The Shack, the book, the movie how it can heal (or how it can help to heal me)

The Shack, the book, the movie how it can heal
(or how it can help to heal me)

“Just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn't mean I orchestrate the tragedies. Don't ever assume that my using something means I caused it or that I need it to accomplish my purposes. That will only lead you to false notions about me. Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors.”
― William Paul Young, The Shack

Not everyone likes William Paul Young’s book ‘The Shack”. I am not one of them; I love the book. I have read the book three times and each time my response is unlike any other book that I have read, apart from the New Testament. The book for me is like a poultice drawing to the surface a level of sorrow that I have never really known was there. I find it amazing that this book is so powerful for me and yes healing. I even shed tears though this is something I seldom do. After I was around 14 until I was in my late 50’s, shedding tears was a mystery to me; still is actually. However, I have learned to embrace mystery as I age, especially the mystery of my own inner life, my struggles, my anger, my longings, hunger and yes now some ‘deep’ sorrow. Perhaps the book is so popular because many who read it discover the same thing. The power of our often repressed longings for love that rises from the depths of our souls.

I have many hard places within my soul, sharply pointed defenses that are simply there and all my life it has slowly dawned on me what a powerful prison cell it is. Yet, from the Shack I have also learned that God does bring good out of our pain, even if God did not cause it, will it, but yes allowed it to happen. Slowly I am learning to trust God as revealed in Christ Jesus and the love that comes with that revelation. I still don’t get it, but the bottom is sinking and as I go deeper in I am finding only more love.


“You cannot produce trust just like you cannot 'do' humility. It either is or is not.”
― William Paul Young, The Shack

It is amazing Lord, that I can trust, that I can go against the tide, that I can trust even when all seems to work against that expression of my soul. Yes, I can choose, for it is the seed that you planted in my heart many, many, years ago when I was very young and often felt fearful and lost in a very large alien world, a world where I had nightmares every night. Being chased by dead looking people, my legs would not move or barely shuffle, though the cold midst, in the dark forest, with others, only laughing at me when I asked for help. I believe in the midst of the fear you planted trust for I have always felt your pursuit….even when I thought you a monster.

I trust in your ‘otherness’ that means that your love is ‘more’ infinitely more than I can comprehend and that gives me hope. My heart is still made of much stone, walls that I can’t remove, yet slowly you lead me to deeper trust.


“Love is not the limitation; love is the flying.”
― William Paul Young, The Shack

Sometimes when I feel your love Lord, my heart feels like it will explode, or my soul will expand too fast and it will break; so little my capacity at this time. Yet your Holy Spirt continues to burn away at the speed that I can tolerate my fear, anger, and lack of trust. I feel like my soul is beginning to open up to your love and one day I will experience it fully…..my prayer is that all will experience it as well so that we may all be one with you and each other.

“Relationships are never about power, and one way to avoid the will to power is to choose to limit oneself- to serve.”
― William Paul Young, The Shack

What a paradox my Lord, that you are a God who serves. You showed that when you washed the feet of your apostles, giving that as an example. One seldom followed. It is easier to believe you are like us, instead of our allowing your grace to recreate us in your image and likeness. We can make you into a monster, using you to send those we think unworthy into an eternal state of agony and feeling justified in doing so. When you, in fact, have told us not to judge.

The Shack is a good metaphor for all of us I believe, though many will disagree. For myself, I will read the book many more times with the years I have left. It is an important book and the fact that so many Christians don’t like it, may point out that Paul Young may be a prophet being used by God to heal the wounds we do not know we even have.

 

Book started off good and then went into heretical concepts. It really is too bad. It had potential.

 

Mark,

I have not read the Shack because of feedback from Catholics like sterph. So my initial response is why take the time to wade through something questionable when there is so much other material (ex. Carmelite) by which I benefit. I'm not afraid to read the Shack because I'm sure it won't cause me to question doctrine, still...

I am glad it's proven to be a vehicle of healing for you.

For instance, Franciscan Richard Rohr is heretical in a number of ways. I had to read some of his books in my classes. Still, he does teach some helpful things.

To summarize my approach, I will not promote heretical works that may possess some redeeming qualities because of Paul's reasoning in Romans 14 where he discusses food offered to idols:

14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for any one who thinks it unclean. 15 If your brother is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died.

