Thoughts on Kingdom, Church, and Grace from an American living in Hong Kong

Thursday, May 27, 2010

LOST: In this place, there is no Now



(Warning: Spoilers ahead!)
I can hardly believe its over! After 6 years of trudging through the jungles, the television series LOST came to a successful conclusion. I must admit, I like many other LOST fans were nervous. Were they going to ruin a story right at the end that we had come to love? Were questions that have been puzzling us, some from as long ago as Season 1, finally going to answered.

Well, the verdict from me?...It was wonderful!

I knew they were going to do something BIG at the end, but I REALLY didn't see the "sideways" storyline actually being a precursor to the afterlife.

And there were moments when, even though it was just the three of us, we yelled and clapped out loud upon seeing our friends Richard Alpert and Lapidus alive!

I could just go on & on!


Possibly my most emotional moment was when Ben Linus asks John Locke's forgiveness for killing him in life. The emotional explanation of his own insecurities which led to his horrific act tugged at my heart as the main root of sin was laid bare. Though Ben is destined for heaven, he seems to be going through a healing process even in the afterlife. It had me thinking of Revelation 22:2 when John describes the leaves of the Tree of Life being used to "heal the Nations". The inference being that even in eternity, the process of healing goes on.



Also was moved by the scene where Jack enters the church after realizing they are all dead. Some died during the show, others died years later and yet they all reunite in a single moment. When Jack asks his father how this is possible, he responds, "In this place...there is no Now". I got goose bumps because in a small way, I got a glimpse of eternity in this episode. I know some of you will role your eyes but I saw myself, reuniting with loved ones. Some having died long before me...some long after...but reuniting together in Christ in a single moment.

I want to go to there!!

2 comments:

michael g said...

i'm glad you enjoyed it! given the fact that the ending gave so much attention to eternity and their relationships, i WOULD have enjoyed it far more, but for these lingering questions:

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1936291

the focus of the finale (characters/relationships) was more important than any one single answer i sought, and yet it was very dishonest for the producers to say it wasn't purgatory (word games), on top of repeatedly claiming that the show was about 'characters' while leaving the show's primary character -- The Island -- largely unexplained and in the dust.

given the ending as it was presented, LOST could have consisted of just the first season, the beginning of season two and just the season finale of each following season -- and still made the same exact point and amount of sense, WITHOUT ANY of the material and story presented in-between....much of which is the content of video link i posted.

for that, i remain sorely disappointed. i can only enjoy the finale if i pretend i received many answers first, and yet that too proved far too distracting to allow me to enjoy any emotional element of the finale that i otherwise would have loved so much. as a result, i feel robbed both ways!

Steve H. said...

Michael...I share your disappointment on some questions not being answered. Some of them quite important. There were also so directions the show went towards the end that I was not happy with. (the humanizing and flawing of Jacob being a main one for me)

I plan to do some more posts on LOST and want to direct one at some of my frustrations as well.