Quotes To Discuss From THE SHACK by William P. Young

• "He was a rich man. he thought to himself, in all the ways that mattered." (p.29)
• "His features were pleasant enough, but he was not particularly handsome - not a man who would stick out in a crowd." (p.84 - Isaiah 53:2)
• "Mackenzie, I am neither male nor female, even though both genders are derived from my nature." (p.93 - John 4:24)
• "'So, when he healed the blind?'  'He did so as a dependent, limited human being trusting in my life and power to be at work within him and through him.  Jesus, as a human being, had no power within himself [except John 10:18  - authority to lay his life down and pick it up again - my comment here] to heal anyone.  Only as he rested in his relationship with me, and in our communion - our co-union could he express my heart and will into any given circumstance.'" (p.100 - John 5:16-30)
• "'Don't you have a chain of command?'  Makenzie, we have no concept of final authority among us, only unity.  We are in a circle of relationship, not a chain of command or 'great chain of being' as your ancestors termed it.  What you're seeing here is relationship without any overlay of power.  We don't need power over the other because we are always looking out for the best.  Hierarchy would make no sense among us.  Actually, this is your problem, not ours.  Humans are so lost and damaged that to you it is almost incomprehensible hat people could work or live together without someone being in charge." (p.122)
• "We created you, the human, to be in face-to-face relationship with us, to join our circle of love." (p.124)
• "And look what it has cost you.  Is it worth it?  Yes!'" (p.125)
• "...you cannot produce trust just like you cannot 'do' humility.  It either is or is not.  Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved." (p.126)
• "'Then it is you (humans) who determines good and evil.  You become the judge.  And to make things more confusing, that which you determine to be good will change over time and circumstance.  And then beyond that and even worse, there are billions of you each determining what is good and what is evil.  So when your good and evil clashes with your neighbor's, fights and arguments ensue and even wars break out.'" (p.135)
• [Giving Fear A Foothold] "To the degree that those fears have a place in your life, you neither believe I am good nor know deep in your hear that I love you.  You sing about it; you talk about it, but you don't know it." (p.142)
• "...my life was not meant to be an example to copy.  Being my follower is not trying to 'be like Jesus', it means for your independence to be killed." (p.149)
• Makenzie asks, "Tell me, if I may ask, by what criteria do you base your judgments?" (p.159) "Mackenzie, judgment is not about destruction, but about setting things right." (p.169) [Although destruction is often a means by which judgment is carried out - my own thoughts]
• "This always works better when we do it together, don't you think?  Jesus asked smiling." (p.174)
• [MY PERSONAL CHALLENGE - TAKE THE BOXING GLOVES OFF]  "All I want from you is to trust me with what little you can, and grow in loving people around you with the same love I share with you.  It's not your job to change them, or to convince them.  You are free to love without an agenda." (p.181)
• "Love that is forced is no love at all." (p.190)
• "There is no plan B." (p.192)
• God says, "...I am now full reconciled to the world." Makenzie says, "The whole world? You mean those who believe in you, right?"  God responds, "The whole world Mack.  All I am telling you is that reconciliation is a two way street, and I have done my part, totally, completely, finally.  It is not the nature of love to force a relationship but it is the nature of love to open the way." (p.192)
• "...just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn't mean I orchestrate the tragedies.  Don't ever assume that my using something means I cause it or that I need it to accomplish my purposes.  That will only lead you to false notions about me.  Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors." (p.185)