Though the correlation is not exact, a similarity between Paul and Rohr can be extrapolated. A brother or sister might be confused, misled, and spiritually injured by Richard Rohr's deviations from the Faith; therefore, I will not recommend him to others. Now, in one of his books I do own there might be a chapter that has proven helpful to me. I even may share that insight with others, but I will not disclose my source or promote him.

Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!

 

Thank you, you need to do what you thin is right my friend, for myself I found the book helpful and no heresy, it is a story, a metaphor about a man's journey to ounderstanding and healing. I agree St. John of the Cross and the other Carmelite writers can also be healing if they lead to deeper trust in God. I believe this book shows a modern way of growing in trust in God.....a choice and not always an easy one. When I read other writers I don't worry so much if they are Catholic or not, of course, I know my faith and continue to study and deepen my understanding.

peace
mark

 

Could you share this with me, I am very interested ;-)

Peace
Mark

 

I read it maybe 5 years ago so I cannot quote anything. I just remember that it minimized repentance and personal responsibility and almost pushed the idea of universal redemption. It minimized the Church, the commandments, and Christianity in general. The conversations with Jesus bugged me the most. It did not reflect the biblical Jesus at all. I was very sad about this. He does want to be an example to us. Suffering is salvific. I do not remember much more.

 

Ok thanks my friend.

Peace
Mark

 

I did not like the book because it lacked reverence and worship of God. It was too Protestant in approach for me, like a service vs a Holy Mass. God as a woman? I don't think so, Jesus taught us, "Our Father, hallowed be thy name". The shack demeans this and tries to bring God, the Father Almighty down to a creature level. It was too "new agey" and dangerous in my opinion. Like St.Michael the Archangel said "who is like God?" , when the shining darkness tried to twist things up. And to portray the Holy Spirit as a fairy, um no. There is too much good reading to not waste time on feel good fairy tales. The golden arrow prayer says "the incomprehensible and unutterable name of God . . .". You won't find this in the shack.

 

The shack was dealing with the problem of evil, why God allows it to happen etc. I did not see any of the things you saw in the book, but I understand. I don't think it was new agey, in fact, we Christians tend to make God sort of like us I believe, when in fact the very incarnation shows that God does accommodate us when seeking to enter into our hearts. St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, for instance. Or the Sacred Heart devotion which is a revelation. God is infinite, unfathomable, other, yet he incarnated as a man to reach us, to bring us deeper into the mystery.

However, I understand your reactions, some will agree others will not. It is a work of fiction and a metaphor, not new agey at all. I have studied New Age and believe me it was not that. Is Jesus conversation with a sinful soul, full of fear new agey in Faustian's Diary?

The reason such books are speaking to so many people is that the hardness of heart of Christians, our strong tendency to damn and condemn, when Jesus told us not to, in fact, that it was very harmful to us to do that. People are wounded by us, we can be the ones to lead people to seek elsewhere a faith that leads them to trust, not a faith that leads to self-centeredness and scrupulosity.

There are people who are dealing with great loss, painful loss, and the question of where was God is a deep one, this book may in fact help many people return to trust in God. Some of the insights in the book are profound and can help others wade through the often painful paradoxes of life.

When the main charcter was called upon to judge others, the conclusion is something we can all learn from. For we are all God's Children, we Christans can forget that and become hard and angry at those who do not believe that way we do, or are caught up in a web of pain and sin. When reading the story of the Prodigal son, how the Father reacted to his child returning (even if his reasons might not have been the best, he may just be seeking a place to eat and sleep), I do believe that is actually how the Father reacts to all of us, if we even only begin our return. Infinite love can't be understood by us, this novel I believe is just trying to understand God's love for us and did a good job.

Within the Sacred Heart dwells all of reality. In the end, true justice only affirms what we have to chosen to become. To love God and others or not.....

Thanks for your comment.

Peace
Mark

 

I haven't read the book Mark but I appreciate an effort to present eternal truths in an imaginative way. A writer of fiction doesn't necessarily worry about conforming to exact theological standards. Trying to describe God's love is a Herculean task to say the least and we will always come up short. If a book like this could lead someone astray then that is a problem but if it opens up a Heart to consider the awesome reality of God's love then maybe we have to trust God to take the soul to the next step toward truth. This certainly happened to me when I was lost. The spark that lit my heart came from of all things a televangelist at 5 in the morning --the only show on TV as I was feeding my newborn--as a biker spoke of Christ rescuing him from his diabolical life. Now it was as far from the fine points of Catholic theology as it could be but it lit a fire in my heart and I began to watch that show in earnest and a few months later I was down on my knees in my kitchen praying "the sinner' prayer". It was a bit of journey but the Lord brought me back to the fullness of faith to Confession and Holy Communion and to daily Mass. I've never looked back. I am a devout Catholic and I believe all the Church teaches and long for all to come to the fullness of truth but that is how I started. If The Shack can start someone in the journey then praise God!

