The Shack by William P. Young

This book was recommended by my friend Travis, and I always try to read anything that's suggested so I added it to my list at the library. I have had several conversations recently about church/religion and the things we learned growing up, and reading this book has re-focused my thinking on this subject.

The story follows a man (Mackenzie Phillips)as a camping trip with his children turns into his worst nightmare when his youngest daughter (Missy) is kidnapped and murdered and how this affects his spirituality. Mack admits that he's never had a stable relationship with God, and even though he spent some time in seminary, he doesn't feel he really knows or trusts God. All of this is questioned when he finds a note (from God) in his mailbox asking him to return for a weekend to the shack where his daughter was murdered.

Unlike the church I grew up in, apparently there are a lot of religions/churches that focus on instilling "the fear of God" in people and controlling behavior through the use of strict "rules" and the guilt that is felt when these are broken. It seems that pretty much everyone I know experienced this type of religion/church, and consequently, have severed their ties with organized religion now that they are adults.

My experiences as a child and adolescent were VERY different and I don't remember anyone in my church ever trying to make me feel guilty about anything. The church I grew up infocused on our relationship with God and how we, as humans created in the likeness of God, are to care for our fellow beings. When I went through confirmation, we were taught to serve God through service to others and to continually question not only our relationships with those around us, but also our relationship to God and what it meant to be part of the church.

So, that said, the portrayal of God in this book was not a foreign idea to me like it was to most of the others I know who have read it. The story gives God a personality, a sense of humor and great compassion in the form of God (Papa), Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (Sarayu).It's not unthinkable to me that God could be an elderly African-American woman who calls herself Papa, or that Jesus is a middle-eastern man, or even that the Holy Spirit is an Asian woman, so it surprised me when so many others had trouble with this concept. Why does God (in all forms) come to mind as an old white man? I guess it's because that is what so many are taught.

I found myself laughing and near tears, sometimes simultaneously. I learned came to understand on a deeper level the things my friends had told me about their experiences with the church. I found myself questioning my own beliefs and the things I was taught. I was pushed to take a look at the decisions I have made, the judgements I make every day, and the interconnectedness of every person's actions.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, and I think I might have found my book club pick!