Monday, May 24, 2010

L O S T not a Loss for this Father


L O S T is over.

And I have a few comments. As a fan, as a student of philosophy.And as a father. Mostly as a father.
  • I watched this show with my teenagers. When we started they were 14, 12 and 9 and now they are 20, 18 and 15. And it was worth it. I got a glimpse into the world in which I am sending them to navigate. I also got to see their hearts, share in some drama and philosophy. And it was fun.
  • Reincarnation makes for a sweet 'heaven' ending for a TV show, but it's depressing. Everything in that story we cared about is an illusion? Seriously? Compared to the incomparable, real, actual inheritance of the heaven of the Bible, that was 'making mud pies in the sewer when a day at the beach is offered.' I'm pretty sure my children get that difference and distinction.
  • People who claim that all religions are equal or the same (as apparently do the writers of L O S T) are ignorant or stupid. Putting symbols of world religions in a church building does not mean they agree. The major religions of the world make mutually exclusive truth claims. Don't be naive.
Do I think watching this show L O S T was a loss? No. Am I going to rant about it and preach against it. No. Will I make a point to watch all 6 seasons with my future grandchildren. Probably not.

Those who watch it will enjoy a delightfully complex story. At the end, a thinking person will have a very compelling and memorable view of the meta-narrative of 21st century secular religion. And hopefully we'll be able to kindly, firmly and truthfully critique it and compare it to the meta-narrative of the Grand Story of Redemption.

That is part of what makes L O S T not a loss. I'm raising thinking people. They get it. Jesus' sacrificial redemption is real and effective and not an illusion. Thank God.

3 comments:

Mark said...

I could be wrong, but it seemed like only the flash sideways were "an illusion". The island and all the stories surrounding it actually happened. It seemed like Christian Shepherd mentioned this when Jack asked about "all of this" when they were standing in the church. Christian said that all the Losties "created this place to find each other." almost like friends agreeing where to meet up at an airport before getting on a plane to take a trip together. Only this trip takes you to the world beyond.

I definitely agree that mixing world religions only discredits the specifics of each one. But I'm thankful that the end of lost was not just an illusion, but a real statement of what "living together and dying together" is all about.

Missy said...

Great thoughts Jim!
And I agree with your friend Mark, I think only the flash sideways were illusion. The Island stuff did happen. Well, it did happen in our make believe land that we sometimes think is real ;)
I enjoy reading your thoughts on things though.

Broken Pastor said...

Mark and Missy,
The writers left open the question of 'what really happened' and that is a part of the worldview under examination. Eastern religions question the reality of reality (ontology).

Mark and Missy, if I may, let me react to your comments. Not as a mean or harsh thing, but as an opportunity to clarify what occurs when people try to mix eastern philosophy into Christian doctrine.

Mark said, 'I'm thankful that the end of lost was not just an illusion, but a real statement of what "living together and dying together" is all about.'

Your statement about reality and illusion in itself cannot logically stand on the mixture of eastern and western (I assume Christian) beliefs. The philosophy behind LOST does not claim to actually BE about 'living and dying together' but only supports what it might FEEL like to live and die together.

The question is, is reality objective or subjective? Christians say reality and statements are objective and subjective. Eastern thought says reality is subjective only. The difference is subtle but significant.

Christians - and other monotheistic religions - agree that what is actually exists. Not so with eastern thought.

We, as Christians who believe in the reality of being, can only say that the story of LOST is an example of living together and dying together.

There is no basis in mishmash of beliefs to make such a firm statement as yours.

Maybe I'm preaching to the choir... Again, not to pick a fight, but to be precise.