My mom brought me her copy of The Shack. I hadn’t heard of it until about two months ago. Apparently I’ve been living in a hole. The only thing I’d really heard about it was that it was stirring up quite a bit of controversy, but the masses were loving it.

I read it in about a week. It was the first book I’ve ever read that caused me to cry. Okay, maybe that is a little bit of a stretch. My eyes misted over and I got the little lump in my throat. That’s what happened. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a hard-hearted dude. Every time I watch Homeward Bound or even the Fox and the Hound, I cry like a baby. But a book? I’ve never read a book that induced that kind of emotion… but maybe it’s my choice of book, huh?

So, I totally had no idea of what to expect. I was a little shocked when I met Papa. I didn’t expect that at all. However, I can’t say I didn’t fall in love with the three main characters (outside the main person). I must say that there were many parts where I totally connected with the characters and I thought, “Wow, God really does want to connect to me just like that.” I think that God is too far removed from our experience, and The Shack as a good reminder of how near God is and how he wants to relate to us.

The negatives? There were a few parts where the dialogue got a little long. I felt like I was in a systematic theology class where the professor was trying to explain something really complicated in a way I could understand, but the explanation went way longer they time allowed. I know that there were some theological leaps taken in this story. A lot of people say that this is the perfect book for a non-believer. I’m not sure I’d give it to a non-believer. Yeah, it sets a good start on how a person can relate to God, but maybe not quite the same way this book does. The front cover compared this book to “Pilgrim’s Progress.” I think that’s a little bit too wishful thinking. Was it good for my faith though? Absolutely! What an amazing story of forgiveness.

So, if you get a chance to read it, I totally recommend it. It’s refreshing, fun and though provoking. Just don’t read it with your systematic theology text.

You can pick up the Shack at Amazon right here: The Shack