Mudshot Eyes

“Jesus?” he whispered as his voice choked. “I feel so lost.”
 A hand reached out and squeezed his, and didn’t let go. “I know, Mack. But it’s not true. I am with you and I am not lost.”

William P. Young’s book, The Shack is ultimately about the main character, Mack, discovering that he can find his way only through interaction and friendship with God. In light of all the theological content of the book, this is important because all theology should be all about the potential for relationship with God. Theology is a question of whether or not we can find any meaning or direction for life in a God who is above, beyond, and around all things.

Since The Shack dives into some significant theological themes, it is important to ask whether or not the theological content of the book is trustworthy and faithful to the message of the Bible. Before going into some examples, I’ll say up front that I believe that most of the theology of the book is well in line with a reasonable interpretation of the Scriptures, even if it is presented in an unconventional way. In fact, this unconventional approach is what piqued my interest.

I will miss some important moments and ideas in the book, but stay with me as I review the five themes which stood out to me the most.

The Trinity

“We are not three gods, and we are not talking about one god with three attitudes, like a man who is a husband, father, and worker. I am one God and I am three persons, and each of the three is fully and entirely the one” (p. 101).

The triune nature of God is a prominent theme throughout the story. Mack has interaction with each person of the Trinity, and is often presented with a plural pronoun when you would expect a singular one, and vice versa. When any member of the Trinity is speaking, they often say “we”, harkening back to the Old Testament, where the word for God, elohim, appears 2326 times. Elohim is a plural Hebrew word, a fact that is lost in the English translation, and it is significant that in a large number of times where the OT writers were referring to God, they were using a plural word.

The balance is provided by the fact that the oneness of God is also emphasized. At one point in the story, Mack is talking to Jesus, and he asks, “What about the others?”

“I’m here, I’m always here” was Jesus’ reply.

After reading the conversations about the Trinity, I began to wonder if the author would begin to err on the side of trying too hard to explain the character of God. However, at just the right time, Papa acknowledges the limits of our understanding:

“That you can’t grasp the wonder of my nature is rather a good thing. Who wants to worship a God who can be fully comprehended, eh? Not much mystery in that” (p. 101). 

Is God a Male?

“For me to appear to you as a woman and suggest that you call me Papa is simply to mix metaphors, to help you keep from falling so easily back into your religious conditioning.” (p. 93)

One of the difficult parts of the book for some readers is the appearance of God the Father as an oversized black woman. Isn’t God presented as a Father figure in the Bible?

The Bible is full of father-language for God, and according to Papa’s character, this is for good reason:

“…we knew once the Creation was Broken, true fathering would be much more lacking than mothering. Don’t misunderstand me, both are needed––but an emphasis on fathering is necessary because of the enormity of its absence” (p. 94)

I don’t think there is reason to be offended by the Papa character in the story. Though God never appears as a woman in the Bible, God in his essence isn’t a male or a female. Those are human categories that only applied to God when Jesus entered our existence as a man.

“Free” Will

“Does freedom mean that you are allowed to do whatever you want to do?” (p. 95)

Another important idea in the story is whether or not we are morally free. The dialogue between Mack and Papa contains a lot of powerful stuff about what kind of freedom we can experience as we allow God to work in our lives. God renders powerless the things which actually limit our freedom, such as our genetic heritage, our DNA, the subtle social influences, marketing, or propaganda. “Inside that confluence of multifaceted inhibitors, what is freedom really?” Papa asks.

Only in Christ the Truth can we know what it feels like to be gradually free from all these limiting influences.

Did God Limit Himself?

“…we became fully human. We also chose to embrace all the limitations that this entailed. Even though we have always been present in this created universe, we now became flesh and blood. It would be like this bird, whose nature it is to fly, choosing only to walk and remain grounded. He doesn’t stop being the bird, but it does alter his experience of life significantly.” (p. 99)

The discussions between Mack and God are full of helpful guidance in thinking about what it meant for God to become flesh and blood and walk on this earth. At no point does he attempt to completely explain it, but illustrations like the one above helped me grasp the coming of Jesus more fully.

