The Shack

Almost a year ago, I was introduced to the author of the Shack (William P Young). The book is amazing and extremely touching for those in every condition. I you have never read the book then I will give you a brief introduction to it.

The Shack is a book that seeks to provide answers     
to the always timely question “Where is God in a
world so filled with unspeakable pain?”. It is a
tale that revolves around Mack (Mackenzie) Philips.
Four years before the story begins, Mack’s young
daughter, Missy, was abducted during a family vacation.
Though her body was never found, the police did find
evidence in an abandoned shack to prove that she had
been brutally murdered by a notorious serial killer who
preyed on young girls. As the story begins, Mack, who
has been living in the shadow of his Great Sadness,
receives a note from God (known in this story as Papa).
Papa invites Mack to return to this shack for a time
together. Though uncertain of what to expect, Mack
visits the scene of the crime and there experiences a
weekend-long encounter with God, or, more properly,
with the Godhead.
Each of the members of the Trinity is present and
each appears in bodily form. Papa, whose actual name
is Elousia (which is Greek for tenderness) appears in
the form of a large, matronly African-American woman
(though near the book’s end, because Mack requires a
father figure, she turns into a pony-tailed, grey-haired
man). Jesus is a young to middle-aged man of Middle-
Eastern descent while the Holy Spirit is played by
Sarayu (Sanskrit for air or wind), a small, delicate and
eclectic woman of Asian descent. Mack also meets for a
time with Sophia, who, like Lady Wisdom in Proverbs, is
the personification of God’s wisdom.
The reader learns that Mack has been given this
opportunity to meet with God so he could learn to deal
with his Great Sadness--the overwhelming pain and
anger resulting from the death of his daughter. There is
very little action in The Shack and the bulk of the book
is dialog. The majority of the dialog occurs as the
members of the Trinity communicate with Mack, though
occasionally the author
offers glimpses into their
unique relationships with
one another.
As the weekend
progresses Mack
participates in lengthy and discussions with
each member of the Trinity.
Topics range from the cross to the Trinity and from
forgiveness to free will. He finds his understanding of
God and his relationship with God radically and
irrevocably altered. His faith is dismantled piece by
piece and then put back together. As we might expect,
he leaves the cabin a changed man.

And that is all I can tell you about it. If you want to buy the book then you can find it on eBay, Amazon, or in you own Christian book store. 

~Son of the King~