Having two kids under the age of 2, I don't have a ton of time to read books. However, I had heard a lot of buzz about this book, The Shack. Nothing about the plot or characters or anything like that, but people saying that it was "controversial" or that it changed their Christian viewpoint. Our church even held a group discussion one evening for anyone who had read it. All this struck a note in my curiosity. So without knowing anything about the book, I bought it on a whim. (There was a big, shiny display at Wal-Mart.) Contrary to my normal book scoping routine, I read the back cover of the book after I had gotten it home. Fear immediately gripped me and I put the book on the kitchen counter. If you've read the book and you know that I have 2 little girls, you might get why I was afraid to read it. I didn't want to face the emotions that I knew would come as I read about Missy in The Shack. But the book still had me curious and I finally gave in, being sure to read the first several chapters in broad daylight. :)
As I continued to read the book, I found myself reading and rereading certain pages carefully and intentionally, trying to wrap my brain around the concepts presented in the story. Certain things in the book just made sense to me. Other things were so simple yet my mind kept trying to complicate them to make them more comfortable to process. Especially the stuff about the Trinity and hierarchy and government. And I'd love to go on a huge rant here and tell you all the things in the book that completely blew my mind and rocked my self-righteous little world, but I don't want to ruin anything for anyone who hasn't read the book. I want you to be just as caught off guard as I was because I think it makes you more vulnerable when you don't know what to expect.
All I can say about this book is that it did turn my spiritual world upside down. It has really made me step back and think. Think about life, love, good, bad, and God. If you have read it, I hope you found it to be just as fascinating and life changing. If you haven't, I encourage you to read it but only if you will read it with an open heart. Its a work of fiction, but it may prove to be the most non-fiction, fiction book you'll ever read.
(For more information about The Shack you can visit the website: http://theshackbook.com/ )
2 comments:
Susan had me read it months ago before it had made its huuuuge entrance in the world. It is crazy, and I really don't get why it's so controversial. I think its awesome that they can represent God that way. (i'm guess thats the controversial part?)
Kesh you said it perfectly. It truly rocked my religious mindset and I have come to love my Lord so much more. I often have to remind myself just how very close He is!
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