A few weeks ago I read "The Shack' by William P. Young with my book club. Before I read the boo, I had heard a lot of different things - some people liked it, other didn't. Personally, I thought it was a great book.
The basic story line goes something like this:
Mack takes his three children on a camping trip, but his youngest daughter is kidnapped, and believed to have been murdered in a desolate shack. The killer is never found. Years later, Mack received a mysterious note to go to the shack - possibly to meet God. Over a life-changing weekend, Mack learns who God really is and learns to finally let go of the guilt he felt of his daughter's death.
There are a few controversial things about this book. Many people have felt that God being portrayed by a large african american woman is one of them. I have to admit that when I first read about this in the book, I was taken aback as well, but as "God" explains his revelation to Mack, I realized one thing - we cannot put God in a box. Just as the book states, we often think of God as this old, white robed and white bearded man - maybe something like Gandolph in Lord of the Rings - but the fact is that He is nothing like that at all! He is EVERYTHING! He is a nurturing mother to those who need love; he is an adoring father to those who need his compassion; he is a shepherd to those who need his guidance - he is our everything!
Although there are a few things I didn't care for about this book, it certainly had me thinking. I would definitely recommend this to a believer who is strongly rooted in their faith. However, because of some of the questionable "religious" material, I would not recommend this book to a non-believer or a person who is struggling with their faith.
If you have already read "The Shack", what were your thoughts?
2 comments:
I read the book a few years ago. I thought it was good also. I had a really hard time getting into it...because...well you know how it starts. But...it did make me think A LOT after I read it. Definitely worth the read!!
I read this book a couple years ago and I think you described it well. While there were a couple things that were a little "different" it was still a good book and brought to light some of the misconceptions I had. I was thankful to have already had a strong faith.
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