God as a big black woman

[Nessa]

As for the imagery:

The lead character created, in his mind, an image of God that was NOT what God is, an image that allowed him to have many issues with God ( sound familiar?) and so God introduced Himself in a way that made sure that all his preconceived notions that he had that were keeping him from God, simply did not work.

EX: He had issues with his father and made God out to be the embodiment of all those paternal, patriarchal issues so God appeared to him in the most opposite and inoffensive image possible, contrary to the image that he had created and projected God to be.

In the end, when his issues were resolved, God presented Himself to Mack as The Father that He was, that He needed to be for Mack so do the most painful and insurmountable task that MACK HAD to do and God was with him during it all as The Father.

If someone has a good loving christian father they are truly blessed.

I will guess most of us dont and alot have MANY issues with males and dads. But I dont need God to appear to me as a black woman to get my attention. Hes big enough to get through to me by showing me who he really is. A good father. One myself never had. So even though my issues runneth over, I wouldnt want God to ultimately show me something just to make him seem more acceptable to me. I would rather have the truth and battle with it.

God often in the bible does not present himself as the type of God people asked for and that leads to many complaints. God doesnt have to hide behind a more appealing person in order to make us see he is good.

[Nessa]

I am reminded of the lion witch and wardrobe where lucy asks the beaver about the lion.

The beaver said he is not safe but he is good.

We need to be challenged to accept the truth about God even if we find it hard to accept.

We meet God on his terms. Not ours.

[PaulSacramento]

what meme is this

It's not a meme. It's "Shack God".

That is the wrong actress by the way.
Yes, I said actress.

[PaulSacramento]

I am reminded of the lion witch and wardrobe where lucy asks the beaver about the lion.

The beaver said he is not safe but he is good.

We need to be challenged to accept the truth about God even if we find it hard to accept.

We meet God on his terms. Not ours.

Yes, we meet God on His terms BUT God has shown that He is willing to meet us on Ours also.
Why do you think God became Man in Jesus?
Why do you think He appeared to Abe and others in human form?

[PaulSacramento]

Nessa, I am glad YOU don't need God to "appear" to you in an unconventional manner ( whatever that may mean).
Then again, the book isn't about YOU or ME, is it?

[PaulSacramento]

Out of couriosity, is the issue that God appears as a Woman or Black or a Black Woman?

[RickD]

Out of couriosity, is the issue that God appears as a Woman or Black or a Black Woman?

Nessa is sexist. She clearly hates women.

Since she's so intelligent, I think Nessa forgets she's a woman sometimes.

[PaulSacramento]

My first gut reaction was that making God a woman was catering to feminists and making God black was catering to racial tensions.

[Kurieuo]

Out of couriosity, is the issue that God appears as a Woman or Black or a Black Woman?

I hate all stories where Jesus re-appears as anyone e.g., the Joshua movie or like. Especially considering there are many cults built around such a premise, it's just not good to encourage. And indeed, if one understands their Christian theology such is even heretical in/of itself (though I'll refrain from burning anyone at the stake for it).

There's no reason for Jesus to return, He did His work, and the next time He returns it'll be to wrap everything up. It ignores the prophecies, which Christ fulfilled. It ignores the purpose of Christ coming in the first place, which wasn't to shower love upon us, but rather to atone for us. So then, this movie doesn't appeal to me in the slightest, though I'll watch since it seems to polarise Christians.

I'm curious though, you say it was a reason you became Christian. How, or what about it exactly made you become Christian? I'm think you were more already on your way, and doubt there's any one reason one comes to Christ. Rather, it may have been the final "straw" that broke you so-to-speak. But, nonetheless, interested to know.

[PaulSacramento]

Out of couriosity, is the issue that God appears as a Woman or Black or a Black Woman?

I hate all stories where Jesus re-appears as anyone e.g., the Joshua movie or like. Especially considering there are many cults built around such a premise, it's just not good to encourage. And indeed, if one understands their Christian theology such is even heretical in/of itself (though I'll refrain from burning anyone at the stake for it).

There's no reason for Jesus to return, He did His work, and the next time He returns it'll be to wrap everything up. It ignores the prophecies, which Christ fulfilled. It ignores the purpose of Christ coming in the first place, which wasn't to shower love upon us, but rather to atone for us. So then, this movie doesn't appeal to me in the slightest, though I'll watch since it seems to polarise Christians.

I'm curious though, you say it was a reason you became Christian. How, or what about it exactly made you become Christian? I'm think you were more already on your way, and doubt there's any one reason one comes to Christ. Rather, it may have been the final "straw" that broke you so-to-speak. But, nonetheless, interested to know.

