I don’t really write reviews - at least not well. So, consider this a discussion.

I finished reading The Shack by William P. Young a few days ago. It is a fictional account of a man (Mack) whose daughter is brutally murdered by a violent pedophile (not a spoiler, it’s on the back cover). But the real story begins when Mack encounters God in a very tangible form 3.5 years later. I was hesitant to read the book because I wasn’t sure I could handle reading about the abduction and murder of the little girl. But while it was indeed difficult, it was worth it.

The book has received a lot of attention from both fans and critics. Reviewers seem to either love it or hate it (tha’s when you know you’ve got something good). Trinitarians believe it is too modalist, while oneness believers find it way too trithiestic. It is certainly unconventional in it’s portrayals of the Father (a motherly black woman), the Son (an easygoing carpenter), and the Holy Ghost (a young Asian woman). But, I have to say that the story was a great blessing to me, and has had a major impact on how I view my relationship with God. It solidified some of the things that I have believed deep down for a long time, but couldn’t put into words.

When I first started reading, I wasn’t very impressed with the writing style - it just wasn’t really my thing. But I kept reading, and as I got further into it, I realized that the style seemed to work well for the content. The book touches on issues of pain, anger, evil and free will - and it doesn’t back down on any of them. You will almost certainly take issue with some of the doctrinal concepts in the book. I think nearly everyone does to some extent. But I encourage you to put down your theological microscope for a day or two, and view this book for what it is - one man’s daydream of what it would be like to confront God face-to-face. I personally didn’t take much issue with the doctrinal approach at all, and I was actually impressed with the attempt to stay true to The Bible - at least conceptually. But I do think it’s important to take it for what it is, and not get too hung up on the doctrine.

Do yourself a favor. Set aside a day or so (it’s a quick read), and see what you think.

I’m anxious. Much less so than I used to be, but I still struggle with anxiety. Thank God for leading me to a solution that minimizes my problem and suppposedly adjusts my brain chemistry. Those of you that dismiss the concept of restoring chemical imbalances through medication should talk to my wife. She can provide you with some before-and-after testimonials. I am aware that medication of this nature can easily be mis-prescribed or over-prescribed, but I do my best to be responsible about it.

A well-respected minister I know once said that SSRI-class (anxiety, depression) drugs are a form of witchcraft . That’s when I decided I didn’t respect him much anymore. Oh well. There are plenty of other ministers I like better anyway.

Anyway. Perspective.

I waste a lot of time because I lose perspective. My anxiety builds when an upcoming event or reaction that I don’t control looms in front of me. The control aspect is key. Some of the most common sources of anxiety don’t give me much of a problem. Speaking or performing in front of people doesn’t really bother me, for instance. My speech or performance is something I completely control, so I don’t sweat it. However, when a (usually human) variable that I can’t predict enters the equation, I worry obessively. How will this person react? Will their reaction put me in an embarrassing position? What if this person doesn’t act rationally? I am extremely sensitive to social dynamics. Events that disrupt normal social interaction are terrifying to me.

Needless to say, I have spent a lot of time worrying in my life. My dad once told me that I should always apply the “what’s the worst that can happen” test. I think about that a lot. So what if they react irrationally - what’s the worst that can happen? So you get fired, lose a friend, or make some stranger mad at you. Big deal. You can get a new job, make new friends, and there are certainly plenty of strangers out there. That was one of the best pieces of advice I ever received. But the thing is, even when I rationalize these things in my head, the anxiety persists. Less so now - due to the aforementioned supplements, but it persists nonetheless.

As much as I try, I can’t always gain perspective of my situation. This is a dangerous condition.

I think we as a church sometimes lose perspective as well. What does God really care about? What does he think of our quibbling over minor doctrinal or holiness intepretations? What does he think about the division amongst the church body. What does he think of our priorities in general?

God, help me step back and learn to recognize what is important — Oh, and by the way, thanks for the pills.

Is everything that occurs part of God’s master plan?

- Are children abused for a reason?
- Are women raped for a reason?
- Did 9/11 happen for a reason?

When you put it in these terms, it can certainly be difficult to accept.

Sure. Lose your job? Get in a wreck? Girlfriend break up with you? It’s quite common for someone, in their attempt to console you, to tell you “not to worry,” and that “everything happens for a reason.”

