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I’ve spent the last four Wednesday evenings in conversation with around 150 people about The Shack. You can check out resources and my presentations here.

After reading through the book several times and reflecting on the conversations with many people, I closed our study by asking everyone to ponder a set of questions that I think the book itself hopes that each of its readers would ask themselves:

What is in my “Shack”?

Do I trust that God has my best interests at heart as well as the interests of those whom I love?

Is there anyone that I need to forgive?

Who is my community?

Who is my mission?

How would you answer these questions?

Thinking about the Problem of Evil

The chief objection to the Christian belief in a God who is all powerful, all knowing, and benevolent is the presence of evil and suffering in the world. This is not a mere intellectual question. We have felt pain in our own lives. We have watched news reports or read history of atrocities and asked, “Why?.”

In William P. Young’s The Shack, the problem of evil (Mack’s abusive childhood and especially the loss of his daughter Missay) is the certain concern of the novel. In the Shack, Mack encounters God who is interested in regaining Mack’s trust by helping him understand God’s goodness in the face of the reality of horrific evil in the world.

This essay is part of the content of my series of “Conversations about The Shack” at Winter Park 1st UMC.

Two Affirmations

I will begin by making my own position clear with two affirmations. In order to understand the compatibility of a belief in a good, omnipotent, and omniscient God with the reality of evil and suffering, we need to recognize two key confessional elements:

1) God desires authentic and unforced relationships with humanity.

2) Through God’s grace as demonstrated definitively in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, suffering is not the final word and suffering itself may be redemptive on this side of eternity.

Typology of Evil

We need to understand evil in terms of two categories: Moral and Natural.

Moral evil. Moral evil is the consequence of the actions of people that go against God’s intentions for Creation. In other words, much of the evil present in the world is the result of human sin. A sub-category of this would be satanic/demonic evil. The Bible clearly indicates the presence of a being who epitomizes evil.

Natural evil. Natural evil involves pain and suffering from the result of natural disasters: floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc. Thinkers are divided over whether or not the perfect Creation described in Genesis 1:1-2:25 included such things as floods, tsunamis, earthquakes or whether these are indicative of the Creation in the post-Genesis 3 reality in which we find ourselves.

Toward an Answer

1) God permits the possibility of evil because of his desire for authentic and genuine relationship and fellowship with His Creation.

God created humanity as the pinnacle of his creation to serve in community with God and one another (male and female) as God’s regents and ambassadors to all creation by reflecting and embodying his character. God did not coerce this. God set up generous boundaries in which humanity was free to live. But humanity was not content with this. Genesis 3-11 reports the infestation of Creation by sin in the aftermath of humanity’s breaching of relationship. In the world as it now exists, all humans and all human institutions are infested and permeated with sin. This has resulted in the fracture of creation itself and perhaps Natural Evil can be understood to be the result of humanity’s sin.

From Genesis 3 onwards, God has shifted his mission to redeem this lost humanity as well as move history to the day when Creation as a whole would be redeemed.

Paul looks to the day when God will act to redeem not only human suffering but also the fractures of Creation.

NIV Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Revelation offers a similar portrait in its deployment of the language of New Creation:

NIV Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

2) Through God’s grace as demonstrated definitively in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, suffering is not the final word and suffering itself may be redemptive on this side of eternity.

Jesus’ death on the cross proclaims the victory of God over sin and the forces of evil. The life, death, and resurrection offers the hope, healing, and restoration of God’s love in the face of evil.

Jesus’ Life, Death, and Resurrection as a Demonstration of God’s Love

NIV John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

NIV Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A Life in Jesus Subverts Suffering and Transforms It into Soul Development

NIV Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

NIV 1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

The Way Forward

Christian Community. Followers of Jesus Christ are to be known by love by insiders to the faith and by outsiders to whom they manifest God’s love. In the face of evil, intentional acts of love by Christ followers can make tangible the love of God in Jesus Christ. Many persons have found great comfort in the community of God’s people. The reality of evil amplifies the critical role that community plays in God’s intentions for humanity.

Prayer. Prayer is a gift from God. The book of Psalms models for God’s people a variety of responses to God including praise, lament, and thanksgiving. During times of crisis, the psalmists deploy the lament psalm in which all sorts of emotions are lifted up to God. In the face of evil, followers of Christ are invited to pray fervently to a God who listens.

Conclusion:

In no way do I wish to trivialize or minimize human pain and suffering, I offer the above comments as a beginning for reflection. I would be happy to dialogue with anyone who has questions or objections to the position outlined briefly above.
© 2009 Brian D. Russell

I would also suggest the following sites for further reflection:

Essay by Peter Kreeft, a professor at Boston College and one of Christianity’s ablest thinkers and communicators

A good discussion of the problem of evil and ways that Christians have understood it.

