The Shack. That is the name of the book I have just finished reading. Here is the first chapter. Just to wet your appetite. The book covers roughly the same subject as the Book of Job from the Bible. But from a completely different angle. The Book of Job has Job questioning God why all this stuff has happened to him. Job feels hard done by and his good friends, who some lambaste him, don't help much. I personally happen to now think they did a stirling job. If it had not been for them, Job might well has done himself in. But God, who is infinitely wise, knew Job and wouldn't let that happen. God doesn't tell Job why; He shows Job creation, God's glory in creation. Job sees just how little he is and bows before almighty God. That's the short version according to me, myself and I.
The Shack answers the same question. This time God gives Mack, the main character, though definitely not the hero, a revelation of the Father, named Papa but who is portayed as a big negro lady; Jesus who is a carpenter, male; and The Holy Spirit, with the name of Satuyta, or something like that. I haven't got the book right with me.
I have never been comfortable with the God we see in the Bible. In the Old Testament He is pictured as a cruel task master with a big picture. In the New Testament it is all about Jesus. And we could be forgiven for thinking that Jesus main task is to protect us from this hedonistic monster with the dirty big stick.
If we look at the world today, we could also be forgiven that God was a monster on an ego trip.
The Shack changes all that. People either love it or hate it. It will challenge your theology. It will shatter any idea you may have been fed by the "church". Read it. Try it. But do it with an open mind. I loved it and will be giving some to my friends.
Till next time.........
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