Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The Shack

I finally decided to read The Shack last week. I had heard many condemning it, while others sang its praises, so I decided to find out for myself. I suspected I would like it. Many of the ones condemning it had also condemned some other books I really liked. Well, I liked it—anybody surprised? :)

There are many memorable lines in the book, but I am only going to share a few over the next 4 days. I encourage you to read it; you might like it. But, I must warn you, it will mess with your concept of God, church, and what it means to be a Christian. If you think you already have all three of those figured out and are 100% sure of your concepts, then you will hate this book. You have been warned!

Anyway, the first quote:

“In seminary he had been taught that God had completely stopped any overt communication with moderns, preferring to have them only listen to and follow sacred Scripture, properly interpreted, of course. God's voice had been reduced to paper, and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellects. It seemed that direct communication with God was something exclusively for the ancients and uncivilized, while educated Westerners' access to God was mediated and controlled by the intelligentsia. Nobody wanted God in a box, just a book. Especially an expensive one bound in leather with gilt edges, or was that guilt edges?” — The Shack, page 63

1 comment:

Joel Brueseke said...

I don't think that quote messes with anyone's concept of God, church and what it means to be a Christian.

LOL! ;)

Looking forward to more quotes. I've read the book (most of it) and have been in a few 'pros and cons' conversations with people about it.

Really, you're right --- if someone's got God all figured out, then they'll hate this book.

For me, the book has three aspects to it that stick out to me. 1. It communicates some thoughts about God that I simply disagree with (which is fine). 2. It communicates some thoughts that really made me think, and helped to shed light on some aspects of life in Christ. 3. It communicates some thoughts that I already had, and I was so very happy to see someone else saying those things, and having them worded the way they were, in the fictional context (although I'm not really a fiction reader).

I can see how the book has caused quite the buzz over the last year or so, both for those who like it and those who don't.