The Shack

Wow, is this book hot or what? It seems everywhere I go, people are reading this book. I feel blessed that my book group chose to read this book at this time and have such a stirring discussion; with so many people reading this book, I feel better equipped to discuss this book with Christians and non-Christians alike. This is what came of 15 or so of us talking about what we read.

The book opens with the story of Mack and his Great Sadness, which we quickly learn is related to his daughter's disappearance from a family camping trip three years previous. His daughter, Missy, was never found and presumed murdered based on her bloody clothes found on the floor of a shack in the Oregon wilderness. Then the Great Sadness set in for Mack. His wife and family, including his other daughter Kate, all struggle to return to living life. It is a broken family. One winter day, a note arrives inviting Mack to visit "the" shack, signed Papa, his wife's name for God. Mack, after deciding he wasn't completely crazy, shuttled his family off for the weekend, borrowed a friend's car, and headed for the shack.

It would take many paragraphs to fully describe Mack's time at the shack, so please realize I am going to gloss over so many fabulous parts of the book here.

At the shack, Mack meets Papa (God), who appears as a black woman; Jesus, a Middle-Eastern man with a typically large nose; and the Holy Spirit, who appears as an ethereal Asian lady named Sarayu. Mack shares meals with all three, and he has many one-on-one conversations with Papa, Jesus and Sarayu as he struggles to understand the Trinity and the tragedy of Missy's disappearance and death.

A favorite scene is Mack's meeting with Sophia, the judge. Mack meets Sophia in a cave and there he learns about how he judged God and held onto his pain and anger instead of giving them to God. Mack wasn't consciously trying to judge God but did so by blaming God for not stopping what happened and for not loving Missy perfectly. Haven't we all done that to some degree? Forgiveness was a big theme throughout Mack's weekend as he was reunited with his alcoholic and abusive father (who had been dead for several years) and as Papa helped Mack start on the path of forgiveness for the killer.

By the end of the weekend, Mack finds peace with God and lets go of the Great Sadness. As he leaves the shack he is involved in a serious car accident that hospitalizes him for a month. As he wakes up, he shares his story and experiences with Nan his wife and repairs his relationship with his daughter.

All in attendance at the meeting thoroughly enjoyed this book. The discussion centered around the question, "would you give this book to a non-Christian or new Christian?" There was a split decision there. Many felt the book was a great tool to help people learn more about God and His love and forgiveness and to get people to church and to the Bible. So many of the scenes emotionally resonated with most of our book club readers, which can be a good place to begin in sorting through what one really believes. Others felt, while a good read, it had a very theological tone to it that could mislead people on issues that are often debated (free-will vs. predestination, the Trinity, salvation, the nature of forgiveness, etc). We all agreed that it would be dangerous to read this book as if it is true biblical doctrine and accurate portrayal of some very hard to understand concepts of Christian faith.

This book is touching in its message, but is far short of Biblical truth. The author with great talent weaves a compelling tale about loss, pain, forgiveness and renewal, but in the process departs radically from other Scriptural principles. I was touched by the theme of the book which is experiencing forgiveness. I was saddened however, by the absence of other Biblical concepts, including God's transcendence and majesty. God in three persons has been reduced to two common women and a man.

I'm fully supportive of going "outside the box" to communicate Biblical truth. This title however, goes outside of Biblical truth to communicate a message of sentiment rather than Scripture. I don't recommend it -- new believers should especially be encouraged to avoid it.

One of the most amazing books I've ever read (and I rarely read fiction). When my wife and I finished the book, we ordered 12 more (to give away to people)....WOW!!

This is the best, most thought provoking book I've read in a long time. In many ways it may rub pople the wrong way in the same way that Shane Clayboune's "Irresistable Revolution" did, in that it might lead you to question aspects of religion or think about it differently.

I think it's important for Christians to also be critical thinkers, and this book as an interesting work of fiction will probably cause you to give some thought to areas of your life you might not have otherwise.

This isn't to say it's an easy read. There are some pretty difficult moments, and some moments in which you may think the authors has an agenda which doesn't align with what you believe. For myself, I enjoy being challenged with new ideas, and this book did that while providing a very good story.

So I endorse the book. Enjoy it.

I have made several book purchases on Amazon.com and this is the first time in 5 years i received the book the very next day. Talk about fast service, this company has it perfected. They are simply the best of the best. Keep up the GREAT work