I had the chance to read this week, and must admit that I was blown away by “The Shack”. If you are a Christian, get your hands on this book. It is so amazing.
As soon as I finished, I handed it to my mother and she read it and now she is buying copies for her mother and sisters. I can’t even begin to tell you the emotional roller coaster I went through in reading it – I’m sure you can understand as you read it before me. I was a mess in reading it. What I loved the most (and there were numerous things) was the fact that everything was explained so well, and so easily. For the first time, I actually could put into words “The Trinity” and what it means to forgive and be forgiven. I love how “Papa” was explained, although I must admit that I can’t seem to call Him that. It’s too personal for me, to foreign, although I was humbled and infatuated with Papa as a woman and how the book went out of it’s way to not give gender to God. I love how the cabin was described, oh my goodness. I felt such comfort, such a “being at home” feeling, and yet, I was as much in awe and praise as Mack was. Jesus was just as I imagined, and let me tell you – the “Jesus, I thought you wouldn’t be so ugly” conversation had me rolling. I particularly fell in love with the “walking on water” and the 2 foot trout. The grief that Mack and Nan went through (although I was disappointed a bit by Nan’s quick exit home) after Missy’s death was hard to take. I had to stop several times and just breathe and calm down before picking the book up again and continuing. The horror, the terror, the not knowning…I can’t imagine ever going through something like that, and I will pray every day not to ever experience anything like it. I felt for Mack, like he was a real person. I cried with him, especially when the two men held him up as he identified Missy’s red dress in the cabin.
The description of how the cabin changed – I felt almost like I had stepped into “Bambi” for a few minutes, but was blown away by the images presented. I love how I could almost feel the hugs and smell the cooking. I loved how Papa and Jesus and Sarayu were described. I was particularly fond of how the Holy Spirit in person was described. I could simply see her in my head and imagine her, and it was the first time for me to ever do so.
I loved Papa’s gift of “fixing Mack’s eyes”. I found his interpretation of what Heaven is like to be fascinating and I was compelled to read more with each page turn. Missy looking through the waterfall made me burst into tears. It was so difficult emotionally to read and I could hardly make it through, and yet, when it was over, I felt drained and healed, and was able to let go some of the horror.
The analogies, the metaphors, and the interpretations of this book are the best I’ve ever read of what it means to follow Christ, and to understand the Bible’s main points in how to be saved, forgiven, and follow. I am so pleased with you sharing it with me – I can only give you a heartfelt thank you. I sincerely fell in love with this book and would never have even picked it up if you hadn’t recommended it to me.
There was one or two bits in the story that I didn’t quite understand or necessarily agree with and I wanted your opinion on them. The first being where Jesus is explaining in a somewhat joking manner that “he isn’t a Christian” and soforth. Do you recall that conversation? What did you take of it? The second being the part where the author wrote in about Jesus kissing the male version of Papa on the lips. I just didn’t understand why that was there, or why the author felt that it was necessary. Do you think he did this so that homosexuals would feel understood in the story as well? I just felt a bit put off, and couldn’t quite put my finger on why that particular description was necessary. Why didn’t the author just say “and Jesus kissed Papa”, which would have allowed the reader to choose where in their head…but no. He purposely wrote “kissed on the lips” and so I wondered.
I would very much like to know your feelings on the book if you've read it. I did find myself double checking after I’d finished to see if the entire story was fiction or a real representation of someone’s story. I wish we all had a friend like Willie. I wish we could all experience a weekend like Mack did in the cabin. I was shocked and dismayed at Mack’s car accident. I still don’t know quite what to make of it. I admit that I still held on belief that Missy was still alive until the very end where they found her body and I was forced to believe that she was dead.
I've never had an experience like this one in just reading a book. I felt as if I were there, as if I were Mack and experiencing everything he did. It hurt me in my heart as if the pain of what was happening was really happening to me. The amazement, disbelief, and awe he experienced in the cabin - I felt right along with him.
Meeting the Judge was one of the hardest things I've ever read and it was because it was all so true.
This fictional story takes our relationship with Jesus Christ and puts it into realization so that we might finally be able to put that relationship into words. Everything was so clear after reading this - after I was able to take it all in. In one sitting, it is overwhelming to try and read and emotionally seep everything. At times, you are simply treading water to just stay afloat.
Read it. You will thank me.
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