The Problem of Evil

“This world is not a playground where I keep all my children free from evil. Evil is the chaos of this age that you brought to me, but it will not have the final say. Now it touches everyone that I love, those who follow me and those who don’t” (p. 190).

The central event in the book is a tragedy in Mack’s life which becomes a hinge for his entire life from that point forward. It also drove much of the discussion that he had with God, as Mack was baffled as to why God would not protect his family from experiencing the horrific effects of someone else’s wrongdoing.

This question captured me the most, as it is one I have struggled with a lot. I recently asked a co-worker the classic question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Almost without hesitation, I was given what sounded like a well-rehearsed answer. I was half kidding when I asked it, and didn’t have time at work to delve into such a murky existential question, but I marveled at how flippantly he was able to dismiss such a difficult question.

The dialogue in The Shack makes no such mistake, taking the issue very seriously. Ultimately Mack is led back to the question of love, when Papa says, “If I take away the consequences of people’s choices, I destroy the possibility of love.”

Final Thoughts

My only critical comment of the book is that I wish Young could have somehow presented the otherness of God a little more clearly. I love how he presents God in this story, but if this is God, then I want to be a little more baffled by his greatness. What makes the Gospel so astounding is the fact that this God whose existence can never be tamed or completely explained has chosen to love us and relate to us.

This invitation to be in relationship and this “possibility of love” in the midst of a broken world make up the central theme of The Shack. The story is a wonderful parable of God’s willingness to embrace us regardless of the risk that we would refuse God’s love. And once we see how absolutely pleasant it is to be in relationship with the God who created us, became one of us, and died for us, then we can let our guard down and fully enjoy dialogue and communion with the Lover of our souls, especially when we are deeply wounded by our own sin and the sin of others.

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Your comments are welcome.

(Minor spoilers ahead–depending on your definition of a “spoiler”)

William Young is discovering that word of mouth can be a powerful thing. His new book, The Shack, has sold almost 400,000 copies after starting with only a $200 marketing budget. The book is growing in popularity, mostly due to the fact that it simply makes people want to talk about its content, so readers have sold his book for him, one by one.

Without giving away too much, the story is that the main character, Mack, experiences a horrible tragedy in his family which pushes him further away from an active belief in God. Three and a half years later, Mack receives an unusual invitation from someone named “Papa,” and he leaves for a shack in the middle of nowhere that is tied closely to the tragedy. His journey turns into an opportunity to dialogue with God in a way that changes his life forever.

Before I jump into a specific review of The Shack’s content, here are a couple of general observations.

First, Young’s use of analogy will cause many to jump to conclusions before they hear what is actually being said. The Shack is a parable, so any effort to make a direct translation of the story into a systematic theology is going to turn out badly.

For example, Jesus is presented as a homely middle-eastern man (who knew?) who loves to laugh, splash his feet in the water while sitting on the edge of a boat dock, and build stuff. The Holy Spirit is represented by an ethereal and colorful Asian-looking person who can move about effortlessly, appearing here and there without warning.

The author’s representation of God the Father is the most difficult to get past for those who have a hard time with analogy. Through most of the story, “Papa” is presented as a hefty, happy, and candid black woman who can cook up a mean breakfast. Papa talks theology with Mack using a direct but gentle approach, giving him room to think when Mack can’t quite accept an idea as it’s being presented.

Second, what most appealed to me is that Young brings some heavy theological themes down to earth in The Shack. While you should not expect a flawless writing style, his ability to make difficult theology accessible makes this worth the read.

Here are some of the topics that appear throughout the story:

- Why is God presented as Father in the Bible?

- Do we have a morally free will? If so, what does that mean?

- How much can we understand of the nature of God?

- Did God limit himself in the Incarnation?

- How can I understand the triune nature of God?

- Do all roads lead to God?

- Will God protect us from experiencing the effects of evils that we didn’t cause?

In part 2 of this review, I’ll give some examples to show how he addresses some of these things, and why some people are criticizing and others are lauding this compelling and controversial book.

