Tuesday Review: The Shack

Pajjar and I went to this “Nudge the World” event at our church last Saturday night. The purpose of these events is, I guess, to share the message of Jesus through art. They had this live action art crew, as well as some musical guests, and William Paul Young, the author of The Shack.


Wm. Paul Young originally wrote this story for his 6 kids as a Christmas gift. Eventually, his family passed it around and he started to get random emails from people all over the world thanking him for this book. Just about a couple of years ago, his family moved into a small house with about 900 sq feet of livable space, and just a year ago, Wm. Paul Young was working three jobs to keep his family afloat. He’s an honest man, who works hard, and loves his family and his Savior.

*”The Shack” spoiler begins*
Here’s a quick synopsis of the book. Mackenzie or Mack, had a tough up bringing where his dad abused him and his mom. At a young age, he poisons his dad’s beer and runs away from home. At a young age he already has to grow up faster then most kids, already at a young age he is carrying a lot of baggage by himself.

Mack is in his late 40s/early 50s now and is married with 5 children. He takes 3 of them on a camping trip and the youngest, his pride and joy, his youngest child, his 5 year old daughter, gets kidnapped. Eventually, the police find his daughter’s dress, that she was wearing on the day she disappeared, in a shack, in a pool of blood. They never find the body nor do they find the culprit.

Years go bye and he finds a note in his mailbox that says:


Mackenzie,

It’s been a while. I’ve missed you. I’ll be at the shack next week if you want to get together.

- Papa


He doesn’t know what to think. Could it be the killer? Could it be a horrible, mean trick? Or is it really his daughter? You see, Mack calls God “Papa” and it’s what his daughter used to call him as well.

Eventually he goes to the shack and a large African American woman is there, and you guessed it, she’s God. This is where the story gets really good because a man with this much baggage has a lot of really tough and personal questions for God.

You see, the Shack is a metaphor for your heart. It’s where you keep all of your secrets and fears and everything else. Christianity has always taught us that God is knocking at the door of our heart and if we let him in, He’ll be there forever. Wm. Paul Young said that “I believe that God is already in our heart, living amongst all our junk and our past. You see, when you walk up to that shack, and as you reach for that doorknob. God is going to rip that door open and yell at you ‘Where have you been!’ At that moment, you’ll realize that God’s been in your heart all along and that it’s been you who has been avoiding your own heart.”
*Spoiler Ends*

Man, I must of cried at least three times that night.

One reason why I love my church so much is that they’re honest with you. They’ll tell you that they don’t have all the answers, that they’re just as lost as you are. But if you’re willing to ask, seek, and knock, then they’ll be right beside you as you figure out your relationship with God.

Wm. Paul Young is also pretty smart and really funny. He’s been under attack recently because he made God look like Aunt Jemima, but he had his reasons and theology to support it.

It was truly a blessed evening.