The Shack

“It is so easy to get sucked into the if-only game, and playing it is a short and slippery slide into despair.”

This quote comes from the expository narration (presumably written by Willie) of Mack’s difficult emotional journey while dealing with Missy’s disappearance. It speaks to the difficulties of walking through a period of life like “the Great Sadness,” in which grief often mingles with self-blame.

“There are times when you choose to believe something that would normally be considered absolutely irrational. It doesn’t mean that it is actually irrational, but it surely is not rational. Perhaps there is suprarationality: reason beyond the normal definitions of fact or data-based logic; something that only makes sense if you can see a bigger picture of reality. Maybe that is where faith fits in.”

This reflection comes from the opening of Chapter 5, and in its immediate context it points to Mack’s decision to go to the shack in the hope that the mysterious note might actually be an invitation from God. The idea that God would send such an invitation, or that an experience like the one at the shack could happen, might strike many as irrational, even though nothing about it contradicts the laws of logic. This same dynamic, the novel suggests, also applies to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which Chapter 5 later introduces.

“Mackenzie, the Truth shall set you free and the Truth has a name; he’s over in the woodshop right now covered in sawdust. Everything is about him. And freedom is a process that happens inside a relationship with him.”

Here Papa expresses the centrality of Jesus to the divine plan. Alluding to two verses from the Bible—“The truth shall set you free” (John 8:32) and “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)—this quote illustrates the novel’s depiction of the historical mission of Jesus, and particularly his death on the cross, as the centerpiece of God’s plan of redemption for the world.

“Remember this, humans are not defined by their limitations, but by the intentions that I have for them; not by what they seem to be, but by everything it means to be created in my image.”

This quote, spoken by Papa, illustrates the novel’s insistence that true human flourishing can only occur within the context of God’s original design for humanity, which ultimately leads to a relationship of love with God. The words “created in my image” allude to another Bible passage, Genesis 1:26-27, which describes the first humans as made in the image of God.

“‘What’s important is this: If I were simply One God and only One Person, then you would find yourself in this Creation without something wonderful, without something essential even. And I would be utterly other than I am.’

‘And we would be without…?’ Mack didn’t even know how to finish the question.

‘Love and relationship. All love and relationship is possible for you only because it already exists within Me, within God myself.’”

This quote comes from one of Mack’s early dialogues with Papa, and it directly links the themes of Trinitarian theology and love and relationship to one another. Papa makes the theological point that if God were simply a monistic “One” existing alone from all eternity, then the capacity for love would not be part of the divine essence; love requires someone else to love. The fact that the Trinity is a union in plurality makes possible the Christian position that love is a fundamental expression of the divine nature and not merely a contingent response to outside circumstances.

“‘Mackenzie, I have no favorites; I am just especially fond of him.’

‘You seem to be especially fond of a lot of people,’ Mack observed with a suspicious look. ‘Are there any who you are not especially fond of?’

She lifted her head and rolled her eyes as if she were mentally going through the catalog of every being ever created. ‘Nope, I haven’t been able to find any. Guess that’s jes’ the way I is.’”

The characteristic way in which the members of the Trinity express their love for humans (especially Papa, who speaks in this quote) is to say that they are “especially fond of” a given person. Here Mack inquires as to whether this applies to every human, and Papa answers that it does. God’s love, as portrayed here, applies equally to everyone but is also “particular” to everyone; it is both infinite and individual.

“We created you, the human, to be in face-to-face relationship with us, to join our circle of love. As difficult as it will be for you to understand, everything that has taken place is occurring exactly according to this purpose, without violating choice or will.”

Papa speaks here in the context of a conversation involving all four of the main characters. This quote expresses the theme of love and relationship as the essence of God’s plan for the world. The relationship of love is not something that exists only between the members of the Trinity, nor only between human beings, but that crosses the boundaries between human and divine, inviting humans to join in the circle of love that exists within the Trinity itself.

“‘One last comment,’ he added, turning back. ‘I just can’t imagine any final outcome that would justify all this.’

‘Mackenzie.’ Papa rose out of her chair and walked around the table to give him a big squeeze. ‘We’re not justifying it. We are redeeming it.’”

