The Shack

Apparently, everyone is reading it. "The Shack," by Wm. Paul Young. I'd barely heard of it. I saw it at Costco. I bought it because I was sure it was the next month's book club book. It wasn't. I read it anyway.

The premise (from the book jacket): a young girl, Missy, is abducted on a family camping trip; evidence found in a remote shack suggests she's been murdered. Years later, her father, Mack, receives a note, apparently from God, inviting him back to the shack for a weekend.

If you haven't read it, don't let me spoil it for you. Perhaps you'd best stop reading.

Okay?

I'm pretty suspicious of these pop-culture religious books. I mean, who is this author anyway? Has he read Pannenberg and Tillich? Where's his credentials?

There've been a number of these types of pseudo-religous culture books: Da Vinci Code, The Secret, anything by Joel Osteen, even Oprah qualifies. So I was wary. Got out my Lutheran microscope.

The story is compelling. It's hard to resist being drawn into the character portraits of Mack, wife Nan and their 5 children. The writing is a bit forced with descriptive adjectives but the story line makes up for it.

Mack goes to the shack and finds God. All three of them. (SPOILER ALERT!) God is personified as a large African-American woman who likes to cook, the Spirit is Sarayu, an Asian woman who floats about and emits bright and colorful lights, and Jesus is, well, a Middle Eastern carpenter with a big nose. What did you expect?

I like God in this portrayal. All three of them. I love God as an African American woman who gives big hugs and cooks tasty greens. God also tells Mack she's especially fond of him...and everyone else. I love a God who cooks buttery scones!

During his time with God at the shack, Mack works thorugh his anger and moves toward forgiveness and healing. It's a beautiful journey, with an intriguing portrayal of Sophia, Lady Wisdom. I appreciated the work Mack does around forgiving Missy's killer. We all know (at least in our heads) that holding onto anger only turns our own hearts black.

Mack also learns the nature of God. It's all about dropping personal agendas and trusting in God. Here's a quote of which I am especially fond. Jesus, the Jewish carpenter, is talking to Mack: (p. 181-2)

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"Remember, the peple who know me are the ones who are free to live and love without any agenda."

"Is that what it means to be a Christian?" It sounded kind of stupid as Mack said it, but it was how he was trying to sum up everything in his mind.

"Who said anything about being a Christian? I'm not a Christian."

The idea struck Mack as odd and unexpected and he couldn't keep himself from grinning. "No, I suppose you aren't."

They arrived at the door of the workshop. Again, Jesus stopped. "Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some are bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved."

"Does that mean," asked Mack, "that all roads will lead to you?"

"Not at all," smiled Jesus as he reached for the door handle of the shop. "Most raods don't lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you."

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Not bad, theology. Not bad at all.