 

I guess my take on it is "What is the truth?" The truth comes from the Bible and tradition. When fantasy comes into play it tends to distort the truth and people make up their own beliefs. We can see that happening now in our holy church. I was at a lecture years ago given by a Sister who stated there really weren't three wise men of the magi who visited Jesus. That it was folk lore. I was shocked and rebuked her. I think there is a danger of portraying God other than who he is. In the shack he is a woman called Papa, does that not make you uncomfortable? That is why I call it new agey . . .many have insinuated that God is a woman, Jesus told us he is our Father. In that context I see the blurring of man and woman, a crisis in today's world. So I was turned off right away by the book, I thought, you've got to be kidding me. So I think you have to approach it as fiction and not as truth. We could easily discuss The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe . . . Just sayin'.

 

I also know of a priest that was promoting this book from the pulpit when it first came out. Yesterday I heard he was going to see the movie and bringing a retired priest with him. This same priest when I asked him about the need for a baby to be baptized, he told me that he didn't think God would hold it against the child.
So are we to believe now that God does not take offence to what we promote as truth?
The Shack may be fictional but there may be a few dumb sheep out there that will be lead astray,...
I think the best place for the Shack is in the trash

 

Good point. I haven't read the book so hard for me to really speak with any authority. The point I was trying to make was God can work through anything even if it seems really off base as far as the Church goes. I had a nun tell me the same thing last winter about the Magi. Her exact words: you don't really believe that story?!! I told her indeed I do believe it and have a background in scripture so let's not wrangle. (Smile)
What I wanted to do was quote Jesus to the apostles: "how is it you have no faith?"

 

I hear you. Clearly I had better read the book before I make any more statements

 

We are led by God the turth, some find their way more winding, but with a open seeking heart, the Word will be found whose name is Jesus Christ.

Peace
Mark

 

God as father does not mean God as male. Humans are male and female. I think you should not read fiction or anything that uses methphors, it seems to make you troubled. You have your own take on it, understandable, others will have others ways of reading and understanding the story that will help them on their road to greater trust in God. I hope you can understand that as well.

Peace
Mark

 

Well don't buy it then, if you are just going to throw it away . How will they be led astry if they read this book? I have studied theology and know my scripture, please show me something in the story that would do that. About the priest and the child being baptized you did not give the situation that you were talking about.....his answer might have been the right one if the parents were not believers, or christians.

Peace
Mark

 

I read the book about six years ago so I'm fairly foggy about details but I had mixed feelings about it. The author had some very beautiful thoughts that were almost simple theology but for the most part , it wasn't for me.

I think you would enjoy this protestant pastor's review of the book and movie. I respect this man so I decided to hear what he had to say. He made some solid points.

 

I was thinking Mario, that when someone feels healed and at peace,through reading Blasphemous materiial, and then promotes it as helpful, that maybe they are in fact a part of the prophecised Diabolical Disorientation foretold by Sr Lucia.

 

Well I guess I would have expected this priest to refer to the teachings of the CCC which is

262. Is it possible to be saved without Baptism?

Since Christ died for the salvation of all, those can be saved without Baptism who die for the faith (Baptism of blood). Catechumens and all those who, even without knowing Christ and the Church, still (under the impulse of grace) sincerely seek God and strive to do this will can also be saved without Baptism (Baptism of desire). The Church in her liturgy entrusts children who die without Baptism to the mercy of God.

Further reading: CCC 1258-1261, 1281-1283

263. What are the effects of Baptism?

Baptism takes away original sin, all personal sins and all punishment due to sin. It makes the baptized person a participant in the divine life of the Trinity through sanctifying grace, the grace of justification which incorporates one into Christ and into his Church. It gives one a share in the priesthood of Christ and provides the basis for communion with all Christians. It bestows the theological virtues and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. A baptized person belongs forever to Christ. He is marked with the indelible seal of Christ (character).

Further reading: CCC 1262-1274, 1279-1280

Do we all fall short when we can brush off the sacraments as no big deal?
When we can refer to God as a female and distort His gender,..is that no big deal?
Does the Almighty take offence to the way He or Our Lady is portrayed?
Well yes I think He does