I’m usually reading about 4 or 5 books at one time, so I’m going to update this every weekend with the list of books I’m currently reading.

4/11/2008

The Brothers Karamazov
Fyodor Dostoevsky

“The last and greatest of Dostoevsky’s novels, The Brothers Karamazov is a towering masterpiece of literature, philosophy, psychology, and religion. It tells the story of intellectual Ivan, sensual Dmitri, and idealistic Alyosha Karamazov, who collide in the wake of their despicable father’s brutal murder.

Into the framework of the story Dostoevsky poured all of his deepest concerns—the origin of evil, the nature of freedom, the craving for meaning and, most importantly, whether God exists.”
– From Amazon.com’s book description

The Shack
William P. Young
**Just finished!**

The Shack is one of those books that stays with you a long time after finishing it. I was drawn in by the story, and then the dialog kept me locked in. The theology is solid, but you have to read the entire book to be sure you understand the full context of what is presented. The theology unfolds throughout the book with a personal touch, which is provided by the story.

The main character is in the process of facing a tragedy in his life, trying to reconcile that with what he has been taught about God. So the book addresses the problem of evil head-on, but leaves us with only an indirect answer: God can be trusted, even in the face of horrible tragedy, and God is at work to redeem the evil that has come as a result of a world of free creatures. I think that is as close as we can come to a “solution” to the problem of evil.

The book also gives some interesting insight regarding the doctrine of the Trinity. Every analogy or explanation falls short, but this story provides a some helpful dialog on the topic.

Ultimately, I was moved to a fresh perspective on how God collaborates with the world to accomplish his purposes. Thanks to this book, I’m becoming a more willing participant in that process.

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”
- Groucho Marx

It just hit me. I haven’t watched television in two weeks! I’m not on a television burning crusade and I didn’t declare a TV fast, but I haven’t seen a sit-com, reality show, sporting event, or a rerun in over two weeks. Here’s the thing that strikes me the most about this: I haven’t missed it. Is that because much of the programming is mind-numbing drivel? That may be a part of it, but there’s more to the story.

In these two and a half weeks, I have finished two books, began a new long-term personal project, got a decent amount of sleep, exercised two or three times a week, and spent time with Krista. It’s been great! What prompted this accidental TV fast?

One factor was that we moved our television into our second bedroom. The living room is no longer a misnomer. We use that room for LIVING now. If we want to watch a movie or a TV show, we go into the other room. Now when I’m sitting on the couch, instead of reaching for the remote, I grab a book or a magazine, or better yet, we may even have a conversation! Other times, I just sit there and breathe (lately I’m discovering how important breathing is).

I still enjoy movies and a select number of television shows, but this 18 day boob-tube break has reminded me that life is truly lived outside the perimeter of that 42 inch screen.

Jesus shared the meaning of the Kingdom by using parables. Ever wonder why Jesus didn’t just come out and say it? Why hide the message in stories that sometimes leave us with more questions than answers?

McLaren’s insight into Jesus’ parables helps those of us who have wished that Jesus would have just come out and said what he meant. The benefit of a parable, he says, is that they “entice their hearers into new territory.” He explains further:

With a clear and easy explanation, hearers can listen and achieve understanding and then go on their way, independent of the teacher. But when a parable confounds them, it invites them to ask questions, so they continue to depend on the teacher himself, not just their independent understanding of his words (pg. 45-46).

One of the most important points of this book is that the message of Jesus is hidden, not only in his parables, but also within those of us who follow him, no matter our denominational or political background. It can be easy to assume that my perspective is the only one in which the truth can be found. However, the gospel is hidden in all who are being transformed by the Spirit, even Democrats, Republicans, Catholics, Southern Baptists and Episcopals; each one of us a living parable, full of God’s message of transformation.

So Jesus told about his message with parables, demonstrated it with miracles, and then validated it with his death and resurrection. Is it any wonder that he described discipleship as a narrow, difficult way? I can’t calculate or figure out Jesus’ message completely, but once I accept it, I am brought close to him as my Teacher, my Friend, and my Lord.

