Question 1
Religious beliefs help individuals to adapt easily to challenges such as trauma. Most individuals who cope with positive spiritual beliefs end up with reduced depression, grief, anger, sorrow, and related psychiatric symptoms. Spiritual and religious belief leads to a sense of finding purpose in times of trauma. The majority of individuals who experience grief, sorrow, and pain tend to lose hope in everything. One example is when an individual suffers in hospital from a prevalent chronic illness and keeps wondering why they deserve that. Some feel betrayed by God for so long, especially when the disease worsens (Pargament & Exline, 2021). The majority of individuals, such as Mack, who choose religious and spiritual belief in times of sorrow, and grief gains a sense of purpose in everything. Some feel like their current challenge serves as a test for their faith in God. Many start learning life's lessons as a believer, such as the test of faith.
Besides, strong religious belief leads to an individual's trauma healing by focusing on what is meaningful in life. Mack learned almost lost everything and gave to everything he knew due to his daughter's death. His interaction with Papa, Sarayu, and Jesus led him to understand the importance of forgiveness, love and living happily even in times of trauma. Mack starts asking more about spiritual life and the ways to live in faith. Additionally, spiritual beliefs help individuals to heal from trauma by focusing less on trauma causes. Mack focuses on finding his daughter's killer to reconcile to allow both of them to live happily and spiritually.
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Question 2
Mack takes his three children to Wallowa Lake at Joseph, Oregon. At the Multnomah Falls, two of his children fell in water due to the flipping of the canoe. They both are rescued, but Mack realizes that Missy, the youngest, is missing in the shade on the way back. Mack denies the fact that Missy, whom he left safe in the shade, is missing. Mack later finds out that a serial killer kills Missy. He grieves with much anger, blames and hoping that the same pain he experiences needs to be felt by Missy's killer. He hopes for brutal punishment for Missy's killer. Mack blames Papa for not saving his daughter. Mack socks in tears, sorrow, sadness, which results in depression. He questions every possibility as to why his daughter. His lack of hope and faith increases, with more doubts about how God's way of doing things fails to save his daughter. While in depression, Mack slowly accepts the reality that his little girl Missy is gone forever. He is helped to recover by Papa, God, Jesus, and Sarayu the Spirit. He exhausts all doubts to them and manages to move on in the end with much joy. He heals to the extent of longing to meet Missy's killer to forgive him.
At the beginning of the book, Mack is a partial believer in God compared to his wife, Nana. Nana has more spiritual faith in God and lives a godly life. The event of Missy's death in the middle leads to Mack's loss of hope in God. He questions God all sorts of questions as to why his little daughter suffers in the hands of the killer. Mack's spiritual doubt in times of depression occurs in many people, especially when losing someone close. Many people experience prolonged depression, such as Mack, which calls for spiritual counseling. Mack manages to move on better than in the beginning after being saved by Papa, Sarayu, and Jesus. In the end, many people find a way to move on and face life's reality and avoid putting so much blame on others.
Question 3
"Jesus?" he whispered as his voice choked "I feel so lost" A hand reached out and squeezed his, and didn't let go. "I know Mack. But it's not true. I am with you and I'm not lost. I'm sorry it feels that way, but hear me clearly. You are not lost." (Jesus to Mack p. 46)
The conversation between Mack and Jesus reveals the challenges humans experience every day due to life circumstances such as excessive depression, stress, and grief. While growing, I lost my closest aunt, who used to be more caring, supportive, loving, and playful. Mack's conversation with Jesus brings out the topic when most individuals feel lost due to a recent brutal event that led to depression or life's meaning. For instance, I believe Mack felt lost due to the loss of his daughter. Grief is the strongest emotional breakdown, leading to a loss of sense of spiritual direction (Young, 2008).
"I've been talking to you for a long time, but today was the first time you could hear it, and all those other times weren't a waste either. Like little cracks in the wall, one at a time but woven together, they prepared you for today. You have to prepare the soil if you want it to embrace the seed." (Jesus to Mack p. 178)
For several days, I have felt like God is talking to me to do something, something of help to another person. I kept thinking of praying for a person who feels lost, who needs spiritual healing and support. The conversation between Jesus and Mack reminded me of when I prayed for my younger siblings, my younger sister, and my brother, who fought all the time. The situation was out of control, and they spent almost every day crying from the cruelty of the other. I felt so trapped in their battle, and that is when I called them and prayed for them. I felt like Jesus used me to solve something in our family. I know I believe life is full of blessings and free from sorrow due to God's presence with me since I was young.
"We are not three gods, and we are not talking about one God with three attitudes, like a man who is a husband, father, and worker. I am one God and I am three persons, and each of the three is fully and entirely the one." (Papa to Mack p. 103)
Papa's conversation with Mack reveals the continued doubts among humans who need more respect than the other in the holy trinity. Sometimes, several churches encourage believers to have more belief in God the Father than the son. Indeed, Papa's exploration has led to my understanding of how we need to respect God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit equally without a doubt. The book led to relief in my long-term doubts on which three I need to worship more than the other. The conversation led to the realization that all need to be prayed to and that healing comes from both. The book has spiritual teachings about our doubts, worries, and the need for answers from God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Truly, humans have the right to feel lost and converse to God to give us direction on what to do in times of our emotional breakdown.
Question 4
Mack returns home full of joy, love, and healing from all the life's huddles he ever experienced. His stay at the Shack leads him to meet Papa, Sarayu, and Jesus, who helped him heal from grief. Mack blamed everything in the beginning, he lost belief, and he doubted the existence of God, unlike his wife, Nana, who had a strong faith in God. Mack feels so much joy, which almost leads to his death in the automobile accident. He later helps the police to discover Missy's body, resulting in the arrest of the offender. In the beginning, Mack wishes that Missy's killer needs to experience the pain he had caused Mack and his family. His interaction with Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu leads Mack to forgive the serial killer by making several attempts to visit Missy's killer in jail to forgive him. Mack feels joy in the end compared to the beginning of his weekend's vacation despite losing Missy.
Mack's experience relates greatly to events that many humans experience in their daily encounters. Often, people feel like there is a lack of hope for spiritual saving and a breakthrough in times of sorrow and grief. Many individuals feel betrayed by God for the death or accident of their loved ones and friends. Individuals subjected to such emotions need spiritual healing and slowly know God who heals our sorrows and pain. Some people lose jobs, others are victims of assaults, but each walks through the depression, grief, and stress alone until they fully recover. One experience I ever had was when I was growing up, I had fallen while playing soccer, which led to breaking my leg. I was told that my soccer career was over, and that was what I loved. I healed and prayed to God to help me play again someday. God listened to my cry, and today I can run and play soccer with my friends and family like in the past. I believe each person has that brutal experience which leads to increased doubt and hope for that healing. Well, it always does, especially when paying attention to every detail, such as losing a job and being hired by another employer.
References
Pargament, K. I., & Exline, J. J. (2021). Religious and spiritual struggles and mental health: Implications for clinical practice. In Spirituality and mental health across cultures . Oxford University Press.
Young, W. P. (2008). The Shack: THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER . Hachette UK.
