Shell Perris comments on the impact of the New York Times best seller

Shell Perris

You may be quite surprised to know that I am not the biggest fan of reading. Tim, my hubby, loves reading and (despite my attempts of persuading him not to) insists on having his vast collection of books on display. However, after a recent visit to Boston Logan Airport (USA), I have come to the revolutionary conclusion that books really do have the potential to change your life.

"The Shack" by William P Young...it was sitting on the top shelf of the bookshop in the airport. Tim spotted it and encouraged me to take a look. I stood on my tip-toes, reached up and managed to grasp hold of a copy just as I was loosing my balance. I turned it over and began to read the blurb on the back cover.

"THE SHACK is the most absorbing work of fiction I've read in many years. My wife and I laughed, cried, and repented of our own lack of faith along the way. THE SHACK will leave you craving for the presence of God." (Michael W Smith, Recording Artist)

Wow! I didn't have to read any more! I quickly walked to the check out, bought the book, placed it in my handbag and eagerly awaited my long flight home so that I could begin reading my book.

As soon as I began reading it I couldn't muster up the strength to put it down. It was amazing! I could talk about it all day and when Tim has finished reading it I'm going to read it again...there are simply too many 'mind-blowing' truths to take in all at once!

'The Shack' is a simple, easy-to-read novel that takes you on someone else's journey and your own journey at the same time. It breaks down religious stereotypes and then builds up the idea that having a true, personal relationship with God is totally possible...something that I have been longing to see displayed on book shelves across the globe for a long, long time.

There is one profound point in particular that I would like to draw your attention to and don't worry, it won't give the story away! In chapter 14 the Holy Spirit, who, in the book, is a visible, walking, talking being, says this:

"It [the law] grants you the power to judge others and feel superior to them. You believe you are living to a higher standard than those you judge. Enforcing rules, especially in its more subtle expressions like responsibility and expectation, is a vain attempt to create certainty out of uncertainty. And contrary to what you might think, I [the Holy Spirit] have a great fondness for uncertainty. Rules cannot bring freedom; they only have the power to accuse."

Whoa! The Holy Spirit in this part of the book is basically saying that 'responsibility' and 'expectation' are simply another form of rules that (thanks to Jesus paying the price on the cross) we are no longer under.

It got me thinking...how many times to do we feel disappointed or miserable or angry because of 'unrealistic expectations'? How much pressure do we put on ourselves, all because we allow ourselves to be ruled by responsibility? We seek to have more responsibility and with that have higher expectations but why? To gain status and social worth within our community and our world? To make money and live out materialistic ambition? To live out an "idealistic" lifestyle? or simply to feel in control and wanted?

We live in a fast-paced society where millions of people rush from one thing to the next, whether that be at home or in the work place. There's such a big emphasis put on 'doing' that merely 'being' has been largely forgotten about. I'm not saying that it's wrong to have responsibility and expectations, after all, the Bible clearly states that "to whom much is given, much is required." The question I am asking is this. Is responsibility and expectation having a negative or a positive effect on you and your life at this moment in time?

These are massive questions and I am not pretending in any way, shape or form to have all the answers up my sleeve. I'm just inviting you to ask yourself some challenging questions and begin a journey that will ultimately take you into a deeper relationship with God. Sometimes I think that we've made it all a bit too complicated and I know that for me, reading 'The Shack' has brought me back to basics and deepened my understanding of what being in a relationship with God is all about. If there's one book that you read this year, make it 'The Shack'.