The Shack

A review by RTF Staff Writer, Derek Hanisch

Over the summer I was at the store and I saw the book “The Shack.” I read the back and was intrigued, so I purchased it. I normally know the next five books that I’m going to read, so this book got lost along the way. It didn’t even make it up to college with me. When “The Shack” was chosen by The Hardback Society (the book club I’m in) as our book of the month I had my mom mail it up to me.

After finishing the book all I can say is, “wow!”

Before I get into too much depth I want to talk about what genre this book is. It’s classified as “Christian Fiction” although it is so much more than that. It’s the story of Mack, a man whose daughter is murdered. He’s angry with God and depressed with life. He gets a note from God telling Mack to meet him at “the shack”, which is where his daughter was murdered. The book is Mack’s retelling of his encounter with God.

Mack is a real person and his daughter really was murdered. He claims that the events in this book are true, that he really did spend a weekend with God. He was in a serious accident after the weekend, though, so he could have dreamt it all. Where does that leave us? Well, I think that at the least we can say that this book gives us a new perspective on God. A lot of the dialogue that Mack has with God is amazing stuff. Some of it is a new perspective of Biblical teaching, but none of it goes against what the Bible says. At most? We can see this as a true dialogue with God. Which is it? Well, as much as a cop out as it is; only God knows.

The overall theme of this book would be love, God’s love for us. There was something that God says to Mack that really stood out to me, and it’s what I’ll leave you with:

“Mack, just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedy doesn’t mean I orchestrate the tragedies. Don’t ever assume that my using something means that I caused it or that I need it to accomplish my purposes. That will only lead you to false notions about me. Grace doesn’t depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors.”

-The Shack page 185.

That last line stuck me especially hard. To have grace suffering doesn’t need to exist. When we have suffering in our lives, though, God’s grace will be plentiful. “The Shack” is a book that I’d encourage you all to read. If you feel that God couldn’t have come to Mack and spent the weekend with him, that’s fine, read this as a piece of fiction, but listen to the words of God as you do. You won’t be disappointed.