Certainly, it can be comforting to think that somewhere behind your pain, God had his hand in the whole situation and is, as we speak, preparing the ultimate result which will turn out to benefit someone - or further some plan that you did not foresee. And I believe that in many situations, that is the case. I do think that God’s eye is on us (as it is on the sparrow), and that he knows the outcomes of the decisions we make before we even make them. He sees the big picture that we don’t see, and what looks bad to you may have happened for a reason that either a) will benefit you or someone you love in the long run, or b) will further God’s kingdom.

On the other hand, you might wonder, “How could God do this to me?”

In recent years I have come to consider another theory as to why many things happen in this world. I didn’t make it up, by the way, just because I wish it were so. I didn’t fabricate the concept in order to make myself feel better about the evil in the world. On the contrary, there is much to support the idea I am about to describe. I will tell you right now that this belief can either be comforting or very scary depending on your mindset. Plus, it is widely considered heresy.

Imagine for a minute that God knows everything there is to know. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows the ultimate result. He is fully aware of every possible outcome of every decision that anyone might make, and he has the power to influence these decisions in unimaginable ways. But then imagine that God ultimately gives people true free will. Consider the possibility that he has given us the ability to change our outcomes and to make choices that he can not foresee. Does prayer really change things? Does God ever change his mind? I wholeheartedly believe “yes” to both of those questions.  Yet, if God knows conclusively every decision we will make (will I wear blue today? will I turn my air conditioner on 74 or 75?), do we truly have free will?

Opponents to this concept make this argument: Our having free will does not prevent God from knowing every decision we make and every finite detail of every future event. The fact that He knows does not limit our decision-making abilities.

That is the big question. Does God having exhaustive foreknowledge limit the free will of man?

Some say that logic dictates “yes”, while others say that you cannot conform God to our logic. I understand and acknowledge both points.

There is much debate on this topic within modern theology, but this concept is not new. It has been debated since the days of the early church. Many in today’s church are not aware that such an “open” view even exists. The Calvinist view that God does in fact have exhaustive foreknowledge is very predominant in churches today - to the point that any other view sounds completely foreign to us (or it did to me, anyway). I read a book by Greg Boyd (yep - there he is again) called God of the Possible that made a strong case (in my opinion) for a more open view.

Below are some interesting references I pulled from Wikipedia (”Open Theism” entry) that shows God making dynamic decisions based on the decisions of men/women. I trimmed the list down to hit the highlights.