At the end of a dialogue between Mack and the Trinity that explores the way God’s purposes are worked out in the world, Mack expresses this sentiment of doubt. Papa corrects him gently, reminding him that God does not plan or orchestrate any of the suffering caused by sin but noting that God is nonetheless at work in the midst of that suffering, redeeming it and allowing it to unfold in a new pattern of beauty.

“For any created being, autonomy is lunacy. Freedom involves trust and obedience inside a relationship of love.”

This quote, spoken by Sarayu, underscores the theme of love and relationship. It rests on the idea, which the novel has already expressed, that human flourishing is only possible in accordance with God’s original design for humanity. Since that design is for humans to live in relationships of love with one another and with God, the human impulse to seek personal independence never ultimately brings satisfaction or freedom.

“[…] this garden is your soul. This mess is you! Together, you and I, we have been working with a purpose in your heart. And it is wild and beautiful and perfectly in process. To you it seems like a mess, but to me, I see a perfect pattern emerging and growing and alive—a living fractal.”

Sarayu identifies the garden as a symbol of Mack’s own soul while they work together to clear out a space within it. Sarayu also employs the motif of fractals in this quote, suggesting that God can use apparent chaos to bring out patterns of beauty and life.

“Mack, don’t you see how filling roles is the opposite of relationship? We want male and female to be counterparts, face-to-face equals, each unique and different, distinctive in gender but complementary, and each empowered uniquely by Sarayu from whom all true power and authority originates. Remember, I am not about performance and fitting into man-made structures; I am about being. As you grow in relationship with me, what you do will simply reflect who you really are.”

Jesus speaks in this quote, which is part of his dialogue with Mack after walking on the water together. The theme of relationship and love is central here, and Jesus contrasts this to the human tendency to create roles and authority structures for the exercise of power.

“He doesn’t stop a lot of things that cause him pain. Your world is severely broken. You demanded your independence, and now you are angry with the one who loved you enough to give it to you. Nothing is as it should be, as Papa desires it to be, and as it will be one day. Right now your world is lost in darkness and chaos, and horrible things happen to those that he is especially fond of.”

This quote from Sophia comes near the conclusion of Mack’s experience “sitting in judgment” in the manner that he imagines God judges the world. Sophia attributes the suffering of the world to the human quest for independence, not to God’s design.

“This life is only the anteroom of a greater reality to come. No one reaches their potential in your world. It’s only preparation for what Papa had in mind all along.”

Sophia explains how Mack can make sense of his vision of his children in a heavenly environment on the other side of the waterfall. This vision is intended to remind Mack that the pain and suffering of this world are not the end of the story. To perceive the meaning of suffering, people must be able to see not just the suffering itself but the whole picture of what God is doing, both in history and in eternity.

“Mackenzie, judgment is not about destruction, but about setting things right.”

Here Sophia contrasts Mack’s stereotyped misconception of God’s judgment with a more positive view. Instead of viewing God as mostly interested in punishing sinners for their misdeeds, The Shack paints a picture of God in which divine judgment serves the cause of healing, redemption, and restoration.

“‘It’s all about relationships and simply sharing life. What we are doing right now—just doing this—and being open and available to others around us. My church is all about people and life is all about relationships. You can’t build it. It’s my job and I’m actually pretty good at it,’ Jesus said with a chuckle.”

This quote comes from Mack’s dialogue with Jesus after his experience with Sophia, and it underscores the theme of love and relationship by explaining how Jesus sees the church. The church, far from being merely a human institution with human roles of power and authority, is a community that has returned to the original design of sharing a relationship of love with God and with each other.

“Mack, just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn’t mean I orchestrate the tragedies. Don’t ever assume that my using something means I caused it or that I need it to accomplish my purposes. That will only lead you to false notions about me. Grace doesn’t depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors.”

Now conversing with Papa, Mack is trying to process why Missy’s death happened if God is truly at work in the world. This quote is Papa’s response, in which she reminds Mack that while she does not plan such tragedies, she also does not abandon people to suffer the effects of their tragedies alone but rather works within those circumstances to bring her grace to bear.

