CALLING ALL CARS! CALLING ALL CARS! WE HAVE AN APB FOR A CAUCASIAN MALE, WHITE HAIR, LONG WHITE BEARD, WEARING A WHITE ROBE AND SANDALS. RESPONDS TO THE NAME FATHER, ABBA OR GOD.
To many people (especially White America) this can be a picture perfect explanation of who they know God to be.
I recently started reading The Shack; this exact issue has been the cause of controversy among some Christians and confusion among some non-Christians. In the novel, God presents himself to the protagonist Mack as a large black woman named Elousia or as Mack uncomfortably refers to her, "Papa". Some Christians have a very hard time with this interpretation because they know God only as they have known him for most of their lives; a larger than life, grandpa/wizard figure with the power to judge and to create.
At the same time, some non-Christians are being led in strange directions taking this story for 100% fact and gaining an in-correct view that God is what you want it to be, and that's based on what you want to perceive God as and God could in fact be a female.
I want to preface the rest of this writing with this...I fully believe that scripture is correct and God is in our best understanding of the word, a man. This is not a misogynistic view I developed in childhood, this is me supporting scripture that from the very start refers to God as "He". However, I don't disagree with the author portraying God as a large black woman who loves to bake and talk.
I believe that as followers of Christ, we need to be careful not to lead someone who doesn't know Jesus down an odd and confusing path of an ambiguous God. I feel that certain people should refrain or be very careful before reading a book like this because I think that anyone Christian or non could take this text and look into it a number of different ways. I also, however, feel that as followers of Christ, we can't limit God or put him in a box.
In the story, God presents himself as a large black woman to a man who had an abusive father growing up. Macks character struggles with the idea of a father being loving or supportive. His dad was an alcoholic and an abuser and his only experience with a Dad figure is negative. God presents himself to Mack as a large black woman to help Mack let down his guard; to enter into a relationship with him on a level that Mack can deal with and open up to.
When God appeared to Moses as a burning bush, do we as Christians jump to offense to say, "God is not a bush!"? No. We know that God is not foliage. God chose to present himself to Moses in a way that would get his attention and break through to reach Moses and demonstrate his power. I feel that God has presented himself to me through financial stress. This doesn't mean that God is a financial burden, it means that through this stress, God reveals himself to me. God continually breaks down the walls that we build to keep him out. He penetrates through the garbage that surrounds our hearts and our lives that keeps us from him. For me, I was having more faith in financial security than God. He needed to break me down and through financial stress, I've been reminded of his love and his faithfulness to me.
When God became flesh and came to earth as Jesus Christ he did so not just to act as the ultimate sacrifice for sin, he did so not just to fulfill the law, but he did so to meet people in their situation where they were at. He could have come to the earth as anything but he did so as a man to relate to people and to be tangible and real. He became a real figure that common people could understand and be with.
In a sense, God could be your neighbor. I'm not implying that your neighbor is God, but what I mean is God could be anyone you encounter. Matthew 25:40 says...
To many people (especially White America) this can be a picture perfect explanation of who they know God to be.
I recently started reading The Shack; this exact issue has been the cause of controversy among some Christians and confusion among some non-Christians. In the novel, God presents himself to the protagonist Mack as a large black woman named Elousia or as Mack uncomfortably refers to her, "Papa". Some Christians have a very hard time with this interpretation because they know God only as they have known him for most of their lives; a larger than life, grandpa/wizard figure with the power to judge and to create.
At the same time, some non-Christians are being led in strange directions taking this story for 100% fact and gaining an in-correct view that God is what you want it to be, and that's based on what you want to perceive God as and God could in fact be a female.
I want to preface the rest of this writing with this...I fully believe that scripture is correct and God is in our best understanding of the word, a man. This is not a misogynistic view I developed in childhood, this is me supporting scripture that from the very start refers to God as "He". However, I don't disagree with the author portraying God as a large black woman who loves to bake and talk.
