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How can God be considered “good” when there is so much pain and suffering in
this world? Young’s attempt at answering this question comes in the form of a
story. Mackenzie’s 6-year-old daughter is abducted and brutally murdered by a
serial killer with a sadistic fetish for young girls. How could God allow this to
happen? After four years of “great sadness,” God invites Mackenzie to meet with
him to talk it over. Over the course of a weekend with God, Mackenzie's life goes
through a complete transformation. The bitterness, anger, hatred, depression,
and doubt in Mack’s life are removed and replaced with a contagious love and joy
for God and others.
This very well-written and engaging story teaches us that we must believe that
God is in fact good in all of his purposes and plans, even the ones that appear
this world? Young’s attempt at answering this question comes in the form of a
story. Mackenzie’s 6-year-old daughter is abducted and brutally murdered by a
serial killer with a sadistic fetish for young girls. How could God allow this to
happen? After four years of “great sadness,” God invites Mackenzie to meet with
him to talk it over. Over the course of a weekend with God, Mackenzie's life goes
through a complete transformation. The bitterness, anger, hatred, depression,
and doubt in Mack’s life are removed and replaced with a contagious love and joy
for God and others.
This very well-written and engaging story teaches us that we must believe that
God is in fact good in all of his purposes and plans, even the ones that appear
particularly dark. It is utterly foolish to sit in judgment upon God. God has put this world together and he
is weaving an incredibly complex masterpiece. God’s love for mankind is painted into this masterpiece
with his own blood.
God is portrayed as a trinity, working together in perfect harmony, carrying out a perfect plan. God laughs
and cries. He cares and he craves relationship with his creation. Not because he needs it, but because
he wants it. A relationship with God is only possible when man gives up his independence. From
independence springs all evil. The circle of relationship that is displayed in the trinity – its
interdependence, trust, and love – is the model for all relationships. The trinity is a relationship that has
no hierarchy. There is no “boss.” It is a perfect circle. This is why God opposes the machinery of religion.
Its lists of “do’s” and “don’t's”, its authority structures, its power struggles, its rigid obedience to rules
and regulations all make it impossible for the flower of relationship to grow. Thin and flimsy
relationships with God are produced and when the fires of tragedy come, these weak relationships are
disintegrated. Your relationship with God is the principal thing. Mack’s weekend with God was designed
not so much so he could understand why the tragedy happened but so he could get to know the God
who allowed it to happen. As Mack came to know the three persons of God his love for him grew, his
love for self shrank, and he began to trust. Trusting in God allows a person to embrace forgiveness. You
no longer need to have your hands on the throat of the one that hurt you. “Papa” will take care of it.
Freedom to live and love again springs from the soil of forgiveness. Tears, anger, and grief are right
emotions with tragedy, but they never should come at the expense of forgiveness.
For better or for worse, bellow are some themes I detected in this book.
Free will is a “yes and no” kind of thing – Because “true love never forces," man is free to choose his
own way. But God knows what way man will choose. But even still, that fact doesn’t reduce man's
freedom to make that choice. Anyway, considering all of the limiting influences on our lives (p. 95), what
is freedom anyway? “Freedom” is a process that happens inside of a relationship with “the truth” – the
truth has a name. It is Jesus.
Egalitarianism – Since the trinity is a circle of relationship, without any “chain of command,” the
assumption is that the closest human relationships should mirror this as well. Structure of authority and
rule are all man-made. The closer we get to God, the more we see equality and relationship, and the
less we see “roles” and “responsibilities.” There is no effort made on Young’s part to reconcile his
thoughts with complimentarian teachings in Scripture.
No more organized church – Church is not about programs, institutions, and structure. The Church is
people and relationships. That comes from all over the world and all kinds of settings. The Church is
someone Jesus builds, someone Jesus loves. The Church is not about a list of do’s and don’t's, and it
is not a place you go to every Sunday. Again, there is some pretty significant Scripture that supports the
concept of a real local church.
The Trinity of Terror – Politics, economics, and religion. God is fond of none of these. They all tear away
at the relationship that God is after
God’s control is never doubted in this story – he allowed Missy’s death. What is doubted is his
goodness. Young does a very admirable job in painting a picture of a trinity that is undeniably good.
God is very fond of us.
is weaving an incredibly complex masterpiece. God’s love for mankind is painted into this masterpiece
with his own blood.
God is portrayed as a trinity, working together in perfect harmony, carrying out a perfect plan. God laughs
and cries. He cares and he craves relationship with his creation. Not because he needs it, but because
he wants it. A relationship with God is only possible when man gives up his independence. From
independence springs all evil. The circle of relationship that is displayed in the trinity – its
interdependence, trust, and love – is the model for all relationships. The trinity is a relationship that has
no hierarchy. There is no “boss.” It is a perfect circle. This is why God opposes the machinery of religion.
Its lists of “do’s” and “don’t's”, its authority structures, its power struggles, its rigid obedience to rules
and regulations all make it impossible for the flower of relationship to grow. Thin and flimsy
relationships with God are produced and when the fires of tragedy come, these weak relationships are
disintegrated. Your relationship with God is the principal thing. Mack’s weekend with God was designed
not so much so he could understand why the tragedy happened but so he could get to know the God
who allowed it to happen. As Mack came to know the three persons of God his love for him grew, his
love for self shrank, and he began to trust. Trusting in God allows a person to embrace forgiveness. You
no longer need to have your hands on the throat of the one that hurt you. “Papa” will take care of it.
Freedom to live and love again springs from the soil of forgiveness. Tears, anger, and grief are right
emotions with tragedy, but they never should come at the expense of forgiveness.
For better or for worse, bellow are some themes I detected in this book.
Free will is a “yes and no” kind of thing – Because “true love never forces," man is free to choose his
own way. But God knows what way man will choose. But even still, that fact doesn’t reduce man's
freedom to make that choice. Anyway, considering all of the limiting influences on our lives (p. 95), what
is freedom anyway? “Freedom” is a process that happens inside of a relationship with “the truth” – the
truth has a name. It is Jesus.
Egalitarianism – Since the trinity is a circle of relationship, without any “chain of command,” the
assumption is that the closest human relationships should mirror this as well. Structure of authority and
rule are all man-made. The closer we get to God, the more we see equality and relationship, and the
less we see “roles” and “responsibilities.” There is no effort made on Young’s part to reconcile his
thoughts with complimentarian teachings in Scripture.
No more organized church – Church is not about programs, institutions, and structure. The Church is
people and relationships. That comes from all over the world and all kinds of settings. The Church is
someone Jesus builds, someone Jesus loves. The Church is not about a list of do’s and don’t's, and it
is not a place you go to every Sunday. Again, there is some pretty significant Scripture that supports the
concept of a real local church.
The Trinity of Terror – Politics, economics, and religion. God is fond of none of these. They all tear away
at the relationship that God is after
God’s control is never doubted in this story – he allowed Missy’s death. What is doubted is his
goodness. Young does a very admirable job in painting a picture of a trinity that is undeniably good.
God is very fond of us.
| Dec. 2, 2008 |
