The Worthy Queens watched the movie titled “THE SHACK”. This post is the review that was done on WOW WhatsApp Group.
We will be answering some questions to guide our review.
- How do we feel about God?
- What comes to mind when you think or hear ‘God’?
- Why doesn’t God stop pain and hurt especially towards ‘good’ people?
- How do you know something or someone is good?
- How do we learn to trust God again after a hurt or a pain?
- How do we fellowship with God?
- How do we forgive?
- Why would God keep working on us?
Let us use the above questions to answer having the movie in mind.
When I was a child, believing God was like Mackenzie’s. I believed you need to do some things to please God, otherwise He would strike you dead. So, I just ‘behaved’.
In the course of growing, I had a fresh set of friends and I started to understand that God wasn’t seeking to kill me. Then, I started studying, I mean studying His Word and I began to change in my perspective of Him.
Before I share my notes with us, I want to share the most profound moments of the movie with us and the lessons gleaned.
- My first moment was when Kate stood up on that boat- oh my, the mother in me spanked her from the screen even before I knew that Missy would go missing. Don’t blame me
- Second moment was when Mackenzie was asked to forgive the killer. I will tell you a little of my growing up. I had always thought my dad hated us. In his choices of life towards us, I felt he did hate us. I hated him a lot, until I began to fellowship. I remember I have to say it over and over again to tell God to help me forgive him. Right now, it doesn’t hurt anymore, I don’t hate him again.
- Another moment for me was when he was alone on the boat and he began to sink hard. Seriously, I thought he was going to sink. And Jesus said, look at me. The whole idea is to look at Him! Focus on Jesus! Otherwise, we sink.
Instead of repressing hurt and then it affects us later, ask God for strength to forgive. Don’t do it on your own.
We become the judge. Our style of living is right while our neighbor is wrong. The way another person talks is wrong while our own piety way is right.
Was God mean by making Jesus die on the cross? NO
How was Nan able to hold the home together?
I mean Mack went with three children and came back with two broken children. Walking with God is the deal. That’s the idea. Walking alone meant Mack would have sunk but walking with Jesus means he would float.
When my daughter clocked 2 years, the day after her birthday, she had an accident at home where we had to get her head stitched because I thought her dad was careless (God forgive me). I didn’t blame him initially but as I realized he was trying to justify some things later, I just sparked. I blamed him so badly till he felt bad. In my mind, I cannot be that careless.
Oh my, so I was just imagining how Nan held the home.
Four thing we learnt from the movie:
- Fellowship
- Forgiveness
- Love and its acceptance
- Sacrifice
- Fellowship with God is an intricate understanding of how to associate with Him- Koinonia. Fellowship with the Lord includes vulnerability and that is what we need and have to learn. Was God mean by making Jesus die on the cross? The guilt between man and God was so wide with sin that all previous sacrifices didn’t achieve His mind for us. He wanted to be in sync with us- be all there and all in! Relationship is about trust, isn’t it? Jesus chose to die- he paid the ultimate sacrifice, that is, to close the gap between us and God completely. What held the family together when Missy died? How was Nan able to handle a husband who was overwhelmed with sadness and guilt and a depressed daughter? Nan told Mack- “it is not your fault!”
The beginning of the whole thing is not to apportion blame. It is not easy but that is the first thing. Blame just makes the other party retreat. That person already has enough guilt going on, please don’t add to it.
- Forgiveness: Moving forward for most of us is difficult especially for some of us who had difficult upbringing. Learning to do something differently outside of what you have always known it to be takes a lot of forgiveness towards yourself and others. We get stuck at that place of pain or hurt that we just cannot seem to see any solution as long as the stressor is there. Mackenzie was taken back to the Shack because that was where his life shook and changed. If all we see is pain, we lose sight of God.
Forgiveness is not excusing offenses but trusting that God will do what is right in that situation. It is looking past the offence and offender towards the healing stream and balm of God. Forgiving someone who has offended you doesn’t mean that you should have a relationship with such person. Forgiveness brings closure. How do we forgive? Say it out loud until it gets easier, until it makes sense. Until it doesn’t hurt anymore, until it doesn’t feel like we should strangle the offender.
- For a child whose only existence has been filled with pain and hurt or whose knowledge of love is warped, the definition of love is twisted. Mackenzie couldn’t believe that Nan could make so much sense out of her relationship with God- talking to him like an old friend? He never even enjoyed a father’s love. Papa told Mackenzie she had to show up as a ‘woman’ because Mack needed the love of a mother. What does a mother’s love do? A mother’s love nurtures, nourishes and embraces; a father’s love protects, preserves and teaches.
How many of us know this song “Reckless love”?
“Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so so kind to me
… Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the 99
And I couldn’t earn it
I don’t deserve it, still You give yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
… When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me
… Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the 99
And I couldn’t earn it
I don’t deserve it, still You give yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God
… There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
… There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
… There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
… Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the 99
I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God.”
This is the lyrics of the song. Let us read that.
If all we see is pain, hurt, lack, then we lose sight of God. Do we feel left alone, deserted or frustrated? We don’t need to ‘feel’ him, He’s always there. Love is meant to exist within a relationship, that’s what God wants. Relationship! Love! Trust! In all of this, God seeks to give closure. In every mess, remember that he is at the center. When Mackenzie was alone on that boat and seemed to be sinking, Jesus told him to focus on him, that’s all we need.
Focus on him, oh my, it is not easy, we want it fixed. The chaos in us should stop, we want serenity but life isn’t always that way but we have to remember to focus on Him.
