Find the Big Jesus: An Interview with Rob Bell

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In writing this now and going through the interviews and exposing deeply personal truths, does it feel like you are painting your own "Velvet Elvis" or more that you are actually dancing naked in front of people while trying to live like Jesus? Because you really lay yourself out there.

Well...It would be great if the leaders that are telling everyone that they need to trust Jesus actually did it. I have a wonderful opportunity to actually live what I'm talking about.

I've had too many experiences where I was carried through by a strength that was not my own so I'm not worried about that. It is very, very humbling and I'm blown away by the people who are with me on this.

Everywhere I go I meet people who know that there is something more and they know that the Jesus life can be so much more and if I, for whatever reason, get to be a voice for that and tell them all they are not crazy, that is not a bad life. I'll take that.

Do you have a favorite prayer or a favorite mantra that you like?

My favorite and most oft-repeated mantra is probably, "God, what are you telling me now?" When I'm studying or running or just trying to make it through a difficult day or work through criticism or work through praise, whatever it is, "What are you saying to me through this? What is the deeper stream? What are you pointing out? What is the thing going on that is missing?"