Before Christmas, a friend called me out-of-the-blue to tell me that I had to read "The Shack" by Wm. Paul Young. She gave me a quick synopsis and I said okay I'd give it a whirl. All the while, I never intended on reading it. Its very essence sounded sacriligious and outlandish. I thought of that stupid "DaVinci Code" and didn't want to read it. But then another friend was reading it and we decided to read it for our book club. So reluctantly I borrowed a copy.
I read it in five-and-a-half hours, or roughly the time it took us to drive home from Rapid City this week-end. It was hard to read about the little girl and I nearly gave up at that point. And when Papa first appeared (looking something like Maya Angelou in my mind) I almost put it down forever. But I kept on and was glad I did.
To say the story is fantastical would be an under-statement. And I also don't want to say that this book is biblically based and a good explanation for the nature of God, etc. But it's a good read.
In our Bible study, we've been discussing "the chosen" and how God could choose some for eternal salvation and choose others for hell. Some in our study say that is just a God thing and we'll never understand it. But, I believe same as the book put it. God chose all of us. He offered all of us reconciliation to Him through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If we accept His sacrifice, if we acknowledge His perfect gift, if we reconcile ourselves to Him through the cross, then we experience eternal life. If we deny His gift, if we choose 'independence' over reconciliation, then we've chosen hell or eternal separation from Him.
I won't go on though I could. I'm exhausted. But I'm forcing my husband to read it now. We have much to discuss. What did you think?
