I have read the book, “The Shack” and I loved it. I was excited the movie came out! I just recently finished watching it in the privacy of my own home. The way I reacted to the movie made me realized I was glad I watched it at home.
I was talking with someone who couldn’t get into the movie. We’ve been having this discussion. I wanted to share with you my thoughts.
The person couldn’t get past the idea that God was portrayed as a woman. It just didn’t seem right. As a child she always grew up with pictures of Jesus being a man, having a beard, wearing a robe and sandals. That was her image of God. Now she was being asked to change her mind on what God looked like.
For one thing, no one knows what God looks like. God may be a man. God may be a woman. God may be God and not any one particular sex. I see God as having manly aspects; someone who is big, strong, and powerful. I see God as a woman having certain aspects like a mother would; someone who gives hugs or one who is tender and cries with us. I see God not as a man or a woman but as my God.
Unfortunately, the pictures people have created of Jesus have created in us a certain image of who God is or who we think God should be. As I watched the movie, I began to understand, it’s not about who God is; it’s all about what he does to bring us to him.
God uses circumstances (that he may or may not create) to bring us to him. A circumstance happens and he uses it to bring us to him. I also think he creates circumstances for us. For instance, two people show up someplace at the same time and a relationship happens that either deepens a relationship with Christ or starts a new relationship with him. I think he created the circumstance that brings these two together to make it happen.
A child is taken from this father in the movie. I don’t believe God wanted it to happen; he didn’t make it happen, but it happened and he used that circumstance to bring the father of this child into a deeper relationship with him.
Because of past events in this man’s life, using another man to bring him to Christ wasn’t going to happen. His relationship with his own father was really not a good thing. He had a wonderful relationship with his mother. God knows what is best for us and what is needed. What was needed in this case was a woman to develop and deepen his relationship with God. A man just wasn’t going to do it. Again, it’s not about who God is or who we think God is; it’s about what he does. What he does is love us enough to send us what we need or who we need, to get in right relationship with him.
A perfect example of this is pretty simple if you think about it. I listen to the radio or get a phone call (from someone I don’t know). I get an image in my head of what that person looks like. I meet that person or I see a picture of that person and it’s nothing like I thought that person looked like. He is completely different than the image I created. I think it will be like that with God. I can’t even imagine.
I saw myself in so many of the circumstances in the movie with the pain of losing a little one or being abused by another human being. To see the forgiveness that God challenged him to was simply amazing. To see God help him deal with the pain of losing that child was a walk I needed to go through.
We all have someone who needs our forgiveness. It may not be easy, but as I watched this movie, I realized it is necessary for us to go through this process. It’s not only good for us and our relationship with God, but it’s necessary for the one who did us harm. We do more harm to ourselves as we hold on to that grudge than any harm done to the other person. “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15
Holding onto our pain will only bring us down. If we are so consumed with our own pain that we can’t see the pain others are experiencing, we will never be a true servant of God. We are called to take that pain, experience it, deal with it and then move on so we can help others in the same experience. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 God does not want us to live with that pain. He wants us to bring it to him, lay it down at his feet and let him heal us in a healthy way.
There was also a segment in the movie on judging people. This was another powerful part of the movie for me. It spoke volumes to me. We are simply called not to judge people. That is not our job. Our job is to love them and let God sort them out himself.
I had a very moving experience after this movie. I am not sure I am the same person. At least, I hope I am not. I don’t want to be. If God takes us on a journey to deepen our faith, we want to always move forward. We never want to regress. We will regress a little just because we are human, but we never want to regress so much we have to go through difficult passages to get back to where we were.
I encourage you to get God’s image or what you think he might look like out of your head and concentrate on what God can do and will do. Let’s not think about who God might be; let’s think about all the possibilities God can do and will do for us. Let go of any pain you are hanging on to so you may see the pain others around you are experiencing. Finally, forgive those who need to be forgiven. God has forgiven you; now go and do likewise following in His footsteps.
Dear God: thank you for men and women who create such beautiful stories so we can experience you a little deeper. Help us as we deal with what you may or may not look like. I think we will all be surprised in the end. Help us not to think so much about who you are but think about what you are willing to do to bring us back to you. Thank you for your love, and your patience with us. Guide us on as we journey through this world. Amen
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