Another Time and Another Place

"I've always heard there is a land
Beyond the mortal dreams of man
Where every tear will be left behind
But it must be in another time"-- from Another Time, Another Place by Gary Lee Driskell

Some thoughts on Heaven and "Lost"

(Bear with me. "Lost" was my favorite TV show of all time, and I'm likely to be ruminating on it for some time.)

Heaven. I've had varying thoughts on the subject in my life. I've always wanted to go there when I "shuffle off this mortal coil," but like the guy in one of my dad's old jokes, I didn't want to go up "in the next load."

But whoever said heaven gets sweeter as you get older and more of your loved ones are there instead of here, was absolutely right.

Death is scary, and heaven is a supernatural place--which is also a bit scary. We as humans are rooted in the real and the practical. Is it any wonder that whenever an angel appeared to anyone in the Bible, the very first thing they had to say was "Fear not"? Obviously people in those days were just as freaked out by the supernatural as we are!

But the older I get--the more appalled and repelled I get by the ugliness and the darkness of this world--the more wonderful and appealing heaven is to me. The Bible tells us there's no way to describe it to us earthbound mortals. I firmly believe that once we're there, we will marvel that we ever wanted to stay here.



So what does this have to do with "Lost"?

I'm the first to admit that "Lost" is lightyears away from being theologically correct, especially on how a person qualifies to gain entrance into an afterlife of celestial reward.

Our good deeds can never get us there. Only repenting of our sins and trusting in Christ's sacrifice on the Cross is our "shot at redemption"--and that gift is free to all who will take it, regardless of the enormity of their sins.

However...as I posted earlier, the final scenes of the show resonated with me as a Christian because they hit me, quite forcefully, with thoughts of what heaven will be like.

A place of reunion...can you imagine the joy of greeting and embracing loved ones who you haven't seen in years? (My dad, who passed away in 2004, immediately comes to mind.) The knowledge that all troubles and problems are forever finished, that an eternity of joy awaits? Mindboggling, when you really stop and think about it.

A place, yes, of Light. "... And the city (the new Jerusalem)had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof."



Another Place...

Just before Desmond was lowered into the hole where he would try to stop the destruction of the island, he told Jack that none of it mattered...that there was "another place" they could go to: "You know, you're gonna lower me into that light, and I'm gonna go somewhere else. A place where we can be with the ones we love, and not have to ever think about this island again."

For the cynic among you: yes, "Lost" is just a TV show. (Duh.) But the best entertainment serves not only to entertain, but to provoke thought and reflection...and that's what the "Lost" finale did for me.

"Lost" was all about other timelines, other realities. For the Christian, the ultimate reality, the ultimate flash-forward--will be Heaven.

I leave you with the lyrics of a song: "Another Time, Another Place," by Gary Lee Driskill, which I think sums it up very aptly:

I've always heard there is a land
Beyond the mortal dreams of man
Where every tear will be left behind--
But it must be in another time.

There'll be an everlasting light
Shining a purest holy white
And every fear will be erased
But it must be in another place.

I've grown so tired of earthly things
They promise peace but furnish pain
All of life's sweetest joys combined
Could never match those in another time
And though I've put my trust in Christ
And felt His Spirit move in my life
I know it's truly just a taste
Of His glory in another place.

So, I'm waiting for another time and another place,
Where all my hopes and dreams will be captured
With one look at Jesus' face
Oh, my heart's been burning,
My soul keeps yearning,
Sometimes I can't hardly wait
For that sweet, sweet someday
When I'll be swept away
To another time and another place.

(You can hear the song here and here.)

"The dream is ended: this is the morning"

Then Aslan turned to them and said:

"You do not yet look so happy as I mean you to be."

Lucy said, "We're so afraid of being sent away, Aslan. And you have sent us back into our own world so often."

"No fear of that, " said Aslan. "Have you not guessed?"

Their hearts leaped and a wild hope rose within them.

"There was a real railway accident," said Aslan softly. Your father and mother and all of you are - as you used to call it in the Shadow-Lands - dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning."--from The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis

And so, goodbye to "Lost"

Have you ever read a really good book in which the characters were so vividly drawn that they became real to you--to the point that you were sorry to come to the final page and close the book?

That's exactly how I feel about "Lost." Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, Jin, Sun, Charlie, Claire, Juliet, Ben, Sayid, John--even the recurring characters like Rose and Bernard--became real during the years that I watched "Lost." I've never been sadder to see a TV show end.

So what do I think of the finale? (Warning: spoilers if you haven't seen it yet!)

In a previous post, I talked about how Hurley has always been one of my very favorite characters on the show. You'll notice I said "one of."

My favorite character on "Lost," bar none, has always been Jack.

So, while I was sad to see Jack die in the "real" timeline, his eye closing at the end, with Vincent the dog at his side, had a symmetry and "rightness" to it.

We realized ultimately that the show was really about Jack. He is the only character who impacted all the other characters in some way. It was all about his journey from being a closed-minded skeptic to one who could take the leap of faith to believe in something supernatural.

It was also about his going from an unhappy loner to someone who realized that we all need the love, support and community of other people in our lives.

(Note: I also have to say that Matthew Fox proved to be an incredible actor in the role of Jack, perhaps especially this season. He brought Jack to life in a stunning way, and I would hope he gets some recognition for it.)

