The Shack

Well, I finished reading William P Young's "The Shack" recently. I heard some raving reviews early on after its appearance, but hadn't felt really pulled to read it. In fact, whenever someone feels strongly about something, I tend to shy away and push my feelings in the other direction. But, around Christmastime, a friend gave me the book to read so we could discuss it. Then, through a series of events involving my weasly sister, I misplaced the book (by misplaced, I mean, my sister added it to her collection) so I didn't get around to it until this month. Then I started reading it. I don't want to be too opinionated and risk pissing someone off or the opposite, but I feel I should share my opinion because... I can. And because I found some aspects of the book quite troubling.

I must say, this is a really well-written book. I liked the words and the way it flowed, and the plot/conversations and things were very convincing. The plot itself is actualy troubling. It revolves around someone who's daughter was the victim of violent crime, and, while it doesn't share any gruesome details, being in the head of a father experiencing a kidnapping and murder is hard. Being the mother of two girls, it was just hard to read and feel like I was relating with the father character.

The book isn't really about that murder, but about how the main character, Mackinzie, deals with it and fights with God over it. Basically, he ends up encountering God at the place where they believed the crime took place. He goes back a few years later and has this experience with God, personified as three distinct personalities, representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So, with that said, you know the plot. From the time he meets up with God to most of the end, the story is mostly conversation, while Mackinzie grapples with these questions about God and life and suffering that I think everyone who's experienced grief asks. The answers you get... well, it's a blend of truth, theology, comfort and heracy.

I really appreciated the fresh perspectives on things. I liked the theme that God is not who we think He is. Because He isn't. He's new and changing, yet old and predictable. He's so many things that we could never, ever explain it all or fit it into our minds even if we could explain it. We've tried and tried, and I believe that this book does a really good job explaining some things that are hard to put into words.

I liked a lot of the answers. Having struggled with questions about why God allows evil and how He works through it, I was glad to relate with Mackinzie. There were so many good answers given. So much theology laced in through the casual conversations and thoughts. It made me wonder at how little of God I know, and how much there is yet to understand. It made me love him more as I thought about what it would be like to meet up with Jesus and walk on the lake with him, or eat supper wtih God Himself. It made me long for closer fellowship with Him.

What I can't get over, and why I can't recommend the book, is the fallacies that are sprinkled in. I guess that's all I have to say about it. Amidst these solid truths, I found things that, no matter how much I tried, I could not reconsile with Scripture. So, if you read it, you have to really pray that God will show you the truth and help you discern. And you have to remember, just because the characters speaking are God, doesn't mean that the book was written by Him. :)