Greetings community. Nice to be with you all.
A few days ago, 
I will be giving some details about the book, if you haven't read it maybe you can consider it a spoiler. This first part I will relate is a little introduction of the happenings in the Philips family, their life, and the events that made them the way they are. In the second part, I talk about reflections I perceive about the book and although I talk a little about some conclusions of the book, I try not to be too specific. Enjoy
The Book
The Shack is a book written by William Paul Young and published in 2007 had a movie adaptation starring Sam Worthington and directed by Stuart Hazeldine.
This is a story that focuses on Mackenzie a middle-aged man, family man, and husband. A man with a quiet life dedicated to sales and one might even say somewhat boring. Family life is not so different, rather somewhat distant between father and daughter Kate. The mother Nannette (Nan) and son Josh try to keep family life as pleasant as possible, both are very strong and are the ones who keep the Phillips family afloat. Mackenzie, Nan, Kate, and Josh are going through a tough time because of something that happened a few years ago. And, although time has passed, their hearts are still hurting.
Mackenzie's relationship with her daughter is somewhat strained and distanced, also the girl has had a very radical change of attitude, she stopped being the child they had known and now she seems to be only secluded in her thoughts.
Her father cannot find the words to help her. But how can he help her, if he also suffers, he has an emptiness in his heart that is obvious. The narrator of this story calls it the Great Sadness. Nan is doing all she can to help and support her and has decided to take her to visit the family. She finds that the change suits her, but quickly becomes cloistered in her isolated and depressed state again.
Nan, is a very devoted woman to God or Dad as she often calls him, and all her prayers are dedicated to her family especially Kate who seems to be carrying too heavy a burden.
But, life can't stand still and especially not for good people. The moment of change for Mack would come with a letter inviting him to meet at the cabin. But the strangest thing of all was that it was signed as Dad.
Mackenzie:
It's been a while. I've missed you.
I'll be at the shack next weekend if you want to get together.
-Dad
Mack's head would go round and round to find out how that letter had gotten to his house. For it had no signature, no stamp, no provenance, and who was Dad? He thought it was a bad joke by his mailman at first, but quickly dismissed the idea. He thought of his father, because of the cabin, for he had grown up in a cabin. But, he knew it couldn't be his father, his father was dead... Mack and his father's story was one replete with abuse and pain, something he never wanted to reminisce about in his life.
For Mack, two other options seemed too far-fetched. The first, is that the note could be written by someone he might also recognize as Dad, and the first person he envisioned is the being his wife calls Dad, God himself. But, this must be crazy, how could God have sent him a letter? Sure, there were some details he had to interpret, like "It's been a while now. We miss you" If it was God, it was true that for several years he had decided not to go to church anymore, let alone pray. The great sadness had overcome him, he decided to entrust all his faults to God. His signature as Dad. But, if he were God, why would he want to see him in a place like the shack? A place that had caused him so much pain and suffering, did God have a masochistic sense of humor or something, did God not understand the pain this place caused him, was God not omnipotent? And the doubts and concerns piled up one after another and almost at the same time he thought of the alternative.
A certain individual who had done them a lot of harm in the past was inviting him to the place where he had completely changed his life, maybe this individual was harassing him, and now with this letter he was making fun of him. Mackenzie recalled that day:
A camping trip between Mack and his children. A typical trip, that the family used to make to the lake, a beautiful place, surrounded by huge green trees, the lake with crystal clear water where you could navigate by boat, a place where families come to relax and be in contact with nature and of course to bond.
They were all having a great time, reminiscing about the typical places and reminiscing about old legends and stories of the place. Missy loved the story behind the birth of some waterfalls that the site had. "The legend told of an ancient tribe that had a princess. Her father got her a mate to whom love was reciprocated from both sides. But, a disease broke out among all the inhabitants, this disease was fatal to those who suffered from it. According to one of the wise men of the village, there was a prophecy that said that the chief's daughter could stop the disease if she would gladly give her life to save the people she loved. The chief's daughter saw that her beloved was also succumbing to this disease and decided to climb to the top of the mountain, and without much hesitation, after entrusting herself to the great spirits to help her people, she threw herself into the void that left her lifeless. The disease as it appeared stopped and then the tribe learned of the sacrifice of the princess and gathered where the body of the princess lay. There the chief asked that the sacrifice of his daughter never be forgotten and at that moment water began to fall from the top of the mountain. Thus the waterfall was formed".
