the invitation…
I’ve just finished reading “The Shack”, and from the outset my first impression is that it is completely stunning, and beautiful in its execution. I would love to know what motivated William Paul Young in his writing - where the idea came from, what he percieved, and how it all came together so seamlessly - there is such a depth in the book that just makes ridiculous amounts of sense to me.
There has been a fair amount of controversy surrounding the book, and I guess how somebody receives it depends entirely on what they perceive its motive to be… back to that old chestnut :-) Jolly good!
From what I can gather, a lot of the speculation has come from whether the book fits with what our “ideal” version of God is, with what we see the Bible as being, and our interpretation of those two mixed with the opinions of those around us and how they interpret God and the Bible. The reaction that occurs on reading it would seem depends on how loosely or how tightly people adhere to these things, the reaction being more obvious or extreme depending on the side of the fence one is more inclined to.
The thing with opinion, is that it is incredibly varied… it is as unique as the person that holds it in their heart. My view on it is that there is truth and there is falsehood in all opinions - we are human, and no opinion can be perfect. We are limited by what we have experienced, what we know, and what we expect. As always, this is only my opinion on the matter, which is just as imperfect as the next human’s. The problem being is that in our imperfections, we place judgements on those around us - often unintentionally. One of many, many things which are approached in the book.
I can understand why some reactions can be extreme. Before now I’ve been susceptible to clinging to the things I know… the things I love and cherish… the things which were not intended for me to cling to. Habits, ideas, people, dreams, compulsions… the list goes on. When these things have been removed - which has happened a lot in the last year, particularly in the last two or three months - it’s been hugely confusing, painful, and mind-blowing, however through it I’ve learnt some incredibly important lessons which (I hope) are indelibly engraved in my being. There have been some things that I’ve reacted to and wanted to run away from, there have been others that I have somehow managed to accept through understanding - a grace which surely only God can provide in this instance.
All of this reaction made me want to read “The Shack” all the more, and on noticing that my Dad had a copy, I started reading. It seemed to be perfect timing for me; as I mentioned in the last post, God has been doing a good work. I’ll get to that in good time.
The thing that struck me most was the characters. Others had been shocked at the choosing of the representation of the Trinity, but I would say that the characters were well thought out and made complete sense. I personally have never been able to visualise an image of God, the Holy Spirit, or even the “easiest” of the three to imagine due to his humanity - Jesus. I can’t really explain why, but its just one of those things. My image would change, if there was ever one at all on a day to day basis - I would struggle if someone asked me “what do you think God looks like” or “who do you think God is”… in my mind he’s beyond my boxes. In my life I found it all too easy to compartmentalise and hide things away, so in my funny little way, the only thing God could logically be, was un-boxable; as many have put it “indescribable”. In fact I love the representation which “The Shack” creates - if anything humanly imagined could be perfect, I’d say that these characters are. Though saying that, there is the whole idea that imagination is God inspired, so it’s not wholly unrealistic.
I think that’s one thing that seems to flow through this book for me. Having had no expectations of the book, and coming at it from a vaguely open perspective, it didn’t rattle any boundaries or cause any fractures in my thinking. The imagination which this book was likely born through just seems to fit exactly with where I am now. Had I read this when it first appeared on the scene, I may not have reacted in the way I have now. As I mentioned earlier, I believe God has been doing a good work in me, and it has been remarkable. The hang ups and wounds that have been hindering me are sometimes slowly, but surely, being removed and healed.
