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Just finished reading "The Shack"

A resident at the retirement home where I am a Chaplain challenged me to read "The Shack" and told me that we'd argue about it later. She has had many questions about Christianity lately and this book apparently challenged all of the notions she had. I was up to the challenge and told her I'd welcome the argument.

I started it on Sunday evening and finished it this morning. The book did challenge the beliefs that I have known to be truth. The author spoke of God as being a woman...as is the Holy Spirit. Before I read further, I was about to put the book away and tell her that she was right...this man is a nut....but, I kept going. He eventually explained that God is neither male or female...He just IS. That makes sense to me. He also shared that God is to us what we need at that moment. Sometimes He is an encourager, sometimes a disciplinarian, sometimes a listener...but He is ALWAYS God.

Anyway, I highly recommend this book to help you push past the religious notions you have about God. It has definitely changed how I perceive "religion" and has made me more aware of God's every moment presence in my life.

The problem I have with the book came later as I was researching more about the author. You see, he presented the book as a story being retold to him which he was just writing. That is false. He now readily admits that it was a work of fiction. Why would he take something that had the potential to shake up people's preconceived notions and make them take stock in Who they believe God to be, and shroud it in untruth? I'm so disappointed! I would have read the book, anyway.

Oh, well...I still recommend the book as a great piece of fiction. I still recommend that it is a great source of inspiration and wisdom. I just don't recommend you believe everything without do a little research.

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