And Mack? Well, he’s a human being who continues through a process of change like the rest of us. Only he welcomes it while I tend to resist it. I have noticed that he loves larger than most, is quick to forgive and even quicker to ask for forgiveness. The transformations in him have caused quite a ripple through his community of relationships—and not all of them easy. But I have to tell you that I’ve never been around another adult who lives life with such simplicity and joy. Somehow he has become a child again. Or maybe more accurately, he’s become the child he never was allowed to be, abiding in simple trust and wonder. He embraces even the darker shades of life as part of some incredibly rich and profound tapestry crafted masterfully by invisible hands of love.
As I write this, Mack is testifying at the Ladykiller trial. He had hoped to visit with the accused but has not yet been granted permission. But he’s determined to see him, even if it happens long after the verdict is rendered.
If you ever get a chance to hang out with Mack, you will soon learn that he’s hoping for a new revolution, one of love and kindness—a revolution that revolves around Jesus and what he did for us all and what he continues to do in anyone who has a hunger for reconciliation and a place to call home. This is not a revolution that will overthrow anything, or if it does, it will do so in ways we could never contrive in advance. Instead, it will be the quiet daily powers of dying and serving and loving and laughing, of simple tenderness and unseen kindness, because if anything matters, then everything matters. And one day, when all is revealed, every one of us will bow our knees and confess in the power of Sarayu that Jesus is the Lord of all creation, to the glory of Papa.
Oh, one last note. I’m convinced that Mack and Nan still go up there sometimes, to the shack, you know, just to be alone. It wouldn’t surprise me if he walks out to that old dock, takes off his shoes and socks, and, you know, puts his feet on the water just to see if… well, you know…
—Willie
Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I brought a stone to three friends. It was a chunk of boulder that I had carved out of the caves of my experience. These three, Wayne Jacobsen, Brad Cummings, and Bobby Downes, with great and careful kindness helped me chip away at that rock until we were able to see a wonder below its face.
Wayne was the first to see this story and went out of his way to encourage me to have it published. His enthusiasm brought in the others to refine the story and to prepare it to share with a wider audience, both in print and we hope in film. He and Brad bore the lion’s share of work in the three major rewrites that brought this story to its final form, adding their insights into the ways in which God works and keeping the story true to Mack’s pain and his healing. These two brought energy, creativity, and skill to the writing, and the quality of work that you now hold in your hands is due in large measure to their gifts and sacrifice. Bobby brought his unique background in filmmaking to help us collaborate on the story to tighten its flow and heighten its drama. You can visit Wayne at www.lifestream.org, Brad at www.thegodjourney.com, and Bobby at www.christiancinema.com. I am especially fond of each of you three! KMW!
Many have intersected this project and given time and heart to sand the surface or etch a design or voice an opinion, encouragement, or objection, leaving a piece of their lives inside this story and how it has unfolded. These include Marisa Ghiglieri and Dave Aldrich as design collaborators, and Kate Lapin and especially Julie Williams, who assisted with production. A number of friends took time from their schedules to prod and poke and help me edit, especially in the early rewrites. These include Australia Sue, brilliant Jim Hawley in Taiwan, and especially my cousin Dale Bruneski in Canada.
There is a host whose insight, perspective, companionship, and encouragement have mattered. Thanks to Larry Gillis in Hawaii, my buddy Dan Polk in DC, MaryKay and Rick Larson, Micheal and Renee Harris, Julie and Tom Rushton, and the Gunderson household in Boring, Oregon (that’s a noun, not an adjective), along with the folk at DCS, my great friend Dave Sargent in Portland, the individuals and families of the northeast Portland community, and the Closner/Foster/Weston/Dunbar kinfolk in Estacada.
I am full of gratitude for the Warren clan (numbering around one hundred now), who helped Kim rescue me from the dark side, and my parents and Canadian family, the Youngs, Sparrows, Bruneskis, and others. I love you, Aunt Ruby; I know you’ve had a hard time of it lately. Also, I have no words to express my heart and love for Kim, my children, and our two incredible daughters-in-law, Courtney and Michelle, who are both bearing our first grandkids (yippee!).
