Coming around

Whenever someone has an opinion on a piece of art, I think it's important to consider where they've come from, and how it's shaped their perspective. It almost feels like spying, because then their perspective is no longer just about the one thing, but a sort of inside look at how they see the world. So here's one of my own admission: as someone who's grown up in the church, and Christian pop culture in general, I can be inherently skeptical whenever something is wildly popular, especially among Christians. I tend to shy away from jumping on the bandwagon, but I'll give it a shot in my own time. This week I finally got around to reading The Shack, by William Paul Young.

Here's the basic gist of the story. The story revolves around Mackenzie "Mack" Philips, a loving father and husband bearing some deep wounds from his own childhood. On a family camping trip, his youngest daughter is kidnapped, with all signs pointing to her murder. Mack becomes deeply depressed, withdrawing into himself. Years go by, and Mack receives a note from God, wanting to meet with him at the shack, the place where the tragedy occurred. Mack reluctantly travels out to the shack and has a life-changing encounter with a God who appears very different than what he had expected.

The above paragraph doesn't do it justice. Believe me when I say that this is easily one

of the most moving books I've ever read. I'd say that yeah, I'm somewhat in touch

with my emotions, but it's not like I'm willing to just open up the floodgates whenever.

If it feels manufactured, I check out almost immediately. One of the reasons why my wife

hates watching most chick flicks with me, and vice versa. (Note: this doesn't go for the

totality of girl movies, but the majority. Pride and Prejudice totally got to me, and not even

in just a Keira Knightley way. Disclaimer over.) So, not a big fan of being hit over the head

with a YOU-MUST-FEEL-THIS emotional response.

That's not how The Shack was for me whatsoever. I found things in this book that resonated deeply in my own life. The Shack affected me profoundly, because it's a story about redemption. It's a story about God stepping down on a very personal level, coming to this hurting guy, offering intimate friendship, forgiveness, and the fullness of His love. That's the kind of encounter that changes people - that's how God was able to change me. Like Mack, I have a 'shack' where I keep all of my pain and hurt. When I realized that God was with me through all of that messed-up stuff, and desired a relationship with me, that's when my own view of God began to change.

C.S. Lewis has something deep and profound to say about this (Just think about how much time you could save if you could just hit a button and type that sentence!). In Mere Christianity, he extends this metaphor of a 'shack':

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.

But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."

That was the biggest thing that I took away from The Shack, that God wants to meet us in the middle of our pain and suffering. If we trust in His goodness and allow Him into these places we let no one else see, He can change us in ways we never thought possible.

Even if you haven't read the book, I'm sure you've heard it talked about. I can count about half a dozen instances with completely different groups of people - work, school, church - where the book was at least mentioned in conversation. There has been a lot of controversy going on with the book over the theology contained within; some pastors recommend it from the pulpit, while others have apparently strongly discouraged their churches from reading it. Weird. There are parts where I disagree with Mr. Young, but I found his take on God to be engaging. Besides, I didn't read the book because I was looking for deep insights on religion. As a Christian, I need to keep examining my faith, and it is refreshing when somebody puts forth a very different view than my own.

There are sections of the book where Young gets fairly philosophical, trying to explain such complex issues like the Trinity or how God allows bad things to happen. The controversies contained within Young's theology occur when people see this as a work of nonfiction or Christian apologetics instead of simply a work of fiction. This should not be a book that you go to every time you need to brush up on bits of theology - but it is a powerful story that highlights some very relevant parts of God's character.

This book was published originally with only a $300 budget for advertising, and has largely relied on word-of-mouth to get people to read it. That, to me, is phenomenal. It speaks to the quality of the writing and to the fact that it has obviously affected others as deeply as it has affected me. As an eternal pop-culture skeptic, I'm happy to recommend this book to you. If you've already read it, or reading this post finally convinces you to take the plunge, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!