There are few things that provide healthy detachment from the pressures and worries of my real world. One of these is a spending a limited time watching TV. Everyone needs to take a break from the realities of life. I have chosen to follow the TV series, LOST. I justify taking the time because it is only one hour a week.
LOST is about a group of people who are stranded on an island in the south pacific after a terrible plane crash. There are about 46 survivors who struggle against injury, illness, mistrust and an island that is full of scary things, like large creatures and an evil black cloud that seems to attach very randomly. When each survivor confronts their fear of these strange creatures it seems that the evil cloud no longer appears. But then there are the "others" that are adding a whole new layer of threat. Given all their trauma and threat I often think that they need a chaplain! Perhaps they have one in the character Mr. Eko. He seems to introduce Christian themes into the series.
Without trying to stretch the metaphor I have to say that nearly every episode causes me to think about those who are LOST spiritually. There is a whole generation of people living in our neighborhoods that have little to no interest in Christian things. They are people that have at best, a blending of religion that forms a generic spirituality. I think about some of my neighbors who maintain a distance to Christian faith. In fact, just the other day I was told that Christianity is really not that important! My look of surprise may have said enough. I stared at him with the look of "What!?" This man shared that he was once an ordained minister with a conservative church and later became ordained to a more liberal church and more recently he became a Catholic. He left his more conservative views for more liberal views to finally end up in a very religiously symbolic church. He confessed that he doesn't know if he was "de-evolving or evolving." He rationalized his actions by saying that at least he was helping others who were in need. I shared my simple faith with him and said that it is about Jesus' shed blood for my sin. Pray for this man, we will call him "Jack."
I wish that I could have convinced this person that Christianity is more than just going to church. For this man and many others, they don't understand the personal, relational opportunity God longs to have with us. For many, Christianity is only about going to church on Sundays. For the cast of LOST the reality of being trapped on a threatening island experience is a daily reality. In our comfortable life we don't seem to be LOST but in reality without Christ we are forever LOST.
I met another man the other day who shared with me his spiritual journey. He talked about being at the top of his career ladder, making a lot of money and feeling very empty inside. He said that the change in his life occurred when he went to Statesville Prison (south of Chicago) on a tour with his co-workers. When he entered the jail the heavy door was slammed behind him and suddenly he said, "I was a prisoner." He realized that he was not so different than those being incarcerated. His life was a prison of its own. He said that after seeking out a local pastor in the city near his home he found freedom in Christ's shed blood and forgiveness. It was a chance for him to start all over again! He was rescued from the treat, fear and loneliness of being LOST! Let's call him "Hurley."
Many are like these two men. They may not be concerned about their need or even aware of it but they are still LOST. For those that are dealing with great crisis in their lives, they may be more aware of their need but they need a "Mr. Eko" to guide them and help them find faith. You may be just the person God can use to rescue the LOST. Jesus came to seek and save the LOST. What He may choose to use is you and me!
As for the TV series, we will have to watch and wait to see what comes next. Chances are that those stranded on the island of LOST will never be rescued off the island. It is a Gilligan's Island story in a modern day setting. However, for those of us who are also on this island and know Jesus (like Mr. Eko seems to) our mission is to share Christ's love and hope of salvation to anyone we encounter.
So, send out the search party or let God use you today to rescue the dying and heal the brokenhearted. Let God use you today to point the Way. Let us reach out to the cast of those who are LOST. They are people we know like, Sayid, Claire, Sawyer, Sun, Jin, Locke or Kate. Let us provide hope in Christ to the cast of those LOST in our community today!
For help with this blog: http://www.lost-tv.com/cast/