Creative stimulation includes a number of old dead guys, like Jacques Ellul, George Macdonald, Tozer, Lewis, Gibran, the Inklings, and Søren Kierkegaard. But I am also grateful to writers and speakers like Ravi Zacharias, Malcolm Smith, Anne Lamott, Wayne Jacobsen, Marilynne Robinson, Donald Miller, and Maya Angelou, to name a few. Musical inspiration is eclectic, a smattering of U2, Dylan, Moby, Paul Colman, Mark Knopfler, James Taylor, Bebo Norman, Matt Wertz (you are something special), Nichole Nordeman, Amos Lee, Kirk Franklin, David Wilcox, Sarah McLachlan, Jackson Browne, the Indigo Girls, the Dixie Chicks, Larry Norman, and a whole lot of Bruce Cockburn.
Thank you, Anna Rice, for loving this story and penetrating it with your musical gift. You gave (me) us an incredible gift.
Most of us have our own grief, broken dreams, and damaged hearts, each of us our unique losses, our own “shack.” I pray you find the same grace there that I did, and that the abiding presence of Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu will fill up your inside emptiness with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
We invite you to continue your experience with THE SHACK at our Web site:
theshackbook.com
• Share how you feel about The Shack and read what others are saying.
• Share your insights and discuss the book with other readers at The Shack Forum.
• Communicate with the author.
• Read Willie’s blog.
• Purchase additional copies of The Shack.
• Find out the latest news on The Missy Project.
For information about having the author speak to your organization or group, please contact Wes Yoder at (615) 370-4700 Ext. 230 • [email protected]
This book became #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List on a two-hundred-dollar marketing budget and because of passionate readers who wanted to pass it along to their friends. If you’d like to share this book with others, here are some ideas we aff ectionately call:
If you are as taken with the message of this book as we are, you may already have some unique ideas as to how you can best let others know about it. Here are some ideas to help you share this book with others.
Give the book to friends, even strangers, as a gift. They not only get a compelling, page-turning thrill ride, but also a magnificent glimpse into the nature of God that is not often presented in our culture.
If you have a web site or blog, consider sharing a bit about the book and how it touched your life. Don’t give away the plot, but recommend that they read it as well and link to http://www.theshackbook.com.
Write a book review for your local paper, favorite magazine, or Web site you frequent. Ask your favorite radio show or podcast to have the author on as a guest. Media people often give more consideration to the requests of their listeners than the press releases of publicists.
If you own a shop or business, consider putting a display of these books on your counter to resell to customers. We make books available at a discounted rate for resale. For individuals we off er volume discount pricing for orders of six books or more.
Buy a set of books as gifts to battered women’s shelters, prisons, rehabilitation homes, and the like where people might be really encouraged by th
e story and its message.
Talk about the book on e-mail lists you’re on, forums you frequent, and other places you engage other people on the Internet. Don’t make it an advertisement, but share how this book impacted your life and offer people the link to The Shack Web site.
For more up-to-date information and ideas on how you can help, please check out The Missy Project at our website.
www.theshackbook.com
Also from Windblown Media
www.windblownmedia.com
HE LOVES ME: LEARNING TO LIVE IN THE FATHER’S AFFECTION
by Wayne Jacobsen
If your spiritual life feels more like an empty ritual rather than a joyful journey, let Wayne help you discover this Father who loves you more than anyone on this planet ever has or ever will, and how you can rest in his love through every circumstance you face.
SO YOU DON’T WANT TO GO TO CHURCH ANYMORE
by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman
Frustrated pastor Jake Colsen meets a man who talks about Jesus like no one he’s ever met. Could this be one of Jesus’ original disciples still alive in the twenty-first century, and should he believe the crazy way he talks about life, faith, and community?
MY BEAUTIFUL ONE
Seldom do songs transcend the realm of words and touch your spirit, but these songs do. This music will capture you, restore your soul, and draw you near to the very heart of God. What The Shack did with words, Chris DuPré does with music. That’s why we are proud to release My Beautiful One as our debut album for Windblown Records—a definite “must hear.”
BO’S CAFÉ by John Lynch, Bill Thrall, and Bruce McNicol (September 2009)
High-powered exec Steven Kerner has no idea his tightly wound American dream is about to come crashing down. His high-profile, high-octane life has always provided everything he’s wanted—until now, when a bizarre invitation from an enigmatic stranger may be the biggest opportunity to come his way in a long time….
THE MISUNDERSTOOD GOD: THE LIES RELIGION TELLS US ABOUT GOD by Darin Hufford (November 2009)
Scripture calls him the God of love, but religion often portrays him with the vindictive personality of the devil. Which one is he and how can we be sure? If you’ve ever struggled to understand the nature of God, this book will help you come to see that God is truly the definition of love.
Compelling stories that unveil God’s heart to the spiritually curious
www.windblownmedia.com
(805) 498-2484
The Shack Page 25