Written by Kristin Larmore, Web Editor
Can you imagine coming face to face with Jesus himself? Maybe someone has asked you this question before. What would you say? How would you act? And yet even if we answer these questions in some capacity, we still do not know the day or the hour when we will actually encounter Him.
Imagine meeting the Holy Trinity- Father, Son and Holy Spirit- and conversing with them as if they were humans standing right next to you. What if you were able to take a walk, eat a meal or even plant a garden with them?
William P. Young’s wildly popular novel The Shack provides a glimpse into what that might be like. Mack, a gruff, broken, middle-aged man is experiencing what he calls “The Great Sadness” when we first meet him. A traumatizing memory haunts him from years before, one readers relive with him step by step. Everything changes when he finds a letter in his mailbox one icy, wintry afternoon from Papa summoning him to the shack.
The memories pierce his heart full-force. He is forced to confront his biggest fears, regrets and resentments at this little broken-down cabin off the beaten path- far from his family or any semblance of “reality.” And his number one resentment? It’s God.
This delightfully comforting and non-judgmental novel pleads with us to walk with Him blindfolded through the crevices and chasms of life. It attacks the imperfect human tendencies to judge, create hierarchy and put people “in charge” and depend on man made concepts like politics and economics.
It delves into our commitment to God…
“You see, Mackenzie, I don’t just want a piece of you and a piece of your life. Even if you were able, which you are not, to give me the biggest piece, that is not what I want. I want all of you and all of every part of you and your day…I don’t want to be first among a list of values; I want to be at the center of everything. When I live in you, then together we can live through everything that happens to you. Rather than the top of a pyramid, I want to be the center of a mobile, where everything in your life- your friends, family, occupation, thoughts, activities- is connected to me but moves with the wind, in and out and back and forth, in an incredible dance of being.”
Our ability to forgive…
“Don’t you see that forgiveness is an incredible power- a power you share with us, a power Jesus gives to all he indwells so that reconciliation can grow? When Jesus forgave those who nailed him to the cross, they were no longer in his debt, nor mine. In my relationship with those men, I will never bring up what they did or shame or embarrass them…forgiveness is first for you, the forgiver, to release you from something that will eat you alive, that will destroy your joy and your ability to love fully and openly.”
And the importance of a singular life in the scheme of creation…
“If anything matters, then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again.”
If you’re a spritual person or want to be in touch with that side of yourself…seriously read this book. It’s a bit deep; but it will offer you an amazing perspective on the purpose of life, one we predict you have never encountered.
Have your own review of this book? Write a comment below!
Tags: Faith, Holy Trinity, novel, spiritual book, spiritual mind, The Shack, William P. Young