The protagonist in the story, goes through a similar transformation to what I’ve been experiencing and walking through in the last couple of months. However the book uses much more tangible and visible ways of showing what has been worked through in his life and mine, in his being over a “shorter” span of time (a really interesting outlook on which was discussed in the book). It’s made the book much more real for me, being able to attach significance to the story and the themes that are woven throughout it. See that as you may, but it’s been a remarkable read as a result. I love the use of colour and imagery in “The Shack”, it caught me and pulled me in hook, line, and sinker - that and the philosophies and ideas that were also woven through the book like a momumental, beautiful tapestry… like those I saw in Blenheim Palace just over a month ago :-)
The description of the relationship between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit was simply divine (pardon the pun)… We so often love to put up structures and ideas that we try to fit God into, when like I mentioned earlier, he’s completely and utterly beyond them. Young looks at this through the book, this whole obsession of our human need to be independant of God and trying to figure him out as a result, and our expectations being another set of rules which we use to judge others. God wants to bring us freedom, and be in complete unity with him, like he is with Jesus and the Holy Spirit as a Trinity. There is a community there which he designed and created us for… I’ll get to that in a bit. The relationship that is described in “The Shack”, is a beautiful, holy union, in which one is not trying to overcome the other, where there is not one supreme authority between the three, but the three work together in perfect synchronicity. Young sends a message through the book, that this is what God designed for us to have with him: God created humans, gave part of himself to be human, so that God can be relatable to us, but yet still ultimately be divine. However, because of the choice of human to be independent, we think that he has expectations of us, or could fit into our rules of how God should be. Inevitably, expectations are dangerous - when we expect from others, often we will be disappointed because they are not perfect and often fail those expectations - particularly if we set them too high. Simultaneously, we often through our humanity fail to live up to the expectations of others, both instances cause pain and scars for both parties. When we relinquish our expectations, then we will live in freedom… isn’t that stunning?
God designed us to live and love in and through him - in perfect communion (the sharing of intimate thoughts and feelings) with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and with each other. The whole idea of that in its completion and perfection for me is beyond words… it is truly beautiful, truly wonderful… and yet, it is not impossible - I don’t believe we have to wait for “heaven” (whatever that my be) for us to experience it. So often we miss the point, and yes it would be idealistic to imagine that we could be capable of this in my lifetime, but the idea itself - the truest manifestation of love physically possible - isn’t necessarily beyond our grasp. I see it in day-to-day life; I live with a group of people who are exploring the very idea of Godly community and being part of that excites the very depths of my soul; I live surrounded by people who I am equal to in our own unique and wholly individual ways - people who even in their humanity try to build up, encourage, and love, even when it is tremendously difficult; I am part of a world where I can enjoy each person for exactly who they are, and whom it is they are on their way to becoming… it’s amazing to be a part of. I don’t quite know where I’m going with this, but there is the hope for our world available and living in each one of us - if we are willing to accept him.
Another thing which completely described an idea which has been bounding around me for over a year, if not slightly longer which was touched on in “The Shack”, is the definition of church. I’ve come to understand why we feel like we need structure, rules, regulations, traditions, and the like, but at the same time I’ve learned to see that we don’t “need” these things… if God is at the centre, why do we need to adhere to a specific way of doing things. I’d started to reel against the idea of the church as an institution, and seeing it’s human imperfections (though loving the humans that create and are part of this institution) had been thinking about the true meaning of what it is to be church. In the book, the church as it should be was described like this: “It’s all about relationships and simply sharing life. What we are doing right now [discussing, sharing life, and learning to love by God’s perfect example] - just doing this - and being open and available to others around us. My church is all about people and life is all about relationships. You can’t build it. It’s my job and I’m actually pretty good at it.” The second I read that paragraph, I literally sat back in wonder and thought - that’s exactly it! That’s exactly the point, that’s exactly what I’ve been grappling with in this institution driven world. People can be hurt by the institution because by placing expectations on people we get crushed when they can’t live up to them, particularly if they’re involved in the institution of the church - as though that should instantly make them slightly more perfect than the rest of us. Church should be about the people; the Church is Jesus’ bride - the one he loves, and yet we miss the point… I remember being sat in C.U. when I was about 14, and someone saying that C.U. was as much a church as the local Anglican, Evangelical, Holy Trinity, Methodist churches out there - its about the people; as it says in the Creed “the communion of the saints”, a saint being defined as someone who is virtuous (having high moral standards) and holy (dedicated to God) - a love and dedication to God and those around us. I love the whole notion and its implications… it blows my mind :-)
The final thing that I’ll touch on before I round off, is the description of the Holy Spirit, how it works, and how it works as a part of God. Often the Holy Spirit is seen as too mysterious, too far beyond our comprehension, sometimes even seen as dangerous - which in many ways is true. The Spirit, the very breath of God. If I remember rightly, the Greek word for breath or wind is pneuma - where we get words like pneumatic and pneumathorax from. I was struck when I read its definition as being likened to a life-force… literally spiritual life giving power. It was the Holy Spirit part of “The Shack” that truly captured me most. In one chapter of the book, the protagonist and the Holy Spirit work in a garden - an orderly chaos which was described as a fractal: something considered simple and orderly that is actually composed of repeated patterns no matter how organised; infinitely complex. I was talking to my housemate on our way to church this morning about the idea behind fractals, and we had to laugh this evening when fractals came up on the television. It’s all oddly connected… infinitley complex :-) it’s fabulous - I actually love it.
