2/13/2015 1 Comment Lost: philosophy and theologyThis last year I worked my way through Lost for the first time. I didn't have any preconceived notions about the show, and I didn't really know anything about it. I got to soak it up with virgin innocence. It was delightful. If you enjoy long winded meta stories, soap opera like drama, and suspense adventures, you'll enjoy this show too. It's better if you can keep an open mind when things cross from science fiction into pseudoscience or just flat out fiction. And if you're open to theology or religion, you'd be more accepting of all the twists and turns.
So, the first time I went through it, there was a toddler running about, and I went from 7 mo pregnant to having a newborn babe. So I will concede to saying I may have just been distracted. The last season was using these flashes to what seemed like either a parallel universe or alternate reality. I kept repeating the mantra "it will become clear in the end. Just keep watching." But it wasn't until 15 min before the end of the last episode that they offered any explanations, and that was just a brief conversation over a coffin (between jack and his dad) before having a cast reunion filled with warm hugs. I rushed to the internets for answers/explanations for what that supposedly all meant, and apparently most people, like me, thought the end implied "they were dead the whole time." There's plenty of support that this wasn't the case. But that got me thinking... Would it really have been so bad it the were dead the whole time?? My instinct is to say yes, that it means it all wasn't real and the people just died. But if you can imagine that in this reality, once death occurs, the soul continues into an afterlife, and this is the story of that journey, is that really so bad? I've seen several Star Trek episodes featuring non-corporal beings. This never made me feel cheated or tricked. A large number of the world population believes in an afterlife, so why should it be less interesting to explore one version of what that might mean? So I'm re watching the series. I'm on season one. I'm trying to view it as though the possibility of this being a purgatory universe exists, and being ok with that. (Not sticking to it, just being open to it). But you know what?? I'm kinda diggin' it. Let's say, after death, each person needs to be judged and assessed.* It needs to be apparent if they were, down to the core, instinctively good or evil. This isn't an easy task, and it would require more than a simple judgement of actions to conclude what the true nature of a person is. So a person dies, but is unaware of their death, and the judgement begins. Hunger game level. They're tested. A trial by fire. The way they deal with conflict, the way they respond to fear, the way they treat one another, all go to proving their true nature. And when they die a second time on the island, it is because a decision has been made on them, and they are free to move on to the next level (heaven/hell, reincarnation, whatever). Example: Jack. Jack was a surgeon. But he had a failed marriage and a tumultuous relationship with his father. He continually shirked responsibility, and never seemed like he was confident in his choices. His life didn't make it clear if he was a good human, or not. Example: John Locke When John comes to after the crash, his legs miraculously work. If this was after he died, and the beginning of a "trial reality" it makes sense that he saw himself with functioning legs. It also makes sense that he had a sixth sense that the island was testing him, that is was providing for those who believed, and took from those who fought. He understood that faith was a quality worth having. And it also makes sense, that when he got frustrated with things when they were "supposed to happen" (latch door not opening, etc) it was really an additional test of his faith, to see how far it could be pushed. "You believe-it happens" is much easier than "you believe- it doesn't happen- you believe anyways." Well, you get what I'm saying. I'm actually having fun trying to see if the concept holds through. I can't remember every twist in advance, so I'm sure my ideas will change. We shall see. *I'm not saying that ISNT what happens to humans on earth, via Jesus and whatnot, I'm just talking about in this reality, in this story.
1 Comment
Mary Brown
2/16/2015 12:06:33 am
S1: E20, do no harm
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