The Shack

by William P. Young, 2007

I HATED this book! Here’s my book report from September 2008: Had a very hard time with this book but Jenifer said to not stop reading and it did turn around when Mack is led to “Sophia” (wisdom) and asked to judge his children – 3 to hell, 2 to heaven. Mack couldn’t do it. He’d rather he go than any of his children. He starts to understand. Then he gets to see Missy through a waterfall and she sees him. Then Jesus tells him He was with Missy the whole time. He never left her; not for a moment. Then God asks Mack o forgive the murderer, and Mack does. Then God (Papa) takes Mack to where Missy’s body is hidden. Jesus had constructed a beautiful coffin for her with scenes of her life, even when she’s coloring in the pop-up camper, and of her in heaven. Mack later has a car accident and realizes that Missy’s body is probably still there. He leads the sheriff, who calls in Forensics, and they then get Missy’s body and discover clues to catch the murderer. All set in Oregon about 75 miles from Hood River – Wallowa Lake State Park.

“The Missy Project” – Author wants it to be made into a movie but they won’t until enough books are in circulation. “A team of us who have read and been touched by The Shack are convinced this book deserves a reading across the broadest reaches of our culture…Film producers have already expressed interest in making this story into a movie for general theatrical release and will pursue that after a sufficient number of books are in circulation…Here are some ideas to help you share this book with others…”

Gag me. I guess we fell for this because it was made into a movie in 2017.

I’m looking back as I write this on November 10, 2020. Trump has been defeated, thank God, but many American Christians are upset. They support a rotten, vile, unchristian and anti-Christian buffoon, just because he promised conservative Supreme Court judges. I hate abortion but God doesn’t need us to do His work via Trump. God needs us to love Him first and foremost and love our neighbor as ourselves. Trump is full of hatred, full of blame, and badmouths Christians and our God.

I found this article while looking for book cover images of The Shack, from CBN in April 2017 about Dave Aldrich, the man who designed the cover of the book. It’s titled, Art Designer of ‘The Shack’ Book Cover Says He Regrets His Involvement:

“I look back and see how little discernment I had. And I regret and apologize also for waiting this long to publicly share this,” he writes. 

He says the problem is that the book advocated for universal reconciliation or universal salvation, a doctrine that claims that since Jesus died for all, then all are saved, whether they believe it and receive Him personally or not.

Aldrich says this is a grave distortion of John 3:16. 

He goes on to say that John 3:18 makes Jesus’ purpose clear:

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God,” he quotes.