The Shack, the book, the movie how it can heal (or how it can help to heal me)

You need to work this out for yourself my friend ;-). The fear you are talking about is easy to understand, it is very human, based on how humans react and deal with each other. For instance, the fear children will have towards parents who lash out and punish. Yes, we need warnings, for our choices are important. In the end, the soul will say yes to the will of God, or God will say yes to the will of one who rejects his love and salvation. It is interesting how we will focus on fear and downplay trust and those scriptures that encourage us to move outside our own ego's and simply love God, trust God and serve God, and when we fail to trust God, love God and continue in faith. Otherwise, you have scruples, which is, in reality, self-centered and based on how to control the one feared by keeping perfectly the law and commandments, which is impossible.

People who seek God, love God, need to let go of fear, for fear is the beginning of wisdom. To hold on to it, in the way that your speaking is to remain a slave and not a child of God. If you don't agree, that is fine, I have let go of servile fear, the true fear of the Lord is a fear to wound by sin.

Peace
mark

 

Mark
I have not read ‘the shack’ nor heard about it until this thread.

However, I do believe that in the past, there has been a place for fictional stories that can touch the collective conscience of the world or a nation and do some moral good.

Two books come to mind.......’Uncle Tom’s cabin’ and ‘The Lord of the rings’.


Many people were touched in a positive way by both these works of fiction, and in fact in the case of 'Uncle Tom’s cabin' it helped changed the then legal world of slavery. With the help of the ficticous ‘Uncle Tom’s cabin’ society began to rethink what it had collectively accepted as a right, and it began to awaken to the many wrongs of slavery.


Perhaps the shack has a similar moral message to that of ‘Uncle Tom’s cabin’?


If the Shack looks at things on a different level but still shines a light on a fundamental truth of the human soul, it could bring many to a preliminary reality and therefore to the start of a search for the truth!


As for God being represented by a female in one part of the book I pondered the following..........


God has allowed us to understand through scripture and the Church that His Love can best be represented by the masculine.


God is the perfect model of masculinity and I believe, He chose to identify His attributes with the attributes of a male for a number of reasons:

1] He teaches us many things through his identification as a Male!

2] Even in nature we see the male as the Father who protects His young!

3] We see strength and self discipline and a willingness to sacrifice!

4]We also see right order!


In nature, feminine qualities can be seen differently to the male, maybe more nurturing but also submissive to the male; this action of the female allows the best provision for the young because of this right order.


However, women are very blessed because, through the ‘yes’ of a woman God took our flesh!



The holiest of all that God created was and is in fact a Woman, The most Blessed Virgin Mary. Her submission and humility teaches us personally and teaches the church as a whole the magnificence of submission and humility.


When one looks at Mary we see that in her perfect humility she more than any other creature, embodies all the graces of God and represents God more fully than all others and in this we can understand how a woman can represent God.


I am sure that a woman like Saint Mother Theresa represented God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, to many Hindus and Muslims in India, who otherwise did not know God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

 

Beautiful post, thank you. LIke I said, in Christianity, the soul is feminine in relation to God. He is the Bridegroom of our souls. Maculine and feminine are not male and femal however. To say God is actually 'male' I believe can cuase problems. Zeux comes to mind or the god Mars. I do believe that our understanding of God deepens, as it does, images tend to become less. John of the Cross deals with that.

Peace
Mark

 

I guess many very spiritual people live there lives believing God as Father. And that is 110% correct. God created a road map back to Him. In this road map God has given clues about Himself, how to live and how we should believe/faith. But for many...as they grow spiritually...God becomes something greater then Father and Mother. One can see why Gods road map places Himself as Father. A Father is the leader of His family and has the ultimate say on all the decisions. But by having a Son, the Son asks Father for things...the Father giving up, even His own power. Father gives up Himself to His Son. With the perfect union of Father and Son (crucifixion/dying for sins). This Union creates the perfect power of the Holy Spirit. Three but One.

What is the point. To understand our spirituality...God is the Father. But some peoples spirituality...breaks through to see a greater picture. God is greater then Mother and Father. Souls are not defined by gender. God is God. No human words can explain. Think of someone being inside you, that hears every thought, sees every action, understands every motive and knows every outcome. Perfect knowledge. And that same someone...does this for 3 Billion people. He is our Father...creator of Heaven and earth. But He is something much greater...God.

May Gods Will be Done