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Though it is a little longer than I think was necessary, I recommend The Secret Message of Jesus. It will challenge your assumptions and put the gospel close in front of you for a very personal examination, leaving you with a desire to let Jesus initiate radical change in your everyday life.

Use this link to buy it at Amazon.com.

The following is what I am calling the take-home from the book. This doesn’t cover his every point, but these are the things that hit home the most with me.

It sounds obvious to say it, but the message of Jesus was revolutionary in every conceivable way. Why?

First, it presented not just a potential future reality, but a present reality. The gospel was good news for the first hearers because it meant a new way of living, immediately. For those who followed Jesus, ideas about God’s radical new kingdom were quickly turned into decisions that altered the way they did things, not just the way they thought about things. If it was an immediate message for them, then it is most certainly the same for us. Jesus’ message invites us to be transformed now, not just in the someday hereafter.

Second, it was inclusive of people who had not yet received it, a point made obvious by the fact that Jesus often ate dinner and interacted with prostitutes, social outcasts, and other “sinners.” What this means for me is that I am looking at people differently. I’m exploring my social-isms, and have found that they are many. For example, Jesus’ message of inclusion means that God may choose to use me to show the gospel to the segment of society that I loathe the most, whoever that may be. This will require a transformation within me that only God can accomplish (with my participation, of course).

Finally, the social and political backdrop of the gospels reveals that Jesus’ intended not only personal implications, but also implications for our social and political decisions. McLaren says it well in this passage from chapter 2:

“. . . This carpenter’s son from Galilee challenges every existing political movement to a radical rethinking and dares everyone to imagine and consider his revolutionary alternative.” That alternative is the kingdom of God, and “if you’re part of this kingdom, you won’t be blindly patriotic and compliant, . . . instead you’ll be willing to confront injustice, even at the cost of your life. You won’t nestle snugly into the status quo, but you’ll seek to undermine the way things are to welcome the way things could and should be” (p. 17-18).

Secret Message placed the message of Jesus uncomfortably close to my real life. I was reminded again that the gospel isn’t a museum where we look at what is presented and say “ooo” and “ahhh.” Instead, it is a living word, moving through our veins to transform us.

(Part 3 of 3 coming on Sunday…)

My first impressions of Brian McLaren’s book, The Secret Message of Jesus, were dead wrong. In fact, I must confess that I made some assumptions about where he was headed. Those assumptions tainted my reading of the first portion of the book, because I drew his conclusion before he did. As I previously wrote, I thought the title and initial portion of the book seemed pretentious. However, “the secret message of Jesus” is simply another way of describing the Gospel. I’m glad I pressed on to the finish––it was well worth it. Before I get into a summary of the book, here are a few general observations:

Throughout the book, I got the feeling that McLaren was reacting to something, but I spent a third of the way through trying to figure out what message he was responding to. The only definitive answer to that is “religious broadcasting,” which he specifically mentions as one of the culprits in spreading an inaccurate picture of Jesus’ message. My best guess is that he is also responding to Christian “pop theology” and your basic run-of-the-mill Christian fundamentalism. There were some points in the book where he went to unnecessary effort to point these things out. I doubt that there are any significant numbers from that crowd who are reading this book, so I felt that it was a waste of time.

Fortunately, his cynicism about their message led him to look at the Bible in its historical context. The view he gives into the stories which surrounded the writing of Scripture is what I appreciate most about McLaren’s book. There’s more to understanding the Bible than just the historical background, but it is an area that has been often overlooked in popular Christian theology.

For example, he discusses the idea that the book of Revelation is not primarily a book about specific future events, but is a book about the challenges of the immediate present. The early church was under heavy persecution from the Roman government, and needed a message of hope; hope that the reality of God’s kingdom was the source of their confidence and joy, even when facing death. John’s Revelation provided that hope for them and gives every generation a beautiful picture of God’s ultimate victory over any evil “principalities and powers.”

Because I already agreed with a lot of what he wrote, McLaren’s interpretation of the gospel didn’t feel as ground-breaking to me as it seemed to be to him but I was thankful for the way he articulated it with Scriptural and historical support. It helped me clarify some questions I had about how the message of Jesus was meant for first and twenty-first century people.

