“Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet you believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1: 3-9)
My friend Judy asked me last week, “Now that the 50 Days of Easter are over, what are you gonna write about?” At the time I thought to myself, “Self... There’s always something to write about when you start with the Scripture, right?” Well, 50+ days after Easter, and Pentecost behind us, that “something” is a TV show! ABC Television’s LOST concluded its six year series Sunday night, and brought to a close the best Pentecost weekend I ever had.
As the Easter Season concluded Sunday with the fiery crescendo of the coming of the Holy Spirit, I also celebrated the 18th Anniversary of my marriage to Karen, the amazing soul mate sent to me by God to show me how to serve, love and be loved! These two events in and of themselves were enough to make this particular Pentecost a memorable one, for never have the two celebrations coincided on the same day and time. That a TV show would somehow bring the significance of this parallel to light, was the icing on this spiritual cake.
LOST is a story of destiny, redemption, and ever-lasting life (I read that on the Miami Herald Blog Site). I have watched LOST for only three of its six seasons on the air. I loved the grip it had on me for that one hour a week. I loved that my sister and I would try and talk on the phone about what those episodes meant, and where the story was going next. I loved that my children watched with me, and shared in the curiosity of “smoke monsters” and “time bouncing”. I loved that Sunday’s series finale touched on every special element of the Faith I profess; and combined them all into one awesome ball of light!
Most blogs are attempting to explain the series. I simply want to touch on a few of the themes that were most special to me: The Plane Crash & the Island, L.A. (Purgatory), Destiny, Redemption, Relationships and Everlasting Life!
The Plane Crash & the Island: If you believe what I’ve been blogging about this year, then you know I’m gonna highlight the “Life is a Journey” theme right off the bat. In this particular case, not only is life a journey, but sometimes on “The Way”, you have to endure the detours! I believe that the most necessary theme of LOST is that as we “fly along” through life, taking for granted the very miracle (of flight) that attempts to take us from point A to point B, we should be ready for the “crash”! If we’re lucky enough to survive, then we just might find ourselves in a place that tests us, and forces us to deal with the real issues of our lives! I would argue that the Island is a real place, and the challenges that befall us while on the Island are the necessary hurdles in life that only make us stronger! The other important element has to be that WE need to care for the Island. This is not an environmental slant, it is something the WE all must do... WE must take care of this life of OURS, and share in the duties of being protectors of life.
L.A. (Purgatory): At the end of a long and happy life, we are all promised an eternity with God in heaven. That promise is a tad more conditional than the unconditional love that God has for us. God’s love is for everyone, but the attempt to live a good life is based on a series of choices, that frankly are sometimes very hard to make. The show’s bounce through time was a unique feature that kept the viewer thinking and wondering, and even stretching those boundaries of the conditions of “life after life”. My Faith attempts to explain a place or time that is dedicated to the “What if...” factor of reaching the limit of the condition. Purgatory continues to get a bum wrap in the realm of theology. The show seems to label Los Angeles as this purgatorial place, where our characters can work through some new solutions to some lifelong challenges. In faith circles, some see Purgatory as a cop out, in that if you can’t live a good and moral life on earth, then you deserve the “damning fires of Hell”... This life, here on Earth, is the testing ground! Once its over, thats it! Others, including my Faith, see a place outside of the limits of our understanding of time and space, where God, in His infinite patience, provides us with second, and third, and as many chances as we choose to take to figure it all out. My Faith does not try to define the activity that occurs in Purgatory, they just settle on a theological concept of a “purging fire” (see 1 Corinthians 3: 12-15), that is a fire that purifies oneself, dealing with the unresolved challenged faced in this life. I would argue that in the show’s “Sideways Universe”, the characters of LOST are given another chance to get it right, and improve upon the mistakes made. This is offered to them, not as punishment, but as a chance to achieve enlightenment, and a full understanding of their primary purpose as a child of God!
Destiny: Hollywood loves the concept of “destiny”! Its almost TV and film’s attempt at having its own accepted religion. There’s no talk of a god, or a spirit, or even a prophet; its just an understanding that we all are destined for something, and someone. My Faith does not teach that God orchestrates some Master Plan that is pre-determined to succeed. It believes solely in a person’s free will to choose. That choice is what makes the next set of choices necessary, and so on. Are we destined to be together with that special someone out there? Are we destined for greatness, and being remembered as a “the best guy ever”? Maybe, but if we live this life, and we deal with those “crashes” and “island adventures”, and we make the best choices we can, with a goal of achieving greatness, then our destiny is secure!
Redemption: Now this is a familiar Christian theme that probably stuck out to me as I watched LOST because the theme is so familiar. My Faith is one that is based upon salvation, and the idea that despite my flawed humanness, I am not only loved by God, but am offered a place with Him forever! To be redeemed is different that getting another chance to fix things. Redemption is given, and in this case it is given to all. But don’t lose sight of the fact that it is GIVEN, to us and not always deserved. My Faith states a phrase in its weekly Mass that says, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you; but only say the word and I shall be healed!” The show’s characters are all flawed, and they come from different walks of life, and from many cultures. Our equality as human beings is often celebrated for its common potential, and the fact that we can all achieve greatness, no matter the color of our skin. But its only fair that it also be recognized that we humans, no matter where we live, are equal in our propensity to make mistakes. Therefore, we all need redemption. The happy ending of the LOST television series is not a rescue, but a sincere understanding of redemption, and a willing acceptance of its rewards!
Relationships: I guess the appropriate phrase here would be that “no man is an island!” The quotable quote from the commercial, begging us to watch the finale was from the hero Jack Shepherd as he said to the survivors back in the first episode of the first season, “We’ll live together, or we’ll die alone!” The TV show’s characters, and our real lives for that matter, are rooted in real relationships. This concept of dependency on the will of the “other guy” is definitely a common theme of my own writings and podcasts. Fifty percent of who I am, is who you need me to be, and who I am must be dedicated to serving you. The most touching element of the LOST story had to be the evolving relationships, and the culmination of the themes of love and destiny, promising that we’ll always be together. (Yep, that’s also the theme of the closing song of the hit broadway show Grease as well!) But also notice that the show combines its concepts of enlightenment and relationships as being hand in hand. Relationships lead to enlightenment. My Faith seems to fall back on this concept as it invites folks into a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ”, promising that with that relationship, one can become truly enlightened! So it must be said that WE also need one another as well, for our relationships should attempt to be an example of the one true relationship with God. We are called to support, and be patient, and walk with our friends and soul mates forever! The significance of LOST’s final scene is that all of the “friends” from the Island (life), the people who truly mattered to one another, are waiting for one another to continue the journey into the next step! This sounds amazingly similar to another element of my Faith... We’ll all be in a place where “the communion of saints celebrate at the Lord’s banquet table!”
Everlasting Life: And thus “The End”, the title of the last episode of LOST, is the beginning of another amazing journey into the light of eternity! The girls in the schol carpool this morning thought that it would be great if I could write a TV show to follow LOST, and call it “FOUND”! Fortunately, that concept has already been written, and unfortunately I will never get rich writing such a show. But to no one’s surprise, that is the way the show ended it’s six year TV journey. That which was LOST is now FOUND!
“But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.” (Luke 15: 32)
Just one more thought: Thanks LOST for bring my Faith to the TV screen, and thanks for recognizing this journey that we all must walk together. Now, I’m off to a funeral to share grief, and to celebrate life, for one day we shall all see the face of God and live! (Genesis 32: 30)
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