This book/movie is NOT about Jesus' return.

I was brought up RC but never really was, though I believe din God and Jesus.
I became agnostic ( atheism was too much of a leap for me since it didn't seem reasonable to make an absolute statement about something that couldn't be proved) and one of the main reasons was the problem of evil and suffering with an All Good God.
My mother and sister ( and eventually father) becoming JW's forced me to evaluate my faith and it was the start of my journey to find my true belief system.
The Shack was instrumental and helping me OPEN myself to a relationship with Christ, it helped me to fully understand that, THAT is what God wants, a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with Him, though His Son via the HS.
It was because of The Shack that I had a personal revelation that lead me to reconcile with Christ and motivated me to "escape" the JW influence, to find this board and to go to Trinity College here and get my degree in theological studies.
To this day, I still get emotional about when I found Christ and realized He has always been there, How He had strengthened Me, How much He loves me.
It was that strength and love that allowed me to deal with my dad's illness ( ALS, which he died from 3 years ago in April)

The Shack holds a special, emotional, place in my heart and in my wife's too (She was always more devote than I was and it was at her behest that I read it and I love her all the more for it).

[Nessa]

I am reminded of the lion witch and wardrobe where lucy asks the beaver about the lion.

The beaver said he is not safe but he is good.

We need to be challenged to accept the truth about God even if we find it hard to accept.

We meet God on his terms. Not ours.

Yes, we meet God on His terms BUT God has shown that He is willing to meet us on Ours also.
Why do you think God became Man in Jesus?
Why do you think He appeared to Abe and others in human form?

I dont think God becoming a man is purely just because God wanted to meet us on our terms as such.

[PaulSacramento]

I am reminded of the lion witch and wardrobe where lucy asks the beaver about the lion.

The beaver said he is not safe but he is good.

We need to be challenged to accept the truth about God even if we find it hard to accept.

We meet God on his terms. Not ours.

Yes, we meet God on His terms BUT God has shown that He is willing to meet us on Ours also.
Why do you think God became Man in Jesus?
Why do you think He appeared to Abe and others in human form?

I dont think God becoming a man is purely just because God wanted to meet us on our terms as such.

No, not just that, God wanted us to understand, on our terms, that He knows what we go through because He went through it too.
But why do YOU think he did?

[Hortator]

God was black wayyy back in "Bruce Almighty" (2002) portrayed by Morgan Freeman, and he NAILED that role. I think the only thing I could quibble with this depiction of God is that God is male, not female. Other than gender, there really is no way of knowing what he looks like. God could be blue on one half, and red on the other half of His body, and every guess is equally as likely to be true.

Also I really want to check out this movie now

[Nessa]

Out of couriosity, is the issue that God appears as a Woman or Black or a Black Woman?

I hate all stories where Jesus re-appears as anyone e.g., the Joshua movie or like. Especially considering there are many cults built around such a premise, it's just not good to encourage. And indeed, if one understands their Christian theology such is even heretical in/of itself (though I'll refrain from burning anyone at the stake for it).

There's no reason for Jesus to return, He did His work, and the next time He returns it'll be to wrap everything up. It ignores the prophecies, which Christ fulfilled. It ignores the purpose of Christ coming in the first place, which wasn't to shower love upon us, but rather to atone for us. So then, this movie doesn't appeal to me in the slightest, though I'll watch since it seems to polarise Christians.

I'm curious though, you say it was a reason you became Christian. How, or what about it exactly made you become Christian? I'm think you were more already on your way, and doubt there's any one reason one comes to Christ. Rather, it may have been the final "straw" that broke you so-to-speak. But, nonetheless, interested to know.

I talked about the movie Joshua recently with someone. I agree with you about the movie but there is one scene I think has value.

There is a woman who gets confused and tries to kiss him. Of course he was 'Jesus' so he knew it was coming... so he side stepped it.

Jesus was a man and Im sure there were women who were attracted to him sexually. And because he was a man he would have been attracted to some as well.

Theres other movies like 'the past temptation' that evily try to put this part of Jesus forth.

[RickD]

God was black wayyy back in "Bruce Almighty" (2002) portrayed by Morgan Freeman, and he NAILED that role. I think the only thing I could quibble with this depiction of God is that God is male, not female. Other than gender, there really is no way of knowing what he looks like. God could be blue on one half, and red on the other half of His body, and every guess is equally as likely to be true.

Also I really want to check out this movie now

God is male?!?!?!?

We're talking about God the Father, not Jesus Christ.