The Shack

Now I don't usually endorse books here because I truly believe that a book is a very personal thing. What one reads is truly a visual image of a persons desires, needs, and true self. However, this book is wonderful. I don't usually use this particular forum to discuss many things I struggle with, but lately I have struggled with much. I don't feel that this is the forum for it, in alot of ways, because I have many friends who read this, and I don't wish to offend. Not that what I feel should ever offend anyone, but we are people, and people are offended often by things they shouldn't be. Needless to say, I have struggled much with so much of the intolerance that I have seen of late, within the world, but mostly within my own church. The gospel is wonderful, but there are many things that we preach and do not practice. I know that I do it myself, but I truly hate hypocrisy, in myself and others. I guess because I see it as my own personal biggest flaw, I am all the more annoyed by it. However, this book has really helped me to see God himself in a different light. One of my favorite quotes from the book is "You demand independence, but then complain that I actually love you enough to give it to you." This is God talking about us humans. Oh, and it is so true. All my life I was taught that if you ask it then God will give it, as long as it's righteous. However, God gave us a wonderful gift--choice. There's only so much he can do, He will not interfere with that right. Jesus died for that right, He gave us a mighty gift, and no matter what we do with it, it was worth it to Him. I also found it interesting that the word "responsibility" does not appear in the Bible. It is pointed out that the Bible and scriptures in general should be read as a "relationship" not as a list of rules and laws. Try it, it definitely lends an interesting perspective.

Anyway I could probably go on and on, but I won't. Needless to say, you may or may not agree with the perspective in this book. And I will say that there are things that I don't agree with, but mostly I find it very enlightening. The main thing that it really has helped me with is the God in a box syndrome as I will call it. We as humans truly have put Him in a box, but I really believe that that is wrong. God doesn't live in a box and putting him there doesn't make our relationship with him better, it only limits it.

Live outside the box.