Forgiveness, the Shack and a God beyond Puppet Strings

Last week I had a conversation with a friend who went to see William Young, author of "The Shack" speak. She had a startling revelation to share.

The author of the Shack suffered abuse as a child. His parents were missionaries. He was abused within this system. The love and safety he felt was from an elder woman of the tribe, hence, in the Shack - God "Papa" is portrayed as this woman.

When he was 6 to 12 years old, and this was going on - he felt as if a part of him had died. He struggled with forgiveness - of self, of others, of God.

Last night, I read a series of papers from students wrestling with the topic of forgiveness in their lives. Reading those papers - from parents divorces, the loss of friends, break-ups, parents who let you down, struggling with the consequences of addiction, the loss and grief of a parent or friend - all gave expression to a moment when a part of them, an important part of them - became lost, and perhaps even died.

When William Young talks about the Shack - he says something really important. The character that represents himself is NOT just Mack. The young girl who dies - that is him as well. She represents that part of him that died during his abuse.

Forgiveness, then, happens in 'The Shack' on many levels-

Mack has to forgive those who made his daughter die. In real life, this means forgiving the event/person that caused the 'death' in his life.

Mack has to forgive God for 'allowing' these things to happen.

Mack has to return to 'the Shack' and 'forgive' the events that happened there. In real life, this means going back to that hard place and seeking peace.

And finally, Mack has to use that peace to find peace for that part of him that was lost. He will be a different person. But, he will use that struggle, conflict, anger, and now even, peace - in the next part of his life.

For those who read this blog, if a part of you has 'died' because of whatever event took place, my encouragement to you is the following:

1. If you need to ask forgiveness from someone, consider asking. In the moving 'Changing Lanes' Ben Affleck 'accidentally' makes a confession in church. Interspliced with this scene is Samuel Jackson doing the HARD WORK of going face to face to ask for forgiveness. One of the words for 'resurrection' in Greek means to stand up again - that can imply going back to that hard place, standing firm and strong - and offering an apology.

2. If you continue to be wronged by someone else, you are a 'steward' first and foremost of yourself. You can not change the other person's actions. You can change your responses - leave the situation, try a different response, honor your best self without reaction, anger, resentment toward the other person. Be YOUR best in that situation. Don't play games, but try a different non-reactive response and see what happens. You can also be a good steward of yourself by seeking counseling. I believe the world would be a better place with counseling and chocolate chip cookies everyday.

3. If you are carrying hurt, guilt, shame, loss, grief - then I urge you to read the Shack. What does this story, as a parable, mean for your life? What does this story mean if you are BOTH Mack and the little girl? What does it mean that the Shack transformed - from gray and dismal to a place of new life?

4. Finally, if you carry anger at God, I encourage you to do the following. Cut the puppet strings. Shirley Guthrie, author of 'Christian Doctrine' encourages us to let the 'puppet master God' die. The cross and Christ were not on puppet strings - this was not a divine orchestration, but a HUMAN FAILURE. At the cross, we let God die. Christianity affirms that God did not die at that place, but through a power beyond human comprehension - God overcame that death.

When you lay down the puppet strings, it is possible to see something that looks much more like an intricate spiderweb - with gossamer threads and dewy beads upon them. Perhaps there is an attribute to God that looks like that internal web of support - a structure that upholds though seemingly impossible. A structure that holds together the broken places.

In whatever place you are broken, and that aching child in you is screaming out for help and for reconciliation, know that God is the one who knits you together, not tears you apart.