-Dad?
-Yes, honey?
-Will I ever have to jump off a cliff?
Mack's heart broke when he understood what the real purpose of the conversation was.
the real purpose of the conversation. He took his little daughter in his arms and held her tightly.
tight. In a voice a little hoarser than usual, he answered sweetly:
-No, darling. I will never ask you to jump off a cliff, never, never, never, never.
-Then will God ever ask me to jump off a cliff?
-No, Missy. He would never ask you to do that.
Missy thought about this story a lot, especially because of the sacrifice of the princess. Within hours of hearing this story, after a great day of camping. She would ask her father about the story and there was a lot of intertwining of this story to why they should sacrifice, the princess for her people or how Jesus once did for the world. The answer is not clear to anyone, but to clarify, this is not a sacrifice as such, it is not something that the princess or Jesus had to do, but that they wanted to do for the benefit of others. The question, from the little girl that made the most impact was whether she would ever have to jump off a cliff. Ever since she heard the story, the little girl thought about whether she could do what that princess did, whether she could or should ever sacrifice herself for others. She thought about whether Papa would ever ask her to jump off the cliff. Mack, his heart stirring, could only tell her that God would never ask such a thing of him. Missy was a very special little girl indeed.
During that recreation time they had a great time, they went boating, told more stories, and made new friends especially Josh who seems to have found love. Kate tried to tease him about it, but he didn't care.
The morning before returning home, Josh and Kate decided to take one more boat ride on the lagoon, from the shore they were watched by Mack and Missy who was also distracted with her drawing books. They could see how Kate shook the boat in a playful tone until it turned over submerging them both. It took some time, but Kate managed to get out, spitting water and noticeably frightened and agitated. This alarmed Mack especially since Josh wasn't finished ascending, without thinking he ran to the lagoon and dove right in. In the water, he noticed that his son was trapped, so he had to help him out by turning the boat again....
Josh made it out and then Mack did, they both made it to shore. Josh was just throwing up all the water he had swallowed, it was a near death experience and everyone was very nervous. Kate couldn't stop crying, Josh was trying to catch his breath and Mack was keeping a close eye on Josh and Kate's condition. The people who witnessed everything that happened kept cheering Mack's tremendous heroic act.
They decided to return to the safety of their camp. But, tragedy was only just rearing its ugly head. The place was empty, Missy was supposed to be in that place of refuge. Mack started to call her but received no answer, he checked the whole camp and she wasn't there. He asked his new friends if they knew anything about her if she was playing with them... But, they knew nothing. Worry flooded Mack. He decided to search the surrounding areas and hurriedly went out calling for her. Searching among the camps and asking for his little daughter.
He returned devastated and not know what to do, his new friends were taking care of Josh and Kate who were also very worried. Mack comforts them as best he can and realizes that because of his campaign to find Missy, he had neglected his other two children... At that point, his friends calm him down and tell him that they are going to be fine and that they understand the situation. They decide to contact the authorities to report Missy missing.
Missy was missing. The authorities along with Mack's help were able to figure out that it was a kidnapping when they found some traces of a struggle, Missy's shoe in the direction of the parking lot, her favorite crayon in the same direction, her drawing book in the same place where Mack had left it along with all her crayons. But, there was something new among Missy's books. A Catarina pin that didn't belong to anyone in the place.
-Aha, ready. What is the Catarina's scoop? -asked the officer.
-We've been trying to catch this guy for four years, and so far we've tracked him in over nine states.
We have tracked him in more than nine states; he keeps moving west. They call him the Matachiquitas, but we have not revealed the details of the Catarina to the press or anyone else.
