What I Found in Lost

Well, it’s over. One of the greatest shows to ever hit television has ended its amazing run. While the finale has become one of the most polarizing in recent memory, I don’t think any fans will deny the impact of the show on their lives.

 

I doubt I’ll ever forget the shock of the season 1 finale, when Walt was taken by the Others—I am, of course, frustrated that they never cleared up why that happened, exactly, but it was still powerful. And the episode “The Constant” from season 4 might be the most emotional storytelling I’ve ever experienced from a TV show.

 

Here are three of the many things I’ve learned from my time spent with this show. This will contain spoilers, so if you haven’t watched the show…well go watch it!

 

One of the threads woven through the show was the phrase, “Live together or die alone”—that’s even the name of one of the episodes. From the “simple” reality of being stranded on an island and needing food and water, to deeper meanings of finding healing and forgiveness, these people needed each other. Likewise, we should be in community as we go through our own times of feeling “stranded.” God wants us to interact with other people—to hold each other up, speak truth and wisdom, and be with each other through times of trial and triumph. There are certainly times when we should get away to be with the Father, but isolation is unhealthy.

 

I’m squarely in the camp of Lost lovers who wanted more of the mysteries explained. Why did the Others take Walt? Why and how was he special? And what was it that the psychic saw early on in the yet-unborn Aaron? There are a number of mysteries—mostly ones from the first few seasons—that were just forgotten. That’s disappointing. But I definitely don’t need all of the mysteries to be revealed. Mysteries are exciting—they keep me looking and searching and questioning and growing. I think more about things that are mysteries than things I’m certain about. There are things about faith and God that I just don’t understand—and I likely never will this side of heaven. That’s okay, and it doesn’t make me love him less.

 

This is the big one for me. I’m an introvert, so it’s hard for me to get to know people, and I tend to make snap judgments. If Lost has shown us anything, it’s that people aren’t always what they seem at first blush—and there’s always room for redemption. Charlie, for instance, seemed like a selfish coke-head rock star—and he was. But we grew to care about him as a person, beyond those surface-level descriptors. Didn’t it just break your heart when he started taking the heroin he found in the jungle? But he persevered, overcoming instinct, until his last hurrah was a beautiful selfless act of sacrifice, and that’s what we’ll remember about him—not the other stuff. Everyone has a story that informs who they are and how they behave. We need to look beyond the surface and dig into people’s lives. If Benjamin Linus can change his stripes, anyone can.

 

I’m not suggesting we should look to Lost to inform our view of right theology, but if we can’t find something worthwhile to take away from this amazing show, we’re just not looking.

 

Scott Firestone IV is the associate editor for Group Magazine, and mourning the death of Lost.