For those following, even sporadically, the TV series Lost over its 6 years of existence right up to its finale this week, when it almost dominated the airwaves as US channels released it early in an effort to win rival audiences, the end was surprisingly reconciliation not slaughter. It started well with flight Oceanic 815 crash-landing on a tropical island but neither the passengers nor the island were what they seemed. The island was inhabited by scientists and brigands. It had a labyrinth of underground passages and caverns that housed equipment which operated the islands electromagnetic system. The passengers on the flight were all interconnected. The relationships were not at first apparent but their earlier lives were unfolded in a series of flashbacks. To spice up the series flash-forwards were introduced and if that was not confusing enough, parallel episodes were shown where the characters were both on the island and back in their home country. To complete the intrigue the theme of death stalked the series since 2004. However there were random resurrections and in the later scenes distinctions were blurred as to who were dead and who were alive as both behaved in a similar fashion! Included in the mix was a satanic character who appeared as black smoke and was connected to a blazing inferno in the centre of the island. In order to overcome this evil, the hero Jack had to drink water from a stream which emanated from a bright shining light. The liquid made him “fireproof” and he was able to plug the opening, extinguish the fire, save the island and possibly all of humankind. If you are still with me you will appreciate the person who said the series should be re-named “Totally Lost”! The Authors of the tale claim to be Christians and the entire series can be thought of as a six-year meditation on how human beings approach death. There were plenty of burials on the beach but those who made it to the finale appeared to be reconciled at least to each other in a church type of building called “home”. God only came into the picture in the symbolism on the stained glass window, which showed Christian as well as occultist imagery. This was where Jack Shepherd’s father (now resurrected) helped his son to find his way “home”. Jack’s number was 23 hinting at Psalm 23 – the Shepherd psalm – but that was as good as it got! In the Bible death is the product of sin. It is not “natural” but an aberration resulting from the fall. To attempt to sanitise death is to ignore the work of Christ in dying for lost sinners. His salvation is God’s gift: – the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans Ch.6 verse 23. It’s the receiving of this gift that brings the sinner into God’s family: – to all who did receive him, (Jesus) who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. St John Ch.1 verse 12. It is through faith in Jesus that the lost are reconciled to God and to one another and are brought “home” to heaven.

57 “Summertime and the living is easy” as the words of the lullaby from the cotton plantations in the US goes. Well summertime has arrived and for the last 24hours we have experienced what for us is a heat-wave. “Fish are jumping and the cotton is high.” I haven’t heard if the mayfly have hatched but the grass is growing high. “Your daddy’s rich and your mamma’s good looking”. Nothing like some reassuring words to lull a baby to sleep – the reality may be somewhat different! “One of these mornings you’re gonna rise up singing, you spread your wings and take to the sky.” The future is beautiful from the perspective of the innocence of youth. “But until that morning there is nothing can harm you with your daddy and mommy standing by – they are standing by, I know, don’t cry.” Safe and secure in a parents love. It’s only a lullaby but it captures a lot of our dreams of a world where the harshness of reality often feels more like wintertime! The Bible promises us the seasons: – “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Genesis 8 verse 22) The writer of Ecclesiastes reckons there is a time for every human event or activity: –

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” And in his famous poem in Chapter 3 ranges widely over human activity. From the pen of Jeremiah we have his lament over the faithlessness of Judah: – “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” On the mission of Jesus to earth the Apostle Paul writes: – “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4 verse 4) Redemption completed! Security in God’s family – not in a lullaby but in real time. I am reminded of the words of the dying Highland crofter, who was asked concerning his salvation replied, “I thatched my roof in the summertime”! There is no better time to prepare than now. Trust Jesus.

