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From:William P. Young , Windblown Media ,
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User Rating: Amazon Sales Rank:#2 |
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9 of 14 customers found the following review helpful:
 Dangerous!, 2008-07-16
I read this book, and felt strongly that there was too much in here (and I realize this is fiction), that might skew someones view of God, especially for new or unbelievers reading it. We must know scripture (because that is what we are judged by), and this will not prepare people for what is coming. It's a nice story, but potentially destructive to ones walk with the Lord if not careful to compartmentalize the false and sort out what is truth. Most will just read it, and take it as their new idea of who God is, and be sorry!!
1 of 4 customers found the following review helpful:
 God DOES speak, 2008-07-16
It is wonderful that any written work would have such an impact. We should celebrate that there is something sparking the literary interest of a generation tired of looking for something of value.
Even those that rate this read low...are still sparked by the interest it draws. Life is tyranny and sometimes the simplicity of how you can be reached should be appreciated. If you are coming with an agenda...you just might be blessed, but more than likely your theological radar will block that opportunity.
If however, you are weary and tired...a reminder that our God is bigger than the theological walls this world can create is comforting. If anything, the book reminds me that I am quite limited and God is not.
It is a story...I appreciate the feel of a personal glimpse into the realities of many concerning the confusion and distance we feel from God and how indeed...it is man that has once again blurred the lines that keep us from living a life without fear. "Trust does not grow in the house of certainty." Don't be afraid to think the Lord is in it all.
4 of 7 customers found the following review helpful:
From contentiousness to unity, 2008-07-16
I finished crying my way through this book this morning, stopping to take notes from especially touching conversations, but not even finishing my writing before I was moving forward through the story again. The story is enthralling and fast-moving, yet profound in its simple explications of truth.
I attended a contentious Board Meeting at my church yesterday, and the split among the members concerned "who's in charge and chain of command" vs. being "a circle of relationship". I will be recommending this book to everyone at the church.
I thank the author for presenting this wonderful illustration though which to revisit my own spiritual ideas and ideals and find inspiration!
1 of 4 customers found the following review helpful:
A Great Thought Provoking Story, 2008-07-15
I don't understand why people feel the need to take a novel and turn it into an argument about their personal beliefs. You don't have to agree with Young to appreciate this story. This is an entertaining, beautifully written novel that stands on its own, regardless if the opinions of the characters are right or wrong. I don't agree at all with the reviewer who says enjoying this book makes you not believe certain things about God. That is the purest form of ignorance in my opinion. If you really can't read about a character whose opinion questions your opinions about God, creation, life, etc., you probably shouldn't read this book. However, if you CAN read a story where the characters questions some of these things, you will enjoy this I think.
1 of 4 customers found the following review helpful:
Suffering, it hurts so bad!, 2008-07-15
Where is God when one of your precious and loved children, Missy, is abducted and brutally murdered by a serial pedophile in a shack in the backwoods of Oregon? The father, Mack is subsequently beset with a "great sadness" that sucks the very life out of him and affects every aspect of his being. This story is about his confronting his demons, forgiveness, love and above all faith and grace. Mac's healing begins with a simple typewritten letter from God to come to the Shack for a weekend intimate talk! There he meets the trinity who manifest as the following, God is a black woman who cooks great meals, and Jesus is a carpenter and the Holy Ghost a transparent, colorful gardener.
In my mind, this book dovetails with the Toole's book "Awakening to your life's purpose" in that it points to the irrelevance of today's religion to understand suffering and how one needs to awaken to God consciousness, (Christ consciousness, Buddha nature), in order to not only live in the present but show hope for a future society where, "on earth as in heaven" is possible. Getting there involves the following concepts as presented in The Shack:
1. Circular love is shown to be egalitarian in nature and without judgment or condescension. This is portrayed and modeled in the relationships between the trinity characters. In our current society we are conditioned to accept hierarchical relationships based on power, prestige, expectations and materialism. This short-circuits any attempt to develop loving relationships and a sense of being connected in the depth of our souls with one another and God. In my mind, we are living by the Old Testament, an eye for an eye, and through obedience to the law rather than internal transformation and awakening to the spiritual self.
2. Forgiveness, forgiving one's self, those who have done you harm, and recognizing that God's grace is like rain falling on the righteous as well as the wicked. God does not judge but looks to love all of his children and will work to redeem even the most diabolical and horrific killers. Letting go of righteous indignation, retribution, hate, and malice frees up the soul to move on with loving life and others. So, having expectations and performance concerns are trivial when it comes to just loving others!
3. Independence is presented as the downfall of man, separating him from God and represented by Adams choice to partake of the tree of knowledge. My sense is that it not so much independence but unconsciousness that separates us from our spiritual selves. Having your feet in two different boats makes for an impossible situation. Choosing between the material and spiritual is difficult. Christ made it simple, divest from both the material and ego centered life. Invest in the service to the poor (social gospel) and awaken to your spiritual being. The bum who asks for a hand out from the wall street shaker and mover may be living Christ's legacy and by providence, but is perceived through an ethnocentric bias that states you are no good unless you succeed materially, educationally and independently. So everything we hold precious, education, family, the comfortable material life is turned upside down by Christ's redistribution of wealth, the least shall become first and the first last. Christ is a radical change agent whose social gospel has been largely ignored and domesticated by today's religion.
4. Suffering is built into the fabric of the universe and is very karmic by nature. God does not create suffering but our choices and free will does. He will present as many opportunities for clarity and redemption as needed to heal through Grace until the individual finally gets it. So suffering offers an opportunity for spiritual growth and it is a necessary part of our enlightenment journey. Without suffering, there would be nothing to bump up against, no challenge, and no reason to grow.
5. Be in this world but not of it.
6. Abide in me and I'll abide in you!
How does reading a book of fiction, myth, and archetypes, mixed in with perceived spiritual truths affect your worldview. Does it challenge you to continue the journey and seek out more spiritual concepts to integrate or reject. Are you eclectic by nature or do you find that religion is enough and there is no need to go further. Religious faith in Christian dogma once accepted will give one future access to Heaven so everything else of subsequent spiritual quest is not important and may be heretical and to be avoided. Thinking outside the religious box is not an option as everything I have been taught by my church is enough for me. Revelation stopped with Christ's ascension. These are some thoughts about how humans approach their spiritual selves.
Forgiving yourself and others how hard is that? Every newscast has a murderer and victim asking for justice couched in revenge, malice and hate. It is the exceptional family that talks of forgiveness and prays for the murderer. Is the later able to accept suffering without holding onto hate and revenge, creating a relationships based on love for all and hope for redemption of the perpetrator? However, my ego wants to feel the pain, hold onto it, savoring every painful moment and keeping us hostage for a lifetime. Holding onto the pain results in depression, physical disabilities and keeps us from loving fully or does it?
What would Christ do if living in the present and was confronted by three men with a gun in a dark alley wanting his wallet?
a. He would create a miracle to persuade them that they were being selfish and hurtful toward others and he was the son god and not to be messed with.
b. He would try to talk them out of their criminal intent and offer redemption.
c. He would give freely his wallet and seeing that one of the men didn't have a coat on this cold evening, offer his leather jacket as well.
d. He would reveal to each criminal their life's story and how it will end to awaken them to their spiritual selves and they would walk away shaking their heads.
e. He would resist, be shot dead, resurrect and scare them into redeeming themselves, thus saving their souls.
f. He would not resist but later hunt each one down and taking something of equal or more value away from them to teach them a lesson.
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