Velvet Elvis

So, a friend of mine recommended that I read a book called, "Velvet Elvis". If I had known it was a "God" book, I wouldn't have bothered borrowing it from him. I don't know why I didn't pick up on that...I mean we were talking about God stuff when he brought it up. Anyways, so I started it Thursday night and I just finished it today, two days later. I can't begin to say enough about this book. For the last two years or so, I've had all of these thoughts about how Christianity works in my life and in our society that I just couldn't effectively put into words. Things about my view of spirituality and specifically the cross-section between spirituality and Christianity. I had all of these amorphous thoughts about how blighted organized religion is and at the same time how necessary and God-mandated/condoned it is. Things about the fact that being a Jesus-follower doesn't mean being a rules follower, it's about freedom to be everything I was created to be... the ultimate reality. But, most of all, that questioning and stretching the rubber band of beliefs is necessary and beautiful. So, the point is that I've had trouble articulating this, but he did it. He did it in a creative, easy to understand, yet researched and defended way. Not to say this book answered my questions, but rather that he said about Christianity the very things I was thinking without the words. Reading this book, I felt like he put on paper my philosophy of Christianity. Of course there are things in there that don't perfectly resonate with me, but in some parts, I felt like I was reading my thoughts translated into English. I think that anyone that's ever considered, doubted, questioned, criticized, accepted Christianity should read this book. This is the first book written by a Christian about a Christian-y topic that I have ever liked. Really. Ok, I'm done. Just read it: Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell.