On Wednesday, July 2008 a post, in the blog Herescope, connected the God, Elousia, in The Shack to the archetypal Black Madonna that is found around the globe. The post references an article by Matthew Fox: The Return of the Black Madonna: A Sign of Our Times or How the Black Madonna Is Shaking Us Up for the Twenty-First Century.
In his article, Fox describes the Madonna as being an archetype and claims she calls us to diversity a way that is unique and superior to Christiainty. William P. Young’s black, female, God in The Shack claims embrace diversity but seems to avoid the invitation to diversity within a scriptural understanding of what embracing diversity means.
The Black Madonna’s Diversity
According to Fox, the Black Madonna calls us to diversity. He says that without diversity there is no imagination, creativity, and divinity. He goes on to describe diversity as being “Diverse in color and diverse in traditions and diverse in gender. God as Mother, not just Father. God as Birther, not just Begetter. Gender diversity is honored by the Black Madonna and so too is gender preference. The Black Madonna, the Great Mother, is not homophobic. She welcomes the diversity of sexual preferences that are also part of creation.”
Diversity in The Shack
Young has Jesus proclaim that everyone is welcome when Jesus says “‘Those who love me come from every system that exists. They are Buddhists or Mormons, Baptist, or Muslims, and many who are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institution. Some are bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christians, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa.’ ‘Does that mean…that all roads will lead to you?’ ‘Not at all… Most roads don’t lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you’” (184).
Young doesn’t have Jesus go as far as Fox and say that a diversity of sexual preference is good. However, he does choose to manifest God the Father as a woman and he clearly indicates a strong inclination towards universalism. Merriam Webster defines universalism as “a: a theological doctrine that all human beings will eventually be saved b: the principles and practices of a liberal Christian denomination founded in the 18th century originally to uphold belief in universal salvation and now united with Unitarianism.”
A Diversity of Gentiles and Sinners
Christians should be more aware of Jesus call for diversity than anyone else. One of the most popular of all Bible verses John 3:16 is a bugle call for diversity “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Whosoever means anyone, it doesn’t limit who the hearer is. If the hearer hears and believes, he is saved.
Anyone who believes in Jesus will have eternal life. Nowhere in The Shack does Jesus issue his universal and diverse invitation. Nowhere does Young have Jesus say anyone can come to me and if they believe in me they will be accepted. Young’s Jesus says that all are welcome and that he will travel down any road they go down to reach them. However, He doesn’t extend the invitation for them to hear and believe. In the gospels when people came to Jesus, he accepted them and healed them. When they left, he asked them to do one thing “sin no more.” Jesus does not discriminate but he does ask that those who come to him deny themselves and their sin and follow him.
Young, William P. The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity. Windblown Media. 2007.
Read more about William P. Young and The Shack at Suite101.
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