The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by Wm. Paul Young

In The Shack, Paul Young’s ability to bring human flesh and life to the most powerful spiritual beings of our trinity is amazing. He summons your deepest questions surrounding the Trinity, religious paradigms, personal guilt, and finding forgiveness for one’s self with authority as he adds a touch of an eloquent lesson in faith. Mackenzie, like most of us, tries to make sense out of the senseless blaming God who he felt could take it all away. He reminds us all how we have sat in our own Shack waiting for “Papa” to free us, when all along, God’s gift of free will to us will never force us to be healed. Young’s focus on absorbing God’s love and working on our relationship with our creator, rather than conforming to religious dictation and interpretation will anger some, cause conflict with others and truly free the rest of us. His mixture of laughter and tears will keep you wanting to read just one more chapter.

Growing up in a Pentecostal home church, the stigma of religious interpretation through the pastor’s eyes was alive and full of judgmental sermons preached throughout my childhood. I remember wondering what “I” had done when tragedy would come my way. He left me begging for forgiveness rather than rejoicing in God’s love for me.

Journeying with Mac in The Shack took me to some of the most joyous moments in my salvation and some of the saddest times in my life. My eyes were opened to how many times God has met me right where I was, however I was so stuck in what God was “supposed” to be, I missed Him and reminded how we all have harbored hurt that keeps us from healing, loving and being one with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. We have to learn how to live loved in order to understand just a glimpse of God’s love.

“If anything matters, then everything matters. 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.”

– Sandra Whittington