Drops Like Stars: A Few Thoughts on Creativity and Suffering

In Drops Like Stars, the New York Times bestselling author of Love Wins explores the complex relationship between suffering and creativity. Rob Bell (“One of the country’s most influential evangelical pastors” —New York Times) suggests that art can be found in the agony of our lives.  Fans of the thought-provoking works of Donald Miller, N.T. Wright, Brian McLaren, and Timothy Keller will find true enlightenment in this thoughtful and engaging book from this vibrant, progressive voice for a new generation of Christians, the prolific pastor whom Time Magazine named one of the most influential people of 2011.

This thought-provoking book explores the profound connection between our wounds and our work, reframing suffering not as an obstacle, but as the raw material for creation:

• The Art of Disruption: How unexpected tragedy—having our "boxes smashed"—can force us to imagine a new future we never would have chosen, but desperately need.
• The Art of Honesty: Why pain has a way of cutting through pretense, making us more honest with ourselves and others, and opening up the "empty place" inside.
• The Art of Solidarity: Uncover how shared suffering creates a unique bond that transcends all differences, reminding us that God is not distant but is "screaming alongside us."
• Finding Meaning in Pain: A powerful perspective shift that reframes mistakes and heartbreak not as endings, but as the flawed, essential places where the Spirit enters.

| When we encounter pain and suffering, our lives are disrupted. Our normal paths and expectations come to a halt. Suffering forces us to take a new path, to create new expectations. In Drops Like Stars, Bell shows us how art does the same thing; it disrupts us, forces us to see the world differently and to forge new expectations. How will we reimagine suffering when we realize that God sees our lives as works of art? |

“Drops Like Stars is an exciting new direction for the prolific pastor.” - Relevant Magazine

“Rob Bell is one of the hottest names in contemporary evangelical life.” - Boston Globe

“Bell is at the forefront of a rethinking of Christianity in America.” - Time magazine

“One of the country’s most influential evangelical pastors.” - New York Times

“One of the nation’s rock-star-popular young pastors.” - USA Today

“Bell weaves inspiring stories of people who turned their suffering into something transformative, and many of these stories are memorable.” - Publishers Weekly

“In this spunky little book filled with photographs… Bell looks at the suffering, pain, and loss that often knock the wind out of us and threaten to destroy our hope for the future.” - Spirituality and Practice