Thinking About “The Shack”

My wife and I went to see the movie, “The Shack,” a couple of weeks ago.  I was moved by it. But later, I know enough about myself not to let my emotions teach me theology. I needed time to process what I saw now that my emotions have calmed down.

I love what C.S. Lewis wrote in his book, “Mere Christianity” -- "God is the only comfort. He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most need to hide from. He is our only possible ally and we have made ourselves His enemies. Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again."

One day we will stand before Him, overwhelmed by that goodness. Instead of condemning, he welcomes us. Invites us to share His throne and His reign—an act of compassion and nobility that staggers our dim imaginations.

When I watched “The Shack,” I was overwhelmed with how the movie portrayed God’s kindness and compassion. But I am also reminded that God’s kindness may not be in ways that fit our minds.

For example, God was so kind to offer us a way out of our sins, but it came as the price of Jesus’ death and suffering.  I tried to compare the suffering of Mack in the movie, “The Shack” with the suffering of Job. Mack lost one little girl.  That in itself is bad enough. But Job lost seven sons and three daughters (Job 1). 

So what I have done is to compare how God dealt with Job in his time of extreme lost and crisis (a biblical account) with how God dealt with Mack in his lost and crisis (a movie’s version).

When I compare the two, I find that the greatest deficit of the Papa (God) of The Shack—his/her kindness fits too easily into our minds conditioned by today’s New Agey, marshmallowy, overwrought compassion. Tender feeling-with but without holiness or righteousness or accountability or sacrifice or hard-earned wisdom from a man like Job who lost far more than Mack.

God comes to Job like Papa comes to Mack in his pain and suffering and gives the most important gift—the gift of His I-AM-enough presence. The fulfillment of our deepest longing when we are in the deepest pit. When we need an Answerer far more than an answer.

But interestingly, God comes without comfort food or Neil Diamond music. He comes to Job and says, “Brace yourself like a man and I will question you” (Job 40:7).

“The Shack” was an entertaining take on God.  But for this Christian, I am convinced that the Book of Job is a much more truer and biblical take on nature of God and His compassion toward those who are in severe pain.

Again I say, God’s kindness may not fit in the way our minds may think.