Summary
Chapter 10: Wade in the Water
Mack finds Jesus in his workshop sanding a small casket. Jesus hints that today is a big day for Mack, and that there will be something important happening the next day as well. Jesus tells Mack that they are going to see something on the other side of the lake, and they head straight for the dock. To Mack's surprise, Jesus leads him to the very end of the dock and motions for Mack to walk directly off the edge; with some prodding, Jesus teaches Mack to walk on the water by talking to him about how to use his trust in God to face fears about the future. They walk across the lake holding their socks, shoes, and lunch.
Once they reach the other side they stop to eat and talk. They continue the conversations Mack has been having with Papa and Sarayu about humans' actions not being those God intended, and how this has led to strife. Specifically, Jesus teaches Mack about how relationships include submission, which is why Papa, Sarayu, and Jesus are all submitted to one another and to humans in various ways. They also discuss the ways men and women find fulfillment in different things, perhaps making it easier for Nan to have a strong relationship with God, and for women as a whole to be historically overpowered by men. Jesus explains that in the Garden of Eden, woman came from man purposefully so that man could learn to be in a "circle of relationship" (150). Their conversation ends with Jesus hinting that Nan could have been with them at the shack and reminding Mack that the only way to submit is to let God live inside him, rather than by trying to emulate Jesus. Jesus then directs Mack to follow a path into the woods alone.
Chapter 11: Here Come da Judge
Mack follows the path until he reaches a rock face. He knows he must be meant to enter somehow, so he puts his hand out and realizes he is able to pass through the rock. Inside, it is pitch black, but he keeps moving forward. Soon, he gets used to the dark and sees a small amount of light ahead of him. He reaches a large cavern and discovers a wooden chair and table. He sits in the chair and finally notices a Hispanic woman sitting across from him. Mack is struck and even intimidated by her beauty. The woman does not introduce herself, but begins to delve deeply into Mack's thoughts and beliefs, asking about his love for his children. She asks which of his children he loves the most, pushing him to understand how God can love every human, even those who sin and turn against God. She tells Mack that he is "here for judgment" (159), but reveals that she does not mean he is being judged; rather, Mack will be playing God by judging other humans. Though Mack protests, the woman reminds him that he has long felt able to judge people he comes into contact with based on his subjective ideas of good and evil. Finally, she tells Mack his ultimate challenge: to choose two of his children to go to heaven. Mack refuses repeatedly to do so, and falls to the floor begging to go to Hell in the place of his children. At this, the woman congratulates Mack for experiencing how Jesus and Papa love all people.
The mention of Papa makes Mack angry again, since he still doesn't understand how God could have loved Missy and let her die. The woman reminds Mack again that Papa did not cause Missy to die, but that she gives humans full autonomy, even when it causes her pain. The woman encourages Mack once again to give up judging others, especially God, and live a life of trust. Mack replies that he wants to trust Papa, but that he will need help.
Suddenly, Mack hears the sound of children laughing. When he looks at the wall, mist moves out of the way so that he can see his children, including Missy, playing in a meadow. Mack screams Missy's name repeatedly and tries to reach her, but he is held back by an invisible force. Missy approaches, and the woman informs Mack that though Missy cannot see or hear him, she can sense his presence. Mack realizes that Missy is okay in the afterlife. He sadly wonders aloud whether Missy has forgiven him for failing her, and the woman assures him that there is nothing to forgive. As Mack watches through the mist, Jesus enters the meadow and starts to play with the children. Mack's ability to see through the waterfall into the meadow vanishes abruptly, and the woman instructs him to leave the cave.
Chapter 12: In the Belly of the Beasts
Mack makes his way out of the forest and finds Jesus still in the meadow, though Mack's children are gone. Jesus reveals to Mack that the person he just met was Sophia, "a personification of Papa's wisdom" (173). Mack also finds out that though he felt as though he spent a long time with Sophia, only fifteen minutes passed, leading him to wonder about how time has progressed while he has been at the shack. Mack tells Jesus that he is still bothered by the idea of Missy alone in the Little Ladykiller's car, and Jesus assures him that she knew God was with her. Mack weeps without embarrassment on Jesus's shoulder.
When Mack has finished crying, he walks to the lake. He tries to walk on the water, but when he takes a step he gets wet up to his ankles as he usually would. Then, Jesus joins him and he is able to walk on water across the lake again. As they walk, they discuss why people keep their feelings and fears bottled inside. Jesus shouts when he sees a fish he has been trying to catch for a long time, which strikes Mack as humorous and poignant. Mack asks Jesus why he didn't talk to him about Missy earlier, and Jesus responds that he had been talking to Mack, but it took a long time for Mack to be able to hear him. Mack then asks whether what he saw through the waterfall was heaven, and Jesus responds that heaven is not like Mack imagines it. Jesus lies down on the dock and describes heaven, saying there is a river, fruit trees, people living peacefully together. Jesus describes this as his "bride, the church" (179), and when Mack responds that what Jesus is describing doesn't sound like the churches he has been to, Jesus criticizes the modern institution of church. Jesus reminds Mack that religion is simply about relationship, not about structure or certain behaviors. Since Jesus sees that Mack is still struggling, he compares the trust required to be in relationship with God to the trust necessary to relax one's body when being saved from drowning.