This site summarizes philosophical arguments that support a belief in God in the face of evil.

New Provocative Add Campaign

Eddie Arthur has written a good missional reflection/response piece to the recent atheist advertising campaign on public buses throughout the UK. Read “Where the Rubber Hits the Road.”

Inside of a UK Bus

On CT’s Out of Ur blog, Gordon McDonald writes an excellent piece on leadership takeaways from the Miracle on the Hudson (the remarkable crash landing of flight 1549 on Thursday).

The Shack continues to be a juggernaut on the NYT’s bestseller list. While sales for books in general have slumped, the Shack’s sales are increasing. It has been #1 in Trade Paperbacks for 33 straight weeks.

Key Issues for Reading the Shack

1) The Shack is a work of fiction. It is rooted in life, Christian thought, and Scripture, but it is fiction and its author claims nothing more for it. Through story, The Shack offers a narrative that attempts to interpret key themes of Scripture in fresh and meaningful ways to a 21st century audience. In particular, it attempts to communicate an understanding of the God of the Scriptures that is capable of touching deeply a person who has grown weary of or hardened against a simplistic or naïve faith. In particular, the main character has been hurt deeply by various tragedies in his life. He has been overcome by The Great Sadness. Is it possible for the Gospel to penetrate such a person? The Shack is the fictional account of the extent to which God will go reach out to one of His lost ones.

The Shack should not be read as a systematic theology. Young is creative and imaginative in his writing. He deploys well the elements of fiction to craft a compelling and transformative story. This does not mean that every aspect or line will hold up to a rigorous theological critique. I think that Young succeeds in writing a powerful story about God’s missional love for the pinnacle of His Creation—humanity. None of the liberties that Young takes or imaginative illustrations that he deploys is detrimental to message underlying The Shack. Ideally, through reading The Shack, men and women will be inspired to (re)engage God in relationship. This will lead inevitably to a return to the Bible itself.

2) The Shack joins a long line of fictional works that engage the riches of Christian theology and tradition. Here are some examples: C. S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia; Dante, Inferno; John Steinbeck, East of Eden; John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress; Flannery O’Connor’s short stories.

The Shack pushes the envelope through a personification of each person of the Trinity along with the figure Holy Wisdom (Sophia) from the Bible’s Wisdom traditions. Young takes a risk here. This move is made to emphasize the relational side of God. But its unconventional use of feminine and non-European imagery has raised issues for some readers who forget (in my opinion) that The Shack is fiction. Young’s portrayal of the Trinity is bold and works to put a human and gracious face on the biblical God who too many in our world think of as oppressive, distant, male, and neither loving nor faithful. I think that Young’s move works, but some (traditional) readers will not be able to get past the imagery to hear the good message within The Shack.

3) Reading The Shack is not a substitute for reading and reflecting on Scripture regularly. The Scriptures are God’s gift to humanity and serve as the authoritative guide for faith and life. The Old and New Testaments tell the story of God’s missional interactions with Creation in general and with the creation, fall, and redemption of humanity in particular. In fact, Young would not have been able to write The Shack without his own careful reflection on the Bible. The Biblical portrait of God is the inspiration for The Shack and Young alludes to the Scriptures subtly throughout the novel. The more that one understands and knows the Bible the more one can appreciate Young’s work. My hope is that The Shack will motivate its readers to read through the Scriptural story that inspired and informed the core of Young’s work.

© 2009 Brian D. Russell

Also check out Andy Rowell’s collection of substantive book reviews on The Shack, including one by my Asbury Seminary colleague Ben Witherington.

Message of the Shack – Random Takeaways

The Shack by William P. Young is a bestselling work of fiction that is spurring fresh conversations about the person and work of God. It narrates the life changing encounter with Godthat its main character “Mack” experiences on a weekend trip to the shack where his youngest daughter Missy was murdered brutally two years earlier at the hands of a serial killer. The death of his daughter brought The Great Sadness into Mackenzie’s life and damaged his relationship with God and others. Moreover, Mack was still bearing the scars of a brutal childhood. Through conversation and hands on experiences with each member of the Trinity as well as the personified wisdom (Sophia), Mack experiences a profound healing that enables him to begin anew to live as the person whom God created him to be.

Here is a preliminary list of key themes/messages built into the narrative:

1) God loves each person profoundly. People matter to God.

2) Relationships are the center of life. The Triune God models a profound relational mode of being. The divine-human relationship and human-human relationships are the true meaning and purpose of life.

3) Forgiveness heals the past and opens the future so that we can live as the people whom God created us to be. Forgiveness involves forgiving self, God, and others.