(Part 2 of 3 coming on Friday…)

I’m reading The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren and enjoying it, even though I’ve not bought in to his every point. I’ve wanted to read one of McLaren’s books for a while now, and my brother-in-law Brad gave me this one as a gift, so I figured I would start with it since it is his latest.

My first impressions started with the title. Upon seeing it I was immediately unsettled. The cover of the book shouted, “Can I have your attention everybody! Brian McLaren is going to tell us the secret message of Jesus. You think you know what Jesus was saying, but Brian is now going to explain what he really meant. And we would still be in the dark if it weren’t for BRIAN!”

I know that takes it a little far, and every author tries to give us a fresh perspective when they write (that’s the point of reading a book, right?). However, his title and first chapter seem pretentious.

The idea behind the title is that the deepest message of Jesus is hidden, only to be discovered by those who “look hard, think deeply, and search long in order to find it.” I hope it is possible to still understand the deepest meanings of Jesus’ message if I don’t agree with McLaren’s every point!

Our relationship didn’t start off very well, but I’m giving the book a chance because I share something important with McLaren. I also have a frustration with the way the message of Jesus has been distorted by extremes in some corners of Christendom. Well-known spokespeople on the left and the right sides of the spectrum have said things supposedly from a Christian perspective that make me cringe. Like McLaren, I think it is important to be sure that more than one voice is heard in the discussion of what the message of Jesus looks like when it is lived out in the present day.

I’ll post more praises or peeves as I go along in the book.
(My next question: Does McLaren want us to believe that Jesus is a Democrat? We shall see…)

Here is a poignant passage for holy week, from a book by Frederick Buechner, The Faces of Jesus:

Our age is full of people for whom the language of religious faith is a dead language and its symbols empty, for whom the figure of Jesus is vague and remote as a figure in a dream, powerless except for the power to stir the deepest intuitions and longings of the human heart. If ever there was a man worth dying with and dying for, this is he. If ever there should turn out unbelievably to be a God of love willing to search for men even in the depths of evil and pain, the face of Jesus is the face we would know him by.

I’m always interested in what people are reading. It makes for great conversation to hear about what someone is learning and what has challenged them lately. I recently took a random sampling from some friends and family to find out what books have been most influential to them. These suggestions came from charismatics, postmoderns, Southern Baptists, and everything in between, so it made for an eclectic mix of books!

Here is the list in no particular order, along with links to Amazon for more info. Some books like The Divine Conspiracy and The Ragamuffin Gospel turned up more than once. If you would like to contribute your own 3 or 4 most influential books, just leave a comment with your list.

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Ragamuffin Gospel - Brennan Manning
Revolution Within - Dwight Edwards
Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller
This Beautiful Mess - Rick McKinley
The Life You’ve Always Wanted - John Ortberg
The Divine Conspiracy - Dallas Willard
Celebration of Discipline - Richard Foster
Surprised by Joy - C.S. Lewis
Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis
Screwtape Letters – C.S. Lewis
A New Kind of Christian - Brian McLaren
A Generous Orthodoxy – Brian McLaren
Six Hours One Friday - Max Lucado
Destined for the Throne - Paul Billheimer
Don’t Waste Your Sorrows - Paul Billheimer
Safely Home - Randy Alcorn
The Last Sin Eater - Francine Rivers
Wild At Heart - John Eldridge
Epic - John Eldredge
Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki
The Artist’s Way - Julian Cameron
Loving God - Charles Colson
If You Want To Walk On Water You’ve Got to Get Out Of The Boat - John Ortberg
Common Grounds: Conversations About… - Ben Young, Glenn Lucke
Gilead - Marilynn Robinson
The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
The Jesus I Never Knew – Phillip Yancey
Amazing Grace - Phillip Yancey
Don’t Waste Your Life - John Piper

Oh, and by the way… check out LibraryThing.com for a great way to catalogue your books! We’ve got about 40 books listed and are gradually adding the rest of our library.