- Sacrifice: Wisdom asked Mackenzie to choose, oh my, I was frozen in my seat the first time I watched that part. Who was he going to choose? He chose himself, that’s the sacrifice Jesus paid. Every of God’s creation is important, even the wicked was created for the day of doom but God is calling us to repentance and that’s the sacrifice on the cross.
To end my note, there is no future without God- where we can figure things out on our own, plan our lives and make a beautiful plan out of it, it doesn’t exist. Unless, we want to sink!
God will come down to our level to speak to us most times. He came as a mother first, then as a father. He doesn’t come in black and white as we have known him- Don’t be myopic.
Movie Review: The Shack.
Link: https://youtu.be/yStIeEwKAbw
Questions And Answers
Question 1
How do u handle a person who can’t forgive and is losing in so many ways, how do u preach or advise the person?
Answer
Left to me, stop advising. This person cannot see that he is losing, otherwise he would have let go.
Pray for such individual to see instead
In addition, yours is to prayerfully share the gospel of Christ with the person. Then keep praying for him or her. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts and convinces, because your advice obviously has not been working on such person. Just pray that God opens the individual’s eyes.
And pray that God keep everyone out of harm’s way while he works on that person.
Question 2
In the movie, did the accident happen before he got to the Shack or when he was going back home from the Shack?
Answer
He had the accident on his way to the Shack. The rest happened while on hospital bed.
Contribution 1
I feel God is my lover. I think of God as a divinity. I don’t know why God let good people get hurt. Though I don’t question him not until I watched this movie. Opening up is the way to trust Him.
One of the things that was profound for me was when Wisdom asked him to choose one of his children to go to hell! What! I just imagined having to choose either of my children to go to hell. Never! If one person must go, I’ll rather go.
So, this is how God feels. He would go all the way to ensure we reign with him. I just remembered all the tears I’ve shed in recent times. So, He’s mindful of my tears.
These days, when I look at some people, I quickly remember that Jesus died for them. Even my lesbian neighbors that act crazy, He died for them. He loves them recklessly. All the people I cancel in my heart because I put myself on the judgement seat, God should just forgive me.
Contribution 2
I feel God is just God.
He does as he pleases. He knows the end from the beginning.
He has said it that we will face tribulations and challenges but in all we should be of good cheer, that He has overcome. I think when pain or hurt comes to good people, it is a test of faith. Take Job in the Bible for an example.
Contribution 3
I now feel God is closer to me than I thought.
He knows many things about me and he’s mindful of me.
God doesn’t cause evil and sometimes he can’t stop the evil from happening but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love the victim.
My profound moment was when Jesus said he should always look unto Him and not his pains and hurt. We can do great things when we look unto Jesus. I remember when he wanted to walk on the water alone, he started to sink and Jesus told him that he can’t walk on waters without Him.
If we want to do extraordinary things, we have to take Jesus along. With Jesus, all things are possible.
Contribution 4
Before now, I used to see God as one who is ready to punish me for any mistake but now, I know He loves me unconditionally. I do not have to do anything to merit His love. When I hear God, I hear Ardent Lover.
God doesn’t stop pain and hurt because He doesn’t program people’s choices. People choose to hurt or not hurt others.
My profound moment was the way the Holy Spirit comforted Mack. The sweet comfort of the Holy Spirit can never be given by man, it is divine. Even in the midst of pain, God never leaves us. Very profound.
The movie opened my eyes to how much God loves us all, including the one who is not doing right at the moment. Instead of God judging us, Jesus went all the way for us.
I’ve had big moments in my life. Forgiving the person who administered the injection that altered the course of my life. Forgiving my father. Forgiving my husband. I learned that until we forgive, we remain in chains.
Contribution 5
How do we feel about God? He’s God.
What comes to mind when you think or hear ‘God’? The one who does as He pleases.
Why doesn’t God stop pain and hurt especially towards ‘good’ people? To test our faith (I believe).
How do you know something or someone is good? Their actions
How do we learn to trust God again after a hurt or a pain? I ask myself “What do I gain still if I don’t trust him?”
How do we fellowship with God? By thanking him whenever I think of him.
How do we forgive? By trying to forget it
Why would God keep working on us? He created us for a purpose and He loves us.
Contribution 8
My profound scenes from the movie are so many.
God cares about everything about us including the pains, hurts and all. Mack was hurt enough, though he is not God’s child how much more we, his beloved.
God is ever present in all our circumstances, even though He seems quiet, He speaks to us. He is not absent.
Our focus should be on God not the hurt or pain. When we focus on Him, we will see the way of escape, even the problems will vanish. But if we shift our focus, we will sink.
We walk on waters with God. God goes ahead of every situation. For example, when Mack was going to clear the field, he was led by God and the other lady was waiting.
When we try to judge others, we hurt ourselves. When we forgive others, we heal.
Opinion 1
I remember when I was thirsty for the gift of speaking in tongues. So, while in a vigil, I was told that I was harboring someone in mind that until I forgive the person.
Though it was had but when I did the next day, I started speaking in tongues and I was also given the gift of word of wisdom.
Opinion 3
The review carries so much weight and message.
The movie, The Shack teaches about the love of God, forgiveness, seeing how God sees. The caption in one word is understanding ABBA’s heart.
May God grant us the desire to be selfless, forgiven, see as he sees, walk in his stature and delight in him.
God bless every Worthy Queen, mend broken hearts, fix our lives, open doors of great possibilities, make every home blissful, fruitful and graceful. Amen.
Topic: Movie Review (The Shack)
Lecturer’s Name: Kehinde Adelami
Date Delivered: 6th of April, 2022.
Beautiful collation, God bless you.