The Nooma Revolution
In today's postmodern world, there is no longer a certainty about what is true and right. Christianity is bruised by unhealthy images of bigotry, intolerance, and arrogance. Scandal after scandal, we have become a laughing stock for the world. We would rather throw stones at our fellow brethren as if we are sinless little gods, rather than pull up our sleeves and dirty our hands to help each other.
In the wake of this mess, there are individuals and movements trying to bridge this divide. One such person is Robert (Rob) Bell, the featured speaker in a series of DVDs entitled NOOMA. His tousled hair, black plastic glasses and skinny black jeans spell "geeky-hip." This former punk band member from Wheaton College listens to R.E.M., and loves U2 along with the British transvestite comedian, Eddie Izzard. The uninitiated would never know he is also the founding pastor of one of America's fastest growing churches, Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan.
Sounding more like a talkshow host engaging in an intimate conversation with the viewer than a preacher, Bell gets your attention almost immediately. His penetrating yet warm gaze into the screen almost never shifts throughout the presentation. His communication style is conversational, yet poetic. The background music features the ethereal and minimalist sounds of Icelandic post-rock band, Sigur Rós.
Filmed on location in a variety of contexts such as the woods, a highway, a cafeteria, an airport, and even a train, NOOMA brings commentary on contemporary life to the next level with biblical relevance and poignancy.
NOOMA is the brainchild of three individuals - a design student, a film student, and Rob Bell himself who started a nonprofit company called Flannel. NOOMA was named after the Greek word for "spirit" - pneuma. With 19 volumes released so far, the outreach has been phenomenal, with over 1.2 million copies sold in over eighty countries.
What makes this series tick? Is it the marketing (the cool super slim light blue DVD casings)? Is it the duration (only 10 - 15 minutes long) that pans to the attention deficit culture? Nah. It's the message and the culture.
Since his seminary days in Fuller, Rob Bell has always been creative in his approach to preaching, much to the disdain of his homiletics professors who preferred the more "biblical" expository style. But the old adage rings true - if we do the same things the same way, we will get the same results. Today's postmodern audience is seldom convinced by three-point sermons that seem like dreary monologues. In contrast, Rob Bell excels with hour-long messages presented in a language common to the average urbanite.
Bell also knows too well the human condition - a sinful and painful group of people who long to be good, to do good and to help. But when hampered by irrational dogma and arid tradition, we die. To simply holler that we are DOOMED to a fiery hell unless we accept Jesus will be one of the dumbest things to do to our generation. It insults our intellect. To shove religious beliefs down our throats just because the "Bible says so" berates our individual judgment and critical faculties. To mock at homosexuals and criticize another religion just because we believe we have a corner on the truth is to slap ourselves in the face.
The theme of NOOMA volume nine, "Bullhorn" talks about just that - the passé of the hell, fire and brimstone method of evangelism. If the Church continues to ignore the cry of this generation (of which I'm a part of), she will lose it completely within the next two decades. A prophecy? No, maybe an intelligent guess.
That is why Rob Bell is the maverick preacher that he is. His words and conduct speak authenticity and hope. He does not pretend and spiritualize or put on that "preacher" tone. He's just as he is - very human, but trying his best to live out his life following Jesus. His message is not Pollyanna either - his is full of human pain and suffering - but interwoven in all that is God's grace.
This generation is a very spiritual generation indeed. We yearn for meaning and significance in this world. We are more socially conscious and environmentally concerned. We want to see the starving fed and the homeless sheltered. Not just some rambling about theology and doctrine that is so full of itself that it turns a deaf ear to a shouting world.
We want to "be" Jesus to the world, not just "talk" Jesus. We want to be Christ-followers, not just "Christians." And we want to continue repainting our faith in bold new strokes and colors so that we can boldly proclaim the timeless message in this brave new world.
All we want is a NOOMA revolution.
Benjamin Chew handles marketing communications in SKS Books Warehouse, a Christian bookstore in Singapore. He attends and serves at Church of God (Evangelical). Married with two children, Benjamin is a voracious reader, passionate about writing, and enjoys watching movies.