The use of colour and imagery that I mentioned, was most often connected with the Holy Spirit character and the life-force that created and sees creation as it was intended. This character was the most enigmatic of the three - typically, and despite this was painted just as made sense for it to be painted. Ultimately I would whole-heartedly recommend reading the book… I cannot do it justice, and I don’t want to alter your own experience of the book if you intend on reading it yourself, particularly if you haven’t read it already - though saying that, I’ve already said a lot about it :-P
To tie it all in to what I’ve been learning recently, is the emphasis on just “being” with God. When I visited my Nan about a month ago, I was able to remember how to act as myself without literally worrying about what other people would think about me - the beauty of being around people who know you intimately and love you just for being you. In life, it is all to easy for me to act very differently to how I want to, solely because I would be worried about what people would think of me. It was completely refreshing therefore, to be around people who I felt I didn’t need to act a certain way around, or be a shadow of myself around. It was all part of this learning process I’ve been on in the last few months… I’m slowly starting to wash away the stuff that put up to stop people seeing who I am - it’s taking time, but i’m getting there… slowly starting to be comfortable in my own skin around those in my world, being who God created me to be now on the way to who I’m going to become on this journey called life. This whole message of just “being” with God, who knows you inside and out, who calls you by name and loves you despite what we may feel guilty about or worthless because of, etc, etc, etc… it’s so powerful. It’s in and through him that we experience peace, love, grace, and forgiveness; it’s in and through him that we learn how to be those things to those in our world; ultimately it’s in and through him that we can show the true face of God to his people - those he loved so much that he sent a part of himself in our place so that we could be free to receive him. Such a marvellous invitation…
And on this conclusion I will finish. It’s by relationship and relationship alone that we can be healed and forgiven of those things that we fail in, that we hurt because of, that we hurt others as a result of, and so on. Only through relationship with God as a whole, learning and growing in him, and through relationship with those around us, can we truly experience a glimmer of all that God has in store for us as his beloved children. Only God can redeem and restore, but he uses us in the process of healing and restoration. I consider that to be a priveledge, and want to delve deeper into him so I can be all I was created to be, so I can help others discover God’s “original design” (to coin a phrase I’ve heard frequently this year) for their lives - to see those around me reach their true potential would truly be a joy.
Again, I would recommend reading the book… I’ve only scraped the surface of its depth and ideas… I hadn’t even talked about Wisdom - one of the most thought provoking and helpful (as a means of understanding) characters of the book for me. Yet the book only scrapes the surface of the depth of love and of God, despite all its many facets. It’s one I will be getting for myself so I can look through it whenever I feel the time is appropriate. Obviously the book itself is a perception of Holiness and of God, but I’d say it’s a great tool for exploring the magnitude of God.
Maybe the idea of exploring God is too much, but may I put this out there…
What have you got to lose?