Imagine a land where marriage ceased to be a picture of Jesus relationship with His church. Fidelity and permanency are gone. Where the legislators deny that God has spoken by enacting laws contrary to His word. The boundary stones have been removed and replaced by lawyers. A land where the new trinity of tolerance, equality and individual freedom have replaced the old communities where needs could be met by shared responsibility. You are looking at Ireland today. Imagine a land where the people never want to grow up, where their sexual relationships with both male and female are “open” meaning partners consent to each other having sex with other people. Where advocates of this type of “freedom” want to produce “varied, creative, and adaptive contours, including small group marriages”. You are looking at USA tomorrow – and Ireland the day after tomorrow. Recently a number of Evangelicals had a letter printed in the Irish Times describing the Biblical boundaries for sexual activity. The responses which the paper printed either ignored scripture or else mangled it. The Government are deaf to the plea for a conscience clause to be incorporated into the Civil Partnership Bill which is soon to be passed into law. Are we making too much of a fuss about this matter? What does the Bible say? The Bible tells it like it is. King David was an adulterer and King Solomon a womaniser. When we read the Bible we need to discern when the characters are sinning and when they are acting in obedience to God’s wishes. Kings were supposed to enact God’s laws and to govern in accordance with them. The majority of them failed and we read again and again that they “did evil in the sight of the Lord”. In Solomon’s case he was not punished because of God’s promise to David but after his death the kingdom was divided and 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel were lost. In the New Testament the sins which we are about to enshrine into law are embedded in lists but not singled out as being particularly heinous. The legalising of them will not affect the church but it will give a false sense of legitimacy to behaviour which God condemns. The speed with which change is taking place means that even at a sociological level there is not enough data to ring the alarm bells and by the time there is – it will be too late to reverse the engine. Apostasy, as in Solomon’s case, impacts the next generation. It’s the children who will inherit the fruit of disobedience. But there is a better way. It’s the way of Love, joy and peace with God. It’s the way of security for this life and the next. It comes not by trying but by trusting in the work of Jesus on the cross. None need join the “race to the bottom” by following the liberal agenda. It can never satisfy. It will always sell you short. Turn to your Maker, who has promised to all who do, to make you a new creation. (2 Corinthians Chapter 5 verse 17).

It’s not the first time a live microphone has caught an aside made by a celebrity when he or she thought it was switched off! Prime Minister Brown’s doorstep chat with Labour supporter Gillian Duffy appeared to go reasonably well, that is until Brown was being driven away in his ministerial car. In its relative seclusion he allowed himself to express his true feelings about the interview. He thought Gillian was a bad choice and wanted to know who had arranged it. He feared the media would show him in a bad light then unwittingly ensured that this would happen by calling her a “bigoted woman”! All of which was broadcast over the on-site loudspeakers. The journalists covering the event had their story handed to them on a plate. Brown had the tape of his off the record words played to him in the studio a short time later. This caused the ministerial car to make a second journey to Mrs Duffy’s house where the now contrite Prime Minister spent the next hour inside with Mrs Duffy. Unfortunately the microphone was not left on this time and we can only guess at the word games which ensued! What has the Bible to say about our words? Can those asides, those throw away lines, be of any consequence to God? It seems that they are because they reflect our thoughts more accurately than our more nuanced words. When the Pharisees tried to discredit Jesus ministry by saying he was a blasphemer he countered them with a severe warning; “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” St Matthew ch.12 verses 36/7. Careless words revealed the condition of the heart of the thief on the cross who despised Jesus. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” Fortunately for us the microphone was left on so to speak and we heard him being rebuked by the other thief who then cried out to Jesus. Notice he didn’t cry to the Priests at the foot of the cross though they had just heard his confession. He didn’t cry to the Apostle John though doubtless he recognised him. He didn’t cry to the Blessed Virgin Mary though she was present. He cried to the only one who was able to help. His words revealed his hearts desire and he put his faith in Jesus, the only one who could save him for all eternity. St Luke ch.23 verses 37/43. We don’t need to have a microphone around our neck to remind us that we are so like Brown. Heaven hears and when the accounts are given we will be like the crucified thieves. May God grant us the grace to place our faith in Jesus that we too, like the confessing thief, may be with Him in paradise.