel, and the Low Anthem staple, the pump organ. Watch their performance on Letterman here.

Well, so long grad school, I've gotta go learn me a woodwind instrument.

We set controls for the heart of the sun

one of the ways we show our age...

For some reason, I've been excessively tired over the past couple weeks. So with the warmer weather, I had this idea that if I went running, it would give me more energy. You know, like finally burning all that energy I've been storing up in my heavy-carb diet? You see the logic, and you're not even a biophysicist.

Well, instead I'm extremely tired and gave up all attempts at productivity. On the positive side of things, I ran in shorts and ran 6 miles!

Anyways, watch this video. And, as a bonus, this one. James Murphy is seriously one of the coolest people and best songwriters alive. Seeing the end of LCD Soundsystem is quite sad.

Why the Trinity matters...

In his devotional on Lord's Day 8 of the Heidelberg Catechism, KDY ends his discussion on the doctrine of the trinity with highlight three ways this doctrine should affect our lives as Christians. Here, I share two:

"Two, the trinity matters for evangelism and cultural engagement. I've heard it said that the two main rivals to a Christian worldview at present are Islam and postmodernism. Islam emphasizes unity--unity of language, culture, and expression--without allowing much variance for diversity. Postmodernism, on the other hand, emphasizes diversity--diversity of opinion, beliefs, and background--without attempting to see things in any kind of meta-unity. Christianity, with it understanding of God as three in one, allows for diversity and unity. If God exists in three distinct persons who all share the same essence, then it is possible to hope that God's creation may exhibit stunning variety and individuality while still holding together in a genuine oneness.

Three, the Trinity matters for relationships. We worship a God who is in constant and eternal relationship with Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Community is a buzz word in American culture, but it is only in a Christian framework that communion and interpersonal community are seen as expressions of the eternal nature of God. Likewise, it is only with a Trinitarian God that love can be an eternal attribute of God. Without a plurality of persons in the Godhead, we would be forced to think that God created humans so that He might show love and know love, thereby making love a created thing (and God a needy deity). But with a biblical understanding of the Trinity, we can say that God did not create in order to be loved, but rather created out of the overflow of the perfect love that had always existed among Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who ever live in perfect and mutual relationship and delight."

-KDY, The Good News We Almost Forgot