“Ah, that is the risk of faith, Mack. Faith does not grow in the house of certainty.”

Here Papa responds to Mack’s fear that Nan might not forgive him for not telling her about his trip to the shack. The quote expresses the reality of the free will with which humans are endowed: Nan’s choices are her own, and Mack cannot expect to predict them. By extension, the quote applies to the whole life of faith, in which humans can simply choose to trust God without knowing what the outcome of a particular situation will be.

“‘Mackenzie, my purposes are not for my comfort, or yours. My purposes are always and only an expression of love. I purpose to work life out of death, to bring freedom out of brokenness and turn darkness into light. What you see as chaos, I see as a fractal. All things must unfold, even though it puts all those I love in the midst of a world of horrible tragedies—even the one closest to me.’

‘You’re talking about Jesus, aren’t you?’ Mack asked, softly.

‘Yup, I love that boy.’ Papa looked away and shook her head. ‘Everything’s about him, you know. One day you folk will understand what he gave up. There are just no words.’”

Papa speaks about how God’s purposes are worked out even in the midst of the world’s devastation and pain. She uses the motif of fractals to express the way that the apparent chaos of disorder and suffering can, through grace, emerge as a new pattern of order and love. She also underscores once again the centrality of Jesus’s sacrificial death as the centerpiece of the divine plan.

“Here is something that will help you sort this out in your mind, Mackenzie. Paradigms power perception and perceptions power emotions. Most emotions are responses to perception—what you think is true about a given situation. If your perception is false, then your emotional response to it will be false too. So check your perceptions, and beyond that check the truthfulness of your paradigms—what you believe. Just because you believe something firmly doesn’t make it true. Be willing to reexamine what you believe. The more you live in the truth, the more your emotions will help you see clearly.”

In this quote, Sarayu helps Mack make sense of his emotions by asking him to consider how they relate to the truth. Since emotions arise from perceptions, which in turn arise from paradigms of thought and belief, a reexamination of those paradigms can often lead to healing and strength.

“Honey, I’ve never placed an expectation on you or anyone else. The idea behind expectations requires that someone does not know the future or outcome and is trying to control behavior to get the desired result. Humans try to control behavior largely through expectations. I know you and everything about you. Why would I have an expectation other than what I already know? That would be foolish. And beyond that, because I have no expectations, you never disappoint me.”

Papa speaks these words to Mack as she and the other members of the Trinity try to help Mack understand the way God interacts with humans. While many human beings assume that God places expectations on them and is disappointed when people fail to live up to them, Papa explains that that approach wouldn’t make any sense: God knows everything that everyone will do anyway, so instead of expectations, God interacts with people on the basis of invitation.

“As Jesus reached the center he paused to look around. His gaze stopped on Mack standing on the small hill at the outer edge and he heard Jesus whisper in his ear, ‘Mack, I am especially fond of you.’ That was all Mack could bear as he slumped to the ground, dissolving in a wash of joyful tears. He couldn’t move, gripped as he was in Jesus’ embrace of love and tenderness.”

This scene is the climax of the mystical vision Mack experiences after Sarayu touches his eyes. In this moment, Mack experiences a personal example of God’s invitation to a relationship of love, as Jesus speaks Papa’s words of affection in Mack’s ear.

“Forgiveness does not establish relationship. In Jesus, I have forgiven all humans for their sins against me, but only some choose relationship.”

On their hike to retrieve Missy’s body, Papa encourages Mack to take the first step of forgiveness toward Missy’s killer. Mack resists the idea, unable to entertain what he thinks this will entail—welcoming the murderer into a circle of love with himself. Papa explains that forgiveness is one step, but not the whole process of building a relationship of love.

“‘Forgiveness is first for you, the forgiver,’ answered Papa, ‘to release you from something that will eat you alive; that will destroy your joy and your ability to love fully and openly.’”

Mack holds a misconception that forgiveness means admitting that everything is all right or forgetting what has happened and counting it as being of no consequence. On the contrary, Papa explains that forgiveness is first and foremost letting go for one’s own sake rather than for the offender’s sake.