Catarina's details, so please keep it a secret. We believe that to date he is responsible for the abduction and homicide of at least four minors, all of them girls, all of them under the age of ten. Each occasion adds a point to Catarina, so this would be child number five. He always leaves a pin, the same pin at the abduction scene, all with the same model number, as if she had bought a box, but we haven't had any luck tracing their origin.
Although we haven't found the bodies of any of those four girls, and forensics hasn't solved anything, we have forensics have not solved anything, we have reason to believe that none of them survived. Each of these crimes has taken place in or near a camping area, adjacent to a camping area, next to a state park or preserve. The perpetrator appears to be an expert woodsman or mountaineer. In no case has he left absolutely nothing behind except the pin.
Because of this Catarina, the FBI is put on alert because it turns out that this is the signature of a fugitive serial killer called the Matachiquitas, well known for kidnapping and murdering little girls. It seems that Missy was a victim of this despicable being.
Of course, Mack manages to find out about this, but in a very casual way. This, it seems, dashes his hopes of finding her, he feels defeated by it all. But, still, his other children were there, he could not look weak before them, rather hopeful.
The place became a huge search, a place filled with police officers, FBI, and family friends hoping to find clues about Missy. Mack could not leave the place, he wanted to leave the place with his daughter, as sad as it seemed, they took refuge in a hotel in the area. Everyone was exhausted.
Nan's arrival at the hotel was at the right time, when the children were outside eating with one of the officers who was following the events firsthand, she knew they had to eat and Mack had no head for anything at the moment. Nan found Mack sobbing and pleading for his daughter to appear. Nan joined him in feeling and they both cried and comforted each other as best they could.
Waiting for further news, the hours passed. Everyone was exhausted, so Nan took the children home, and awaiting further news Mack stayed with the officers and friends. The first few hours are crucial to finding her. She was questioned in great detail about the space, about the people, if there was anyone suspicious or strange, about their activities, and at the same time she was getting the freshest news.
The most important news came, about a somewhat isolated place that only people who knew the area could access easily. At first, this filled Mack with hope, although he didn't know what they had found, he thought they had found Missy. But, quickly his feet hit the ground again, it was only a place of interest where Missy might have been and with some caution, the FBI agents hoped to find some sign or clue of her there that would reveal her whereabouts. So, even though it was very difficult what was to happen, they asked Mack to accompany them to the site. This man was beaten, and a couple of his friends had to accompany him because hope was the only thing keeping him on his feet and since they already knew what was in the place, it could create a strong impression on him.
At the scene, the forensic team was already present, the place was well lit with electric generators. Upon opening the door, the cabin was very cluttered inside, with a few pieces of furniture and a fireplace. As Mack entered the shack and looked around, he collapsed on the spot and his friends could hardly stand it, he could not hold back the tears. Next to the fireplace, he managed to identify Missy's dress all bloody. The scene was extremely sad, hopes were ending for Mack at the sight of that bloody dress.
The cabin had become a place of terror, where the innocent and pure life of a little girl had been forcibly taken away, evil was all over the place, and it became a dark place, a sacrilegious place that attempted against life and innocence.
Hence the dread that Mack had to return to this place... The rest of the story is heading towards the decision to go to the cabin expecting anything. But I will leave this part, which is also very special, to you.
Why did I like this book so much?
At first, when I read this book, we were watching a serial killer series, I guess several of you will recognize it. It's a series that was called the Evil Index. Where the doctor [Michael Stone] uses certain parameters to measure the evilness of people. In the series, depending on the criminals, their pathologies, and aberrations, the doctor could quantify the evilness of people. These measures could range from between 1 where people have killed only in self-defense and show no psychotic traits or tendencies and 22 with the worst, which would be torturers, psychotic killers... they certainly love to kill and show desperation to do so.
Well, when we had this book at home (unfortunately we no longer have it because we borrowed it) my aunt and uncle were arguing about the degree of depravity, or rather, what was the level of evil of the Matachiquitas? I thought the book was that dark, a depraved murderer who was getting away with murder and about the efforts of the authorities to catch him. We all believed this. Only two had read it, but luckily we were never told more than that.