1. God brought the animals before Adam to see what he would call them. (Gen 2:19)
2. God is uncertain whether they will eat of the Tree of Life after the fall. (Gen 3:22)
3. God repents that he made man. (Gen 6:6)
4. God is prevailed upon by Abraham over whether to spare Sodom. (Gen 18:23-33)
5. God is moved by the cries of injustice (Exo 2:23-25)
6. God agrees with Moses that a backup plan should be prepared. (Exo 4:1-9)
7. God promised those in the Exodus would reach the promise land, but they don’t. (Deut. 1:8; 1:34)
8. God tells Moses He will destroy Israel, but does not. (Exo 32:7-10; Deut 10:10)
9. God tells Moses He will not lead them, but He does (Exo 33:3-19)
10. God wants to destroy Israel again, but is talked out of it (Num 14:11-12)
11. God repents when his sets up people that lead others astray. (Deut. 32:36)
12. God promises to drive out the Canaanites, but doesn’t (Josh 3:10; Judg 2:1-3; Judg 3:1-7)
13. God changes His mind about establishing Eli and his sons forever. (1 Sam 2:30)
14. God repents over making Saul king. (1 Sam 15:10)
15. David believes God can change His mind. (2 Sam 12:21-23)
16. God’s mercy stopped the punishment from completing what He said. (2 Sam 24:16; 2 Chr 21:15)
17. God is full of compassion. (Ps 78:38-40)
18. God is limited by man’s decisions (Ps 78:41)
19. God desires new songs (Ps 33:3; Ps 96:1; Ps 98:1; Ps 144:9; Ps 149:1).
20. Heed my rebuke demands God, or else (Prov 1:22-27).
21. Solomon lists chance as a factor in life. (Ecc 9:11)
22. God tells Hezekiah that he will die, then adds years to his life. (2 Kings 20:1-6)
23. God declares the future, rather than knowing it. (Isa 46:9-11)
24. God predicted Israel would repent, but admits He was wrong. (Jer 3:7-10)
25. Ordaining the sacrificing of children never entered God’s mind (Jer 7:31; Jer 19:5; Jer 32:35)
26. God gets tired of repenting. (Jer 15:6)
27. God promises to repent of what He thought to destroy a repenting people. (Jer 18:7-8)
28. God promises to repent of what He says to promote a backslidden people. (Jer 18:9-10)
29. God is uncertain if the people will repent if they hear his message. (Jer 26:2-3)
30. God is uncertain if the people will repent from a written message. (Jer 36:2-3)
31. God does not willingly bring grief on men. (Lam 3:33)
32. God despises the fatalistic viewpoint. (Eze 18:2)
33. God becomes heartbroken. (Hosea 11:8-9)
34. God sends a drought to influence his people without success (Amos 4:6-11)
35. Nineveh repents and God refuses to fulfill His prophecy. (Jonah 3:10)
36. The will of men and the will of God need to coincide. (John 7:17)
37. Jesus is amazed at the unbelief of Israel. (Mark 6:6)
38. Jesus marveled at the belief of Gentiles (Luke 7:9)
39. They could have believed if Satan hadn’t interfered. (Luke 8:12)
40. Jesus teaches about chance meetings. (Luke 10:31)
41. Bad things happen without a reason. (Luke 13:2-5)
42. God wants to destroy Israel, but Jesus convinces God to wait-and-see. (Luke 13:6-9)
43. Woe! Men are responsible for their own actions. (Luke 17:1)
44. People can resist the Holy Spirit in their lives (Acts 7:51)
45. Love is more important to God than a prophecy. (1 Cor 13:1-13)
46. God changes His mind about keeping the Sabbaths. (Col 2:16)
47. God does not pick one person over another (Gal 2:6)
48. Temptation originates apart from God’s decree but from our own will. (James 1:13-15)
49. There is time in heaven. (Rev 8:1; Rev 6:10; Rev 22:2)

Many say that a concept such as Open Theism does much to limit God and undermine his authority. But supporters disagree. Imagine the might of a God that wants so much to have a relationship with us, that he gives us the ability to reject him. Think of how much more valuable a relationship is if you don’t know every decision the other person will make. Consider how much more prayer means if you know that God really changes his mind based on our petitions. Think of how much more our love might mean to Him knowing that we have the power to freely give it or withold it.

We are in a constant battle in this world. The principalities and powers do much to influence our actions. Our own wills and desires can cause us to do awful things. Is it all part of God’s master plan? Or do people simply make bad decisions that cause bad things? Free will is a two-way street. The same free will that allows people to have a relationship with God also allows people to fly planes into buildings, to abuse, to steal, and to murder.

This is a complex topic, and there’s a lot to it. If you are interested, check out the sites below for supporting and opposing reference materials.

http://www.opentheism.info/

http://www.carm.org/open.htm

http://www.rctr.org/open.htm

http://www.allaboutgod.com/open-theism.htm

I am saturated with information. I have everything at my fingertips. I want new music, I download it. I want to watch a movie, I stream it. I want to learn guitar, I download tabs. I want to learn new software, I download tutorials. I want to track my friends, I follow them on Twitter. I want to chat with them, I use Google Talk. Any viral video is available at any time. Everything I want to know about anything is on wikipedia. I check my Blackberry compulsively. I literally have no limitations. I can find, get, learn, anything. Anything.

It’s too much.

It is during these moments when I realize I can do anything, that I find myself wondering why I’m doing nothing. There are so many things I can be doing, that I need to be doing, and yet sometimes I can’t do anything. I’m bloated with possibilities. I’m stalled. Who would have thought even 20 years ago that the quest for knowledge could become so easy, so mundane and so overwhelming - so much so that it would lose it’s value.

God, with everything that I have available to me, it can be easy to de-prioritize Your role in my life. There will always be more material things that I can attain, and more personal goals that I can achieve. But don’t let me lose my place. Don’t let me lose my focus.

Saturation.