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Exploring, “The Shack”- 14- Verbs and Other Freedoms

By Dan | November 6, 2008

I don’t really feel like discussing the whole verb vs. noun nature of God and creation from which the chapter’s title derives. If anyone does, they’re welcome to make a comment on this subject and I’ll probably respond.

I found another topic a little more interesting and controversial.

Mack has an interesting interaction with Sarayu, especially as she spoke about Revelation. Mack was asking her about how he would know and see her in the future when she wouldn’t be appearing in human form and actually speaking in words to him. Her answer was something you hear as a common undercurrent in conversations about knowing God. You’ll hear me in your thoughts, you’ll see me in art, music, silence, people, the Creation, joy and sorrow.

There’s some truth to this. God is in all of his creation and does reveal himself in things like art, nature, people, etc. We do, however, have to be careful how far we take this. God has given us something special in his Word, especially the words of the Bible. He has given us his own words and he’s written them down so we can go to a place and know with certainty his thoughts and stories. While there’s obviously much debate over their meaning, there is some clarity. And most importantly of all, we can see clearly that the focus of his Word is The Word, Jesus Christ.

When we go to things like art or nature, things are a little murkier. They don’t speak so clearly, and they don’t always point us to Jesus Christ. You may learn of God’s majesty or his ability to design, but you will not be able to look at a tree and from it understand God’s desire to save you from sin and evil. I think this is where people get off a little soemtimes. They are so swept up in things that give us hints of God, that they miss his clearest and best Revelation in The Word. And what’s sad, is they speak of The Word like it’s crusty old stuff that’s just a bunch of old mythological stories and rules, rather than something living and active which is always revealing a new side of God and his righteousness and grace.

That’s where I’m glad Young says we’ll find the Holy Spirit revealing itself in the Bible in new and fresh ways. That acknowledges that the Bible is alive. Though even with this comment we need to be careful. The Bible is alive in that it continues to reveal God’s design for us today. Some people take this a little farther and kind of reverse the order. They look in the world today and then read back into the Bible to interpret there what they desire. Here we have to keep the order correct.

Where have you run into this discussion yourself?