Sunday, February 1, 2009

I have been defeated by a book

And that book is The Shack.

I have exactly 2 hours of listening time to go on this book and I vowed I would finish it today. But it's not going to happen. The book does not appeal to me. Admittedly, there have been some intriguing ideas put forth. No doubt I would find a few more should I perservere. I won't, though, because my time is too precious and I'm not convinced that the book is important enough to warrant spending more than I already have on it.

Here are some of my notes while reading the book. Some I agree with, some I have problems with.

  • It's all about me and everything is about Jesus.
  • God loves us just because we are. We don't have to do anything more.
  • We don't have to follow rules or have special ways of behaving or fulfill roles. The bible doesn't teach you to follow rules; it gives a picture of Jesus.
  • Just give yourself over completely to God; give up your independence and become dependent on Him, accepting His goodness and love. All evil flows from independence.
  • Live in the present. Don't fret about the past or worry about the future. Have no fear.
  • Take the risks of honesty with everyone - lies damage all.
  • Check your perceptions; check your paradigms. Just because you believe something doesn't make it true.
I'm not sure how to rate this book. Three stars for somewhat life enriching, but 1 star for the pleasure factor.

What do others think of the book? Well, hundreds love it. So I won't bother to give examples of those here. Many don't love it - in fact, think that it is harmful. Here are a few examples to get you thinking.

Michael Youssef
Tim Challies

2 comments:

netablogs said...

So, I'm intrigued. Which of those points you made did you have problems with?

I, too, read the book and actually attempted to read it twice. It just did not capture me. I actually liked the first part, the set-up to the story, best. I can't say the book left any lasting impression on me. Except maybe 'don't put God in a box', but I already knew that. :)

Anne Geddert said...

Dan is reading it right now and finding it somewhat interesting. It has not mesmerized him, but I think he generally is enjoying it. I haven't decided if I will attempt it or not. It seems to be one of those books you either really like, or really don't like.