I believe that as followers of Christ, we need to be careful not to lead someone who doesn't know Jesus down an odd and confusing path of an ambiguous God. I feel that certain people should refrain or be very careful before reading a book like this because I think that anyone Christian or non could take this text and look into it a number of different ways. I also, however, feel that as followers of Christ, we can't limit God or put him in a box.
In the story, God presents himself as a large black woman to a man who had an abusive father growing up. Macks character struggles with the idea of a father being loving or supportive. His dad was an alcoholic and an abuser and his only experience with a Dad figure is negative. God presents himself to Mack as a large black woman to help Mack let down his guard; to enter into a relationship with him on a level that Mack can deal with and open up to.
When God appeared to Moses as a burning bush, do we as Christians jump to offense to say, "God is not a bush!"? No. We know that God is not foliage. God chose to present himself to Moses in a way that would get his attention and break through to reach Moses and demonstrate his power. I feel that God has presented himself to me through financial stress. This doesn't mean that God is a financial burden, it means that through this stress, God reveals himself to me. God continually breaks down the walls that we build to keep him out. He penetrates through the garbage that surrounds our hearts and our lives that keeps us from him. For me, I was having more faith in financial security than God. He needed to break me down and through financial stress, I've been reminded of his love and his faithfulness to me.
When God became flesh and came to earth as Jesus Christ he did so not just to act as the ultimate sacrifice for sin, he did so not just to fulfill the law, but he did so to meet people in their situation where they were at. He could have come to the earth as anything but he did so as a man to relate to people and to be tangible and real. He became a real figure that common people could understand and be with.
In a sense, God could be your neighbor. I'm not implying that your neighbor is God, but what I mean is God could be anyone you encounter. Matthew 25:40 says...
"Jesus will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
God could be the widow whose lawn you mowed, God could be the Latino guy down the street who you helped tow his car. God could be the orphaned child whom you paid to get immunizations.
God cannot be limited nor can we expect to harness even a fraction of what he is capable of or what he does daily to dip into our lives and give us an opportunity to trust him, to love him, and to serve him.
I have yet to finish The Shack so I can't give my full and honest opinion yet. However, I can say that recently God as presented himself to me as a novel; a fictional story that has reminded me that his love for us is beyond measure and understanding and his desire for a relationship with us is truly what our faith in him is all about. No gimmicks, no super religious law, just an honest to goodness reciprocated relationship from a parent to a child.
God cannot be limited nor can we expect to harness even a fraction of what he is capable of or what he does daily to dip into our lives and give us an opportunity to trust him, to love him, and to serve him.
I have yet to finish The Shack so I can't give my full and honest opinion yet. However, I can say that recently God as presented himself to me as a novel; a fictional story that has reminded me that his love for us is beyond measure and understanding and his desire for a relationship with us is truly what our faith in him is all about. No gimmicks, no super religious law, just an honest to goodness reciprocated relationship from a parent to a child.
2 comments:
Hey dude: What I really like about what you're saying is how God will do what He needs to do to get our attention. Sometimes it takes something minor, most times it will take a major event. You and I both have the financial stress thing going right now. I am going to be starting school again the first week of November, but I have to make two payments on all of my student loans before then. The loans are also due at the beginning of the month, right after rent. The first payment is due in just a couple of weeks and we are not really relaxed with this situation. We will definitely be praying for you guys intensely these next few months, and we would really appreciate prayer from you guys! Love you man!
Sweetie, as always, I appreciate your insight and candor. I may be your mom, but I am not ashamed to admit that you have shown me many things and will continue to teach me many ways to look at our Father and the importance of our reliance upon Him as well as our faith in Him. I have always felt that He wants to be our best friend, so that is the relationship I strive to have with Him. No matter how small the issue may seem to us, it is always a priority with Him. You will all continue to be in my prayers. Always remember: God is always good, no matter what is happening around us. He never changes, and isn't that wonderful?
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