Drops Like Stars by Rob Bell

Some people love Rob Bell. Some people despise him. I fall in the middle. I personally do not believe that Rob is out to be the world’s foremost theologian, but rather he is trying to bring timeless truths of the Bible into our lives right here and right now. How does he do that? By stepping outside of the normal.

Drops Like Stars is not the status quo. Although similar in writing style to all of Bell’s previous books you will be surprised at the over sized and highly visual coffee table book that drives you to ask yourself difficult questions about the connections between suffering and your response to suffering. Bell’s dramatic pauses and short sentences continue to draw out the best in the reader by provoking countless inter-mingled thoughts about what is really happening when suffering occurs. Regardless of who we are or where we live; suffering will happen.

There will be be plenty of people that will throw up there hands and post reviews of Bell’s book saying that he is a theological heretic (example: pg 69 – “Is the cross God’s way of saying, ‘I know how you feel’?”) but people who read this brilliant book to find Bell’s flaws will sorely miss the point: suffering is going to happen and our response to it is what draws us together or pulls us apart. How are you going to respond to the suffering you encounter throughout your life?

This book really hits home for me. On pages 58 & 59 Bell uses an example from my extended life. Although not connected when the incident happened, acquaintances from my college years, Josh & Shelly Buck suffered two tragedies. First they lost a daughter to a tragic accident and then a couple years later Josh suffered a spinal cord injury that has left him paralyzed. To quote Rob, “How much pain can one young family endure?” (pg. 59)

Yet through all of the ups and downs that the Buck’s and others have had to endure: suffering leads us to a place of action or apathy. What will it be for you?

I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of Drops Like Stars and sit down and read it through more than once. I know I will.

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