The Shack

I recently finished reading The Shack by Wm. Paul Young. Now I realize that many people might want to stop reading this blog post immediately after my first sentence.  But I encourage you to hear me out. I hope to be fair and yet honest about what I have read and experienced. This is not intended be a fleshed-out argument either in support or in rebuttal to The Shack, but it is simply a summary of my thoughts.

Why did I choose to read The Shack? … I mentor a 7^th grader from our youth group at church. She mentioned that she was reading the book and also something that she had learned from it. I didn’t have much of a response because I knew very little about the book, so I decided that I should read it for myself.

What did I like about The Shack? … First of all, this book made me think. I thought about my present beliefs about God and His character. I considered their truth or falsehood. And in many cases, this process encouraged me to fall more in love with our God.

For example, at one point in the book, the main character, Mack, is observing the three persons who represent the personhood of God. He speaks of their incredible love for one another and their overwhelming desire to serve one another. I was in awe as I remembered the incredible love God has for all people – even me! I also examined my own life and realized how poorly I love people – even those closest to me. It’s a convicting thought.

Also, as you realize the whole of the story line, you begin to recognize how God had everything planned from the very beginning. He knew exactly what would happen; He allowed Mack to suffer a terrible experience and then consequently brought him into a better and deeper understanding of who God is. The Shack reminds us that we are not exempt from suffering (we are rather pre-disposed to it), but that He always has a bigger purpose – one that we most often do not understand until we are at the end of those experiences.

What did I dislike about The Shack? … There are general things about the book that make me uncomfortable. For instance, the Father is represented in the book by “Papa,” an African-American woman. I am not trying to discriminate in any way, but the Bible is clear that we worship the God of the Universe, not the goddess. In addition, Mack goes to “the shack” because a note has been left in his mailbox, signed by “Papa.” I am not saying that God is incapable of leaving notes for people in their mailbox, but the concept does make me uncomfortable.

As a more important point, the book emphasizes some ideas that I simply do not find to be true in scripture. One thing Papa says is that hierarchy, or the concept of authority, is a direct result of sin and was not ordained by God.  However, in the scriptures, I see many examples of God-ordained authority. In Genesis 1:28, God ordains that man will be in dominion over the animals. In Ephesians, God ordains that husbands should be the heads of their wives and that parents will be in authority over their children. Jesus, himself, states clearly that He can only do on earth the things that the Father tells Him to do (John 5:19)!

Would I recommend The Shack? … Yes and no. I would not recommend The Shack to young, weak, or insecure Christians. This is not a book for those still trying to grasp who God is and how/why God has saved them. However, for stronger Christians who are interested (or Christians mentoring those who are interested), I see nothing wrong with reading the book and I feel that you can learn from it. If you fall in this category, I encourage you to read with an open but active mind. By “open but active,” I mean that you should not judge something you haven’t read yet, but when reading, you must examine the ideas and truths posed. Don’t be judgmental, but don’t be naïve either.