4) The past is redeemable no matter how dark or how wonderful it may be.

5) The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the most critical act in all Creation.

6) Freedom is worth the price of the possibility/probability of pain and suffering because of misused freedom. God is neither the author of sin or the cause of evil.

7) God’s immanence/nearness/presence is affirmed continually. God is even present in the darkest moments of our lives.

8 ) Our words and actions matter. The way we live either adds the problems in the world or adds value to others to draw them into the relationship that God desires. There is a missional focus for life.

9) Eternity will be an endless adventure of deepening our understanding and relationship with God and others.

What am I missing? What other themes would you add?

© 2009 Brian D. Russell

Thinking about the Problem of Evil

The chief objection to the Christian belief in a God who is all powerful, all knowing, and benevolent is the present of evil and suffering in the world. This is not a mere intellectual question. We have felt pain in our own lives. We have watched news reports or read history of atrocities and asked, “Why?”

Let me offer some brief reflections on a way forward. This essay is part of the content of my series of “Conversations about The Shack” at Winter Park 1st UMC.

Two Affirmations

I will begin by making my own position clear with two affirmations. In order to understand the compatibility of a belief in a good, omnipotent, and omniscient God with the reality of evil and suffering, we need to recognize two key confessional elements:

1) God desires authentic and unforced relationships with humanity.

2) Through God’s grace as demonstrated definitively in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, suffering is not the final word and suffering itself may be redemptive on this side of eternity.

Typology of Evil

We need to understand evil in terms of two categories: Moral and Natural.

Moral evil. Moral evil is the consequence of the actions of people that go against God’s intentions for Creation. In other words, much of the evil present in the world is the result of human sin. A sub-category of this would be satanic/demonic evil. The Bible clearly indicates the presence of a being who epitomizes evil.

Natural evil. Natural evil involves pain and suffering from the result of natural disasters: floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc. Thinkers are divided over whether or not the perfect Creation described in Genesis 1:1-2:25 included such things as floods, tsunamis, earthquakes or whether these are indicative of the Creation in the post-Genesis 3 reality in which we find ourselves.

Toward an Answer

1) God permits the possibility of evil because of his desire for authentic and genuine relationship and fellowship with His Creation.

God created humanity as the pinnacle of his creation to serve in community with God and one another (male and female) as God’s regents and ambassadors to all creation by reflecting and embodying his character. God did not coerce this. God set up generous boundaries in which humanity was free to live. But humanity was not content with this. Genesis 3-11 reports the infestation of Creation by sin in the aftermath of humanity’s breaching of relationship. In the world as it now exists, all humans and all human institutions are infested and permeated with sin. This has resulted in the fracture of creation itself and perhaps Natural Evil can be understood to be the result of humanity’s sin.

From Genesis 3 onwards, God has shifted his mission to redeem this lost humanity as well as move history to the day when Creation as a whole would be redeemed.

Paul looks to the day when God will act to redeem not only human suffering but also the fractures of Creation.

NIV Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Revelation offers a similar portrait in its deployment of the language of New Creation:

NIV Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

2) Through God’s grace as demonstrated definitively in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, suffering is not the final word and suffering itself may be redemptive on this side of eternity.

Jesus’ death on the cross proclaims the victory of God over sin and the forces of evil. The life, death, and resurrection offers the hope, healing, and restoration of God’s love in the face of evil.

Jesus’ Life, Death, and Resurrection as a Demonstration of God’s Love

NIV John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

NIV Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A Life in Jesus Subverts Suffering and Transforms It into Soul Development

NIV Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

NIV 1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

The Way Forward

Christian Community. Followers of Jesus Christ are to be known by love by insiders to the faith and by outsiders to whom they manifest God’s love. In the face of evil, intentional acts of love by Christ followers can make tangible the love of God in Jesus Christ. Many persons have found great comfort in the community of God’s people. The reality of evil amplifies the critical role that community plays in God’s intentions for humanity.

Prayer. Prayer is a gift from God. The book of Psalms models for God’s people a variety of responses to God including praise, lament, and thanksgiving. During times of crisis, the psalmists deploy the lament psalm in which all sorts of emotions are lifted up to God. In the face of evil, followers of Christ are invited to pray fervently to a God who listens.

Conclusion:

In no way do I wish to trivialize or minimize human pain and suffering, I offer the above comments as a beginning for reflection. I would be happy to dialogue with anyone who has questions or objections to the position outlined briefly above.
© 2009 Brian D. Russell

I would also suggest the following sites for further reflection:

Essay by Peter Kreeft, a professor at Boston College and one of Christianity’s ablest thinkers and communicators

A good discussion of the problem of evil and ways that Christians have understood it.

This site summarizes philosophical arguments that support a belief in God in the face of evil.