The Shack - Part 1

I can't believe it's taken me a couple of weeks after reading The Shack to post any thoughts about it! Once I began reading I couldn't put it down. The picture of the Trinity that Paul Young paints is fabulous! God is always surprising. The Bible should make us expect God to act in ways that are contrary to what seems right to us...

Here's one of the many great quotes from the book. In this one, the Holy Spirit is explaining to Mack (the protagonist) that she (don't let this detail throw you off - you'll get it if you read the book) is far more interested in verbs than nouns:

"Let's use the example of friendship and how removing the element of life from a noun can drastically alter a relationship. Mack, if you and I are friends, there is an expectancy that exists within our relationship. When we see each other or are apart, there is expectancy of being together, of laughing and talking. That expectancy has no concrete definition; it is alive and dynamic and everything that emerges from our being together is a unique gift shared by no one else. But what happens if I change that 'expectancy' to an 'expectation' - spoken or unspoken? Suddenly law has entered into our relationship. You are now expected to perform in a way that meets my expectations. Our living friendship rapidly deteriorates into a dead thing with rules and requirements. It is no longer about you and me, but about what friends are supposed to do, or about the responsibilities of a good friend."

Wow! The truth of that paragraph seems clear to me when describing human relationships - friendships or marriages. If you know folks in a lifeless or unhappy marriage I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts that in most cases its unfulfilled expectations that are at the root of much of the unhappiness. Those unfulfilled expectations turn to resentments and all of the joy is removed from the relationship. They get to the point where they don't want to talk to one another or be in the same room. When you ponder their courtship and romance you wonder where they went wrong. They used to love to be together...

How about our relationship with God? One of the things critics of The Shack say is that God is portrayed as too nice. What? You mean to tell me that God is not interested in expectations and responsibility? What did Jesus say when he was asked which of the commandments were the greatest?: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. I think it's really cool that God desires our relationships (with Him and others) to be characterized by expectancy and responsiveness rather than expectations and responsibilities.