"The Shack" is a suspense thriller that takes a tragic turn.
Author Paul Young says his relationship with God, transformed his own personal shack into a book that is touching hearts around the world.
"The pain in the book is real the conversation is real."
"The Shack" is not just a title. It's Paul Young's fictional account of the real healing he received for the hard facts of his life: a mixed up missionary kid, sexually abused as a boy, whose exposed adultry brought a life of lies to the surface.
"When your façade comes down all you get is the shack..the shame."
Young says "the shack" is a metaphor for the heart and just like the hundreds who gathered at Mountaintop Community Church people around the world are connecting with the heart he shares in his book.
The "New York Times" best seller is topping charts around the world with seven million copies in print:
"It's a God thing... there is no way... I've got atheist agnostic publishing companies saying it's a God thing, cause they have no other way to explain it."
"Young travels the world telling people in a sometimes humorous way not to live from the outside in, but the inside out."
The message in "The Shack" hasn't come without it's controversy… Some orthodox Christians have called it heresy.
One book store even pulled it from the shelves only to return it and sell it with a disclaimer.
Young does address those claims with his audience:
"Here's my take. I think it's Jesus stirring it up. I think he's still trying to heal people on the sabbath"
Clayton Davie says he was one of the skeptics. "It was inconsistent with imprinted views on who God and who the holy trinity and how all that worked... so I was skeptical and when I started really looking at it"
Clayton and his wife Rhonda are responsible for bringing Paul Young to Birmingham. They have taught two bible studies examining the message in "The Shack."
Rhonda Lynn-Davie says, "We've just invited everyone who was interested in reading the book and who has not read the book to see that God is a forgiving God and a loving God."
As for how "The Shack" is putting his faith in action, Paul Young says he was simply writing a book to share with his children about his relationship with God and God blessed it to share with so many others.
"It's like god has said I'll bless this. you want to be a part of this. you give it to your children and i'll give it to mine."
Will "The Shack" become a movie. Paul says he's waiting to see if it's God's will.
