The Shack Shock and What It Really Means

I have not seen the movie version of The Shack. I did read the book. Since it was  more than five years ago, I really don't remember much of the book.  I can tell you I felt the story line was "far out there" meaning the author was pulling the story line beyond typical expectations of character development.  

Since this was a book about a grief stricken man meeting up with the three persons of the Trinity, it is perceived by some as a Christian themed book that could teach the tenets of Christianity.  

However, as one reads through the novel, it is soon realized it is not a guide to the Bible.  It is a work of fiction that borrows some Christian thought.  

For me, I remember I was taken in by Mack's massive emotional pain.  Readers who have suffered their own misadventures and heartbreak can practically relive their own grief while reading this book.  It is very powerfully written and anyone with empathy can feel for this fictional character.  I brings out a piece of your own broken heart to the surface as I recall it brought me to tears, even though it was a novel.  After I read it, I didn't think about it again, until now when the movie debuted.

Here is where the controversy comes in:
People who are very strong in their faith will have tremendous worry over those who are not as strong in their faith.  The strong ones understand that a story like this can possibly draw others into a watered down version of Christianity becoming a roadblock rather than an open road.  

Strong people don't want others to be wrapped up in a gushing type of emotion, because that is not what Christianity is about.  Christians are challenged to be:
Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, "Be holy because I [am] holy."
1 Peter 1:14-16      www.usccb.org

People strong in their faith know it is not easy to be holy.  Strong people don't want others to be lured into a bubbly worship scene that might let them down later.  

People strong in their faith are concerned that others who believe The Shack could be a creative teaching tool of Christianity may replace a God-fearing attitude with a godlike fabrication that helps them meet their worldly needs rather than their souls' needs.  

Why do people who are strong in their faith give a warning to others about investing time in The Shack book or movie?  Perhaps it is because they have not forgotten what it was like for them when they were weaker Christians. 

They have a clear memory of what they were like when they stumbled over and over again, making up excuses, rationalizing their habit of sin.  

They remember what it was like to live a life where they ran from Christ, laughed at Christ, believed they stood fine on their own without Christ, and bragged how they knew better than an old-fashioned mythological person named Christ. 

They remember how easy it was to fall for lies, dress up their own ugliness and hide from the truth of their tragic decisions.  

Those who are strong in their faith don't want anyone else to live needless self-torture.  They would rather share their joy and help people skip the sadness.  

So, are they judgmental?  
No and Yes.
No, they are not judgmental of you or anyone else.  They love you. They want to spare you.  That is the point of making disciples of all nations.  And, yes, they are judgmental of themselves.  They are comparing their ignorant selves to their current more discerning selves. 

If you have enjoyed the book and movie, that's nice. If you're not so keen on the book and movie, that's nice, too.  It brings up interesting dinner table conversation.

Why do I call it Shack Shock?  Because it forces followers of Christ to have more patience with each other.  Each of us is on a different walk with Christ.  Sometimes we're behind him.  Sometimes we're side by side with him.  Sometimes we are kicking him.  Sometimes we are on the ground grabbing at the hem of his garment. Sometimes we are clinging to his hand squeezing it with all our might. 

College: A Bad Idea

Listening to Dave Ramsey, he wants people to pay for college without loans.  On his radio program he talks about the many ways someone can get through school without the horrible trap of debt.

From what I am seeing recently on television about activities on college campuses, no intelligent person should walk the quad or enter any building.  Young people are running around yelling at each other for having a differing opinion. Administrators are announcing what is acceptable speech and telling students how to initiate sex.  And we let our children, who don't have the lifetime experience we have, attend such places of so called higher learning?

What do you get with a 4 year degree anyway?  A lot of rejection and advice that a Master's degree should be next on your list.

A lot of courses don't even provide necessary skills training to be successful in the workplace. I don't want to expend the energy mentioning these unworthy courses.  Just google "useless college courses," and be ready to fall off your chair.  These are credit courses.  Really.

Colleges are a fantasy world all their own.  Folks in the late 30s and early 40s will tell you they are still struggling with school loan debt along with the regular expenses of life.  That means these institutions of higher learning are out of sync with the real economy.  The towns where they are located in are dying all around them and the administrators don't take notice. But the Stafford Loans are riding in on galloping mustangs ready to suck an unsuspecting student into financial ruin.

A lot of young people will admit that they learned more about the real world at their first jobs.  They learned management skills, how to talk to customers, and how to follow organized systems. I bet you know kids who had to return to their first jobs to make ends meet while searching for a position related to their degree.

And speaking of degrees, google "the most useless college degrees," and see which groups have lousy employment rates.  My advice if you are in college: take these as minors and pick a major degree in something you can immediately use upon graduation.  In fact, if these awful degrees are truly interesting to you, pursue them as hobbies in your spare time.  You will still find pleasure in them.

Since I have been out of college (the first college stint) 29 years ago I realize I was my own best teacher.  Experience sticks in your brain for life and it is free.  If you concentrate on good reading, writing, and math skills in your teenage years, you can teach yourself anything.  And, there is nothing  that doesn't top excellent communication skills to get you through important doors.

The biggest disappointment with college for me is the lack of entrepreneurial encouragement.  I was taught how to build a fancy resume and get a job.  A job is nice, but not a place where people should stay.  As much as business experts talk about anointing the worker as a creative and appreciated participant in a business or organization, the worker is usually treated with disdain as someone who can't be trusted and must be constantly supervised like an inmate in a prison yard.   Often there is a whole lot of back stabbing and not much promoting up the career ladder.

No one taught me how to make positive change in the world.  It must come from within.  We were taught how to blend in with the world and be followers.  All at a hefty price tag thanks to unrealistic college requirements.

It seems college instruction is like force feeding a baby nasty mashed up spinach, because students are fresh out of high school and vulnerable to this kind of financial exploitation.

Your own drive matters more than anything,   I suggest people work a year or two before college and start their own businesses.  Then, they can go to college with a better mind-set where they will have more of a say in how their tuition dollars are spent.



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