When I had the joy of reading it, my surprise was absolute when it unfolded as it did, a different novel than I expected. It's like going to eat ice cream and you ask for one of chocolate and they give you one of chocolate with Oreo or some such delicious and intense flavor that you can't forget.
The whole story unfolded great. Mack's Great sadness, his daughter's silence, Nam and Josh's strength. Then the story that made this family suffer so much around the lake. Finally, although not revealed in this article, Mack's trip to the cabin, all his experiences, conversations, and the answers he received.
The answers Mack received were fantastic, a whole teaching of how life "works" gives Mack and us a perspective on how we should perceive religions and God, even how it is that step towards death, how and why one soul has a harder time transcending than another. To clear the guilt of the past and find Missy's body and say I forgive you, I forgive you, does he forgive the being that took his daughter from him, does he forgive himself for the guilt he feels, does he forgive God, does he forgive his father? The truth is that in order to alleviate his guilt and free Missy from the suffering to which she was still bound, there had to be a reconciliation.
Finding the body, it seems, is the reconciliation they needed for both the family and her spiritual self. The family's life improved, they were able to give her closure and say a proper goodbye to Missy. Kate began to open up with the family again and Mack left the Great Sadness behind.
One thing that hurt a lot to think about was that God had asked for a sacrifice from Missy, that sacrifice of life so that her family would receive some kind of teaching and have the opportunity to share this story and reach the hearts of others. But, remembering again the story and the answer Mack had given Missy about the princess' sacrifice. She shouldn't have sacrificed herself, she did it because she wanted to. Missy's story is different. God didn't ask her for any sacrifice, he was there when her life was being taken away, when she was being hurt, he felt all of that and even though she thought she was alone, he was with her until her last moments.
Could God intercede and prevent the harm being done to Missy? Of course he could. But, to do that, would mean taking away the greatest gift he gave us, free will. The right to do and think what we want to do and think. To make our own decisions, to fail and to succeed. To take the path we want, to believe or not to believe. We are not tied to the same thought or to the same God, we are the ones who make our own decisions, we are the ones who can stop ourselves and avoid hurting ourselves, we are the ones who can create miracles.
I once had a dog that was left at home, his owner was leaving the country and had no one else to leave him with. The first few nights he cried a lot and I knew it was because of sadness and that's when it occurred to me to take away his sadness and replace it with happiness. This doesn't seem bad at all, does it? Seeing a dog happy is something most people like to see. Surely being able to do that would make me look like a God to him. Something he doesn't understand at all, this being that has the ability to create tasty food and now makes him happy when he feels sad without even touching him. But doesn't the dog have the right to be sad? I am hardly superior to this animal, do I have the right to influence it? But even if it seemed right to me to do so, why should I, why should I erase its sadness? To erase its sadness is akin to erasing its memories, or perhaps modifying them, to become angry at the separation from its owner? Why? To do this is to change the essence of him, is to modify what I want and love about him.
Such a thought is what I believe God has in this book. This gives Mackenzie to understand that he is not how everyone thinks he is, he does not punish, he does not interfere and he is proud of all his children, good and bad, white or green. He also talked about the idea of hell and said, that for something like this to exist, it would certainly be a place he has no reach to, but such a place does not exist. He is in everyone and with everyone, he knows the whereabouts of all his children living and dead.
Undoubtedly, it is a book that has very rich material to try to understand. It is a book that can serve as a guide and clarify doubts: Are these answers true, is life really like that? Who knows, but they serve to create a more critical thinking, to alleviate sorrows, to forgive, to reflect and to enjoy, which is the most important thing of all. A good book leaves you with feelings like that, you find a wonderful message and then there is a new and deeper one and it gives you a different perspective on life. At least, with this book that's what I got.
If you have read this book, have any doubts, want to share your thoughts you can do it with pleasure. This is the first time I write about a book in this way, if you have any suggestions you can also let me know.
Thanks for reading my post.
Translation help Deepl
