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Exploring, “The Shack”- 11- Here Come Da Judge

By Dan | October 16, 2008

This chapter delves into the heart of the main issue in the book- judging a God who allows evil. Mack comes before a presence, a beautiful presence, which he does not quite understand, but who thrusts him into a judgment seat. Is he on trial?

No, he is in fact the judge. She places before him many of the judgments he’s made throughout his life and drives him to the big question. Will he judge God for all that’s happened to him and especially to Missy? If God is the creator of all that is in the world, if he’s in control, is he then to blame for all that happens, including those horrible evils we see perpetrated.

This is a raw, emotional question. It’s once we all ask. Just today I was reading an article about men who abducted a mentally handicapped boy, tied him up, and tortured him, nearly to death. What do we do with this kind of evil? What do we do with a God who would allow such evil?

It makes us mad. At the men, at the people who twisted those men into what they are today? At the generation before that. And on down the line, but behind it all, there’s God who ultimately made all and controls all. Will we judge him?

Mack asks what we ask, “why doesn’t God do something about it all?” The response- he did, in the person of Jesus. Mack comes back with the why still hanging out there, “but why does this all have to happen anyway? Couldn’t there be a better way for the world to work?” The response- this evil doesn’t have to happen, it’s of the world and of humans. Why does it still happen? Why does God allow it? You’ll just have to trust.

Just apply this conversation to whatever has been burning inside you lately. It still doesn’t quite satisfy, but it’s the truth. It pushes one to think back to Job. Job asks the same questions of God and God is actually a little harsher with him, “Who are you to judge God. You can’t see or understand.” Job takes the rebuke and trusts as well.

I guess sometimes God needs to give us this answer gently, and sometimes he needs to give it to us in a little tougher way. The why will never be answered this side of heaven, but we can experience trust with God in such a way that we know there is a why.

Any thoughts?

What do you think of the quote at the end about judgment, “Judgment is not about destruction but setting things right.” (169) This starts to push some edges in terms of one of the other fringe items in this chapter, that of hell. What bothers you about hell? Can a loving father God sentence or allow some of his children to go to hell? What is hell? Another big discussion there.