The Shack: An Excerpt on Judgement

Although I wouldn't say I recommend everyone reading The Shack , I think those with a discerning heart (able to separate the truth in God's word versus the opinions of an author) would probably be okay with it. I did find one passage very interesting. It created a great picture in my head, and I wanted to share it.

To set the scene, the main character is telling God that He should punish all "bad" people. His daughter was kidnapped and murdered, and he thinks God should send any people "like that" to ... you know, the hot place. He even says God is to blame for what happened to his daughter. So we pick up there:

"Then," she said with finality, "if you are able to judge God so easily, then you can certainly judge the world." Again she spoke without emotion. "You must choose two of your children to spend eternity in God's new heavens and new earth, but only two."

"What?" he erupted, turning to her in disbelief.

"And you must choose three of your children to spend an eternity in h***."

Mack couldn't believe what he was hearing and started to panic.

"Mackenzie." Her voice now came as calm and wonderful as first he heard it. "I am only asking you to do something that you believe God does. He knows every person ever conceived, and He knows them so much deeper and clearer than you will ever know your own children. He loves each one according to His knowledge of the being of that son or daughter. You believe He will condemn most to an eternity of torment, away from His presence and apart from His love. Is that not true?"

"I suppose I do. I've just never thought about it like this." He was stumbling over his words in his shock. "I just assumed that somehow God could do that. Talking about h*** was always sort of an abstract conversation, not about anyone that I truly ..." Mack hesitated, realizing that what he was about to say would sound ugly, "not about anyone that I truly care about."

"So you suppose, then, that God does this easily, but you cannot? Come now, Mackenzie. Which three of your five children will you sentence to h***? Katie is struggling with you the most right now. She treats you badly and has said hurtful things to you. Perhaps she is the first and most logical choice. What about her? You are the judge, Mackenzie, and you must choose.”

“I don’t want to be the judge,” he said, standing up. Mack’s mind was racing. This couldn’t be real. How could God ask him to choose among his own children? There was no way he could sentence Katie, or any of his children, to an eternity in h*** just because she had sinned against him. Even if Katie or Josh or Jon or Tyler committed some heinous crime, he still wouldn’t do it. He couldn’t! For him, it wasn’t about their performance; it was about his love for them.

“I can’t do this.”

“You must.”

“I can’t. I can’t. I won’t!” he screamed. The woman just stood there waiting. Finally he looked at her, pleading with her eyes. “Could I go instead? If you need someone to torture for eternity, I’ll go in their place. Would that work? Could I do that?” He fell at her feet, crying and begging now. “Please let me go for my children, please, I would be happy to … Please, I am begging you. Please… Please…”

“Mackenzie, Mackenzie,” she whispered … “Now you sound like Jesus. You have judged well. You have judged them worthy of love, even if it cost you everything. That is how [God] loves.”