Thursday, January 8, 2015

The Shack 2007 William P. Young

“It would be like this bird, whose nature it is to fly, choosing only to walk
and remain grounded. He doesn’t stop being a bird,
but it does alter his experience of life significantly.”

This analogy was an explanation of Jesus becoming man, fully human, while also remaining fully God. I love the simple picture it paints of such a complex concept.

This book is one I’ve heard about for several years now, and I finally took time to read it this past week. I have to admit I wasn’t convinced I would like it, even after reading well into it, although I can’t really say why. I suppose all of the stress in my life right now has taken it’s toll on my ability to enjoy things I would normally spend a great deal of time on – like reading, creating, going for walks. But I’m very pleased to say that, by the end of the story, I reached the conclusion that it really is a great story, very well written, with interesting perceptions of how God may interact with us if we were given the opportunity Mack experienced.

I was also pleased to find that the theological issues that were raised were dealt with in very logical, easy-to-understand ways, and didn’t seem to go against anything I’ve learned or come to believe from my own relationship with God. In fact, I found the author’s ideas about just that – our relationship with God – were actually along the lines of what I’ve been figuring out in my own life, which was both comforting and amusing.

Overall, I would say I recommend this book to anyone who has time to read it; it takes a tragic story of loss, anger, confusion, and ultimately forgiveness, and weaves in a relatable, endearing encounter with our triune Creator that will leave you wanting to find something similar for yourself.

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