As they put on their shoes and head back to the shack, Jesus encourages Mack to take small steps to trust God and live outside of systems of power. Jesus stops when they get to his workshop, and he tells Mack two final things: that he has followers from all walks of life, including all religions, and that Papa was the one who had the idea to let Mack see Missy. Upon hearing this, Mack decides to find Papa.
Analysis
Chapter 10 is titled Wade in the Water. Along with the epigraphs, the chapter names Young used throughout The Shack carry connotations and references. Wade in the Water is a Negro spiritual from the 19th century that contains lyrics pertaining to both Old and New Testaments, and that gives hope for escape and salvation. Since there is little reference to race or slavery in Chapter 10, the connection is likely more literal; in the chapter, Jesus shows Mack how to walk on water by trusting in him. The epigraph of the chapter also concerns water, reading, "New world—big horizon/Open your eyes and see it's true/New world—across the frightening/Waves of blue" (141). These are lyrics to the song New World by David Wilcox, a rock artist from the 1990s. Placed together, the allusions to these two songs speak to the importance of water as a motif across time, symbolizing truth and new beginnings.
Chapters 11 and 12 are the only chapters in The Shack that begin with two epigraphs. These epigraphs can be analyzed for their connections to the chapters they pertain to, but also analyzed in reference to one another. Chapter 11, Here Come Da Judge, begins with a quote from Albert Einstein, "Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the Gods" (153). This quote warns readers not to judge, and The Shack warns the same throughout the text, especially cautioning readers against judgement of others' actions and beliefs. The second epigraph is from a T.S. Eliot poem and reads, "Oh my soul...be prepared for him who knows how to ask questions" (151). In the poem, called "The Choruses from the Rock," Eliot actually calls this person who "knows how to ask questions" the Stranger, and scholars and theologians have long debated who or what exactly the Stranger is meant to represent. Young chose to remove the reference to the Stranger, and the content of Chapter 11 implies that Young sees God as the person who knows how to ask questions, since Sophia, who Mack meets in the chapter, represents God's wisdom. When read together, the epigraphs alert the reader that this chapter will be about God asking and answering questions that humans are not powerful or objective enough to confront on their own.
The first epigraph of Chapter 12 was written by Blaise Pascal, a 17th century French scientist and theologian. The quote, which comes from the English translation of Pascal's Pensées, reads, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction" (172). While the English translation of this quote has been debated, with some arguing that Pascal actually intended the statement to refer to those with false principles of conscience, not religious convictions, Young's use of the quote is important. Similar to the epigraph of Chapter 5 written by Marilynne Robinson, this quote implies that not all actions or beliefs stemming from religion are good. In fact, believing oneself pious or chosen can lead to increased confidence and cheerfulness while doing harm to others. The second epigraph of Chapter 12 is the quote "Once abolish the God and government becomes the God" (172), written by G. K. Chesterton in Christendom in Dublin. Chesterton was an early 20th century writer and theologian. Using this quote at the beginning of the chapter underscores the importance of Jesus's criticisms of Christianity as an institution rather than a relationship later in the chapter. These two quotes contain similar morals about how people use religion to justify hierarchy and violence, perhaps forgoing the most important parts of religion in the process.
Gender is an important theme in these chapters, especially Chapter 10, Wade in the Water. Young reinforces the idea that there are innate differences between men and women, and extends this specifically with regard to religious practice. Jesus and Mack discuss why Nan, Mack's wife, has always found it easier to have a trusting, personal relationship with God. Jesus explains, "That's because, like most men, you find what you think of as fulfillment in your achievements, and Nan, like most women, finds it in relationships...The woman's turning was not to the works of her hands but to the man, and his response was to rule 'over' her, to take power over her" (148-9). This reinforces traditional ideas that men and women have differently designed minds, explaining why men have dominated throughout history. Jesus seems to argue that it is easier for women to be good Christians, which in The Shack means removing oneself from hierarchies of power and being in personal relationship with God.
The beginning of Chapter 12 marks a crucial shift in The Shack: the end of The Great Sadness, or depression, Mack had been experiencing since Missy's disappearance. On the first page of Chapter 12, as Mack returns from the cave where he met with Sophia, Mack thinks, "The Great Sadness was gone...Its absence felt off, perhaps even uncomfortable. For the past years it had defined for him what was normal, but now, unexpectedly, it had vanished. Normal is a myth, he thought to himself. The Great Sadness would not be part of his identity any longer. He knew now that Missy wouldn't care if he refused to put it on. In fact, she wouldn't want him to huddle in that shroud and would likely grieve for him if he did" (172). This quote, especially Mack's reflection on Missy's feelings, shows that most of what drove Mack's depression was feelings of guilt. Since he felt that he failed her as a father, he carried around guilt as a way of somehow making it up to her. His conversation with Sophia, and seeing Missy playing with Jesus, proved to him that Missy was not judging or blaming him for her death. Getting rid of this guilt tied to Mack's relationship with Missy allows Mack to confront even bigger problems, including his relationships with his own father and with Missy's killer, in the remaining chapters of the book.
