The Shack by William P Young
Reading every page was warming and life making. It was inspiring, challenging and encouraging.
Judging a book by its cover is very easy with The Shack. The grabbing picture tells it all, yet leaves a bit of mystery for the reader. This transforming “fiction” book plants messages that cause the reader to stop and think, ask questions, challenge thoughts and ideas, laugh and sometimes cry. From start to finish this book never stops one moment, so be prepared to go on a journey, literally, with a Man who begins to see his life, his world in a new way.
"I can see now," confessed Mack, "that I spend most of my time and energy trying to acquire what I have determined to be good, whether it’s financial security or health or retirement or whatever. And I spend a huge amount of energy and worry fearing what I’ve determined to be evil" Mack sighed deeply.
"Such truth in that," said Sarayu gently. "Remember this. It allows you to play God in your independence. That’s why a part of you prefers not to see me. And you don’t need me at all to create your list of good and evil. But you do need me if you have any desire to stop such an insane lust for independence." (pg. 135-136)
William P. Young’s attempt at making a representation of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit through this book is a thrilling engagement between these individuals as they tackle issues that we confront everyday. The imagery factualizes the truths that we so earnestly seek after but are so afraid to recognize in our practical daily existence.
The Shack is the home to many searching individuals like myself who seek for the truth but at the same time are afraid of what we might find. The book invites us to be open, honest and truthful to ourselves and to God. There isn’t anything that He doesn’t know about, yet. Yet still He limits Himself in such a way that we can come to Him in total submission and tell Him we need Him as much as He wants us to recognize that He wants to become a part of us. The book goes beyond telling a story and takes us into a world where reality seems hidden all because our lives are a mess and God wants us to come to Him to clean it up. “Not of ourselves it is the gift of God – lest any man should boast”.
What standards define your judgment? What directs what is right and what is wrong? Willie throws in the thought that “forgiveness does not establish relationship”. While God extends forgiveness to us, it is our choice to come into a relationship with Him.
When you forgive someone you certainly release him or her from judgment, but without true change, no real relationship can be established. This was a stop point in the journey that forced me to further take a conscious look at my reality.
“If anything matters, everything matters.”
The Shack offers insight to a world filled with events that we often judge as unfair or wrong when we seek to look at it through our own eyes. However, while the story might not be “true”, when we look beyond what we see and allow the spirit of God to come in there is a new reality for us to see. That reality depicted by “the Shack” draws us to a realization that in love lies forgiveness and reconciliation.
Faith, forgiveness, love, God’s presence, judgment, and reconciliation imprints the pages of The Shack and seeks to challenge us to rethink the standards and principles we have been brought up to believe and hold onto.
Find a shack and read The Shack.
O. Stephen Peart is the author of Released Expressions – the journey begins, an inspirational journal of quotes and poetry creatively designed to draw from the personal inner thoughts. His contribution extends to writing reviews and prose.
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Released Expressions – the journey begins, is an inspirational journal of quotes, imagery and poetry creatively designed to depict the author’s artistic mind. This book is more than a poetry book but rather and expression of the writer’s inner thoughts and an opening for the reader’s individual expression which is enabled towards the back where there is an open space for those who wish to release their own expressions. |
