The Shack
- Jerry Witham
- Nov 15, 2008
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I personally enjoyed reading The Shack. I am not a big fan of fiction, but I truly liked ready this writing. Though I would encourage someone to read it I would also tell the reader to proceed with caution. The main reason for such a warning would be due to how God is revealed in the book. God is Triune and the book paints a beautiful picture of that, but we must be careful with man’s attempt to reveal God outside of Scripture. I appreciate the style of allegory and believe that this is what the author is doing, but we must remember it is allegory.
Also, the word used for the Holy Spirit is an interesting choice. The author uses, Sarayu, which is a river in India. It means air, wind, flow or that which is streaming. The reason the author uses it is because of its similarity to the Greek work for spirit which is pneuma. Sarayu is mentioned in a Hindu epic and also mythology, so one should just be cautious and again remember this is allegory.
I love how the book addresses issues of forgiveness, healing, hurt and pain. The main character deals with all of this regarding a relationship with his dad and with a tragedy that occurs to his daughter. What I love is how the book portrays God as the healer. It is also a beautiful picture of God’s forgiveness and how we are to forgive as He forgives.
All in all, The Shack is a great read. I love the fact that the author wrote it to simply give to his 6 kids on Christmas morning as a gift. What a great gift!
