Lost

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.