The Shack by William Paul Young
Week 9: Chapter 9 — A Long Time Ago, in a Garden Far, Far Away
Read Chapter 9 of The Shack. Key background text: Genesis 3.
Previewing Week 9 of The Shack
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 20-week guide when you’re ready.
Sarayu takes Mack to tend her garden — a chaotic, wild, and breathtaking place — and the conversation turns to independence, the Fall, and what went wrong in the Garden of Eden.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Sarayu's garden appears wild, tangled, and messy at first glance — but is revealed to be a complex, intentional design of breathtaking beauty. What does this image say about how God views the apparent chaos of our lives and world?
2.Sarayu explains that the fractal patterns of the garden are mirrored in Mack's own soul — that his inner life has the same wild, designed beauty. How does it change your self-perception to think of your soul as something God finds beautiful, even in its mess?
3.Young, through Sarayu, traces the root of human sin to a desire for independence — the wish to determine good and evil for ourselves, apart from relationship with God. How does this differ from thinking of sin primarily as a list of bad behaviors? Which definition feels more accurate to your experience?