When I read the jacket information about this book I first thought, ”Oh, Right!” It was not a book I would have picked up on my own but like with so many of the books we have read together it was one I was willing to try. I am so glad I did. This book is spiritual without being preachy, religious without being denominational, and inspiring beyond what I thought was possible in a book. Reading this book makes me want to be a better person. The only other book that has inspired me to want to be better is Freedom Writers. I wanted to be an even better teacher after reading that one!
But, back to The Shack! I cannot imagine the horror of losing a small child to a serial killer, knowing that she was brutalized and murdered. The helplessness that Mack called The Great Sadness seemed so real. It was like he could not catch a break—horrible father, leaving home so early, finally having a great family that he had missed as a child—then losing his youngest daughter to murder nearly losing his second daughter to grief is more than enough to make a person yell and scream at God for not doing something. Mack did not yell but he did not deal with his own grief as well as he thought he was doing. SOOOO, when he receives a typed note from Papa asking him to meet at the very shack where his life had fallen apart was a stretch for him. I am amazed he went but then I think he went hoping it was the killer and he could possibly get some revenge.
How do you imagine your relationship with God? We are all involved in our own relationships and our own religions. Do we actually visualize the Trinity? Is Jesus the Jewish man Mack meets or the rather buff man hanging from the crucifix? Do we ever think of God as a robust African woman who loves to cook and laugh? Is the Holy Spirit a lady from the Asian continent who never sits still and shows beauty in everything? I do not. I am not sure I ever put a face to the Trinity. So, the question is how would I react meeting them as Mack did? I think I would be a lot more skeptical than he was and he had plenty of skepticism to go around!
While I will not go into a long listing of my relationship with God, I will tell you what I liked about the book! I liked the way Mack was led gently into his relationship with God. I liked that there was no judgment but unconditional love. I liked that Mack was able to forgive his father and to know that Missy was truly ok. I liked the concept that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit liked one another and worked in unison—truly a Trinity. I loved when Mack was informed that religion as an institution was how others seemed to control those who follow its version of what is a relationship with God. I loved that God points out that all humanity is part of his love—Muslim, Buddhists, Jews and Christians among those he holds dear. I also liked that he was able to take the police back to the cave and gathered the remains of his daughter. Even more I liked that evidence collected led to the arrest and apparent conviction of the Ladybug Killer. God had promised him that the killer would be punished if only Mack could forgive him. I liked that God said forgiveness did not mean forgetting or even a lack of anger. I wish the leaders of our country would read this book and take it to heart. Heck, I wish everyone would read it and then the world might actually become a better place!
What did I dislike? Can’t really think of anything! Thanks for the suggestion and for sharing the book among ourselves. I must admit that I try to look at the world with different eyes having read this. It is difficult to look around and always see the good in life where those I love are dealing with health problems, lack of employment, the inability to care for themselves and their loved ones, cancer, depression and so much else. I have to remind myself that God is there assisting each to deal with what they must regardless of how I think it should be handled. It is not the easiest thing to do. I am one of God’s people who fight to maintain in relationship, opting for the nouns instead of the verbs! This book makes me want to let go of the control and enjoy what there is to be enjoyed in living in a relationship with God and with my fellow humans!!!
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