The
Shack
Chapter 8
Summary
Notes:
·
Mack has a
flying dream, but the Great Sadness drags him down (p116).
·
Papa has no favorites, and is especially fond of every person in
the world (p119).
·
Papa admits she gets angry at some
of the decisions her children make (p119).
·
“I don’t need to punish people for
sin. Sin is its own punishment.” (p120) (Rom
·
Mack watches God in conversation
(p121).
·
Papa says there is no chain of command in the Trinity
(p122). (Mark
·
Papa says humans created hierarchy, not God (p122). (1 Sam 8:5-20)
·
There would be no need for hierarchy
if we truly loved others as ourselves (p124).
·
Humans were created to be in a love
relationship with God (p124).
·
Papa says there are millions of
reasons to allow pain, but they can
only be understood within each person’s story (p125).
·
Sarayu
says broken humans center their lives around what
seems good to them (p125).
·
Papa says our main flaw is that we don’t think God is good
(p126).
·
It’s not about performance, or trying to please God (p126). (Eph 2:8,9. Eph 5:3-5, 15-17)
·
Mack says he can’t see how the final
outcome can justify all this pain. Papa
says she isn’t justifying it; she’s redeeming it (p127).
Splinters
from “Shaq:” 
1.
Do you ever feel
like God loves you more or less than others?
2.
Are you good at
loving others as much as you love yourself?
3.
Have you ever lost
someone close, or known someone who lost someone close, “early” in life? Can you see any clear reason why God allowed
it?
4.
Is your image of
God “good?”
5.
Do you try to
please God with performance? Is there
purpose in keeping God’s commands?