The end--not scriptural, but spiritual

The final scene in the church, with the Losties (most of them) reunited and ready to take the next step to an afterlife, was obviously not theologically correct as I as a Christian believe it. The Scriptures teach that we can all be redeemed, no matter how great our sins, if we put our faith and trust in Christ.

However, I've never expected "Lost" to be scripturally correct. It's a science fiction television show.

There are themes, though, that certainly resonated with me as a Christian. There IS good and evil, and the two forces ARE involved in an age-old struggle.

Also, the scene in the church, with long-lost friends reuniting, couldn't help but make me think of what heaven will be like. As I watched, I even thought of loved ones who I haven't seen in years, and how joyful it will be to reunite with them.

I also thought of the final scenes of C.S. Lewis' "The Last Battle," where most of the beloved characters of the Chronicles of Narnia are ultimately reunited as they leave the "Shadowlands" behind and move together onward and upward in what is obviously a symbol of heaven.

The island was real

Some bloggers, reviewers and forum commenters are trying to say that the island wasn't real or that everyone died in the original crash of Ocean 815.

They are wrong.

Jack's dad, Christian, in his explanatory talk with Jack at the end, makes it clear that the island and all that happened on it WERE real and DID really happen.

What WASN'T real was the sideways timeline, which was a way station that the Losties had somehow subconsiously created as a place to meet up before they stepped into the afterlife. (Again, folks, this is FICTION. No one's asking you to accept this as theology.)

What I'm bummed about:

Despite the symmetry, I'm sad that Jack died. Just as Kate and Jack had professed their love for each other and sealed it with a whale of a kiss, we realize that they never got to be together in life. (Which is why it makes sense that Kate, on seeing Jack after the concert, said, "I've missed you so much....")

Yes, I was a "Jater" all along, and thought that those two were meant for each other.

Actually, I guess the main thing I'm bummed about is that the Losties didn't get to be together in life off the island. As my sister told me, "I wanted them to LIVE happily ever after, not DIE happily ever after!"

(Although, who knows? It looks as if Lapidus, Miles, Sawyer, Kate, Claire and Alpert DID make it off the island in "real" life...so who knows, maybe they did hang out together? :))

As for not getting all the answers to all the mysteries? That really doesn't bother me. "Lost" was always about mystery. Let it retain some of them, even as the show ends.

And so it ends...

And so ends my favorite television show ever. I don't know if there will ever be another one that captures my interest and imagination the way this one has.

Good-bye, "Lost"!

Cindy's Stuff to Tell You!

Do you keep your friends closer and your frenemies closer?

It's been a while, but "Stuff to Tell You" is back--with a round-up of a plethora of interesting links and tidbits.

--"Frenemy" and "sock puppet" are among the 100 new words in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

--Who knew? Cutting calories might lengthen your life...at least it does for monkeys

--I'm not crazy about this story about how "Lost" is going to end...simply because it includes the words "very sad." But it also says it will be good, at least according to Matthew Fox

--Speaking of "Lost"--wouldn't you just love to own a Benjamin Linus bobblehead?

--Andrae Crouch sets the record straight about what went on during his final meetings with Michael Jackson

--Today is theologian John Calvin's 500th birthday--and Ben Witherington says it deserves to be celebrated.

--Tomorrow is Free Slurpee Day at 7-11's across the country (the chain is celebrating its 82nd birthday

Now everyone go out and have an amazing Friday!

Stuff to tell you...

"This don't look like LAX."--Sawyer

A mind-blowing "Lost" finale, and other fascinating tidbits

--Well, I guess the question of Rose and Bernard's whereabouts has been answered! AMAZING finale for "Lost" last night...I have no idea what's going to happen next season.

--Sad to see Danny Gokey leave the American Idol competition, but I'm sure it will be for the best. As the winner or runner-up, he might have had to practically sell his soul to the AI machine. That young man has a bright future in music and ministry.

--Jon Foreman of the band Switchfoot has joined the Darfur Fast for Life.

--Names have always fascinated me! Word now that "Emma" and "Jacob" are the top 2, for girls and boys respectively.

--Last, but not least, a couple of major things are happening in my life.

The radio station where I have worked for the past 28 years has been sold to a company that syndicates Christian radio across the nation. I have a little time to figure out what I'm going to do next, but everything is pretty vague at this point. Any prayers would be greatly appreciated!

And now the happy news...I'm going to be a Nanna again! My daughter-in-law Daylyn is expected Baby Number 2 somewhere around Thanksgiving.

Life is such a strange mixture of highs and lows, isn't it? :)

Stuff to Tell You

Good-bye, Natasha Richardson...what's up with "Lost"?...and good news for Christian fiction

--For me, Natasha Richardson will forever be the lovely mom in Disney's "The Parent Trap." I've noticed on Facebook that the most heartfelt condolences are coming from people who know what it's like to lose a loved one.

Christian singer Tammy Trent's husband died in a drowning accident shortly before 9/11. Her Facebook status this morning: "...woke up continuing to pray for Liam Neeson and his family. The road ahead is very long and painful....there is healing...there is hope. Peace like a river!"

Another person responded: "I thought about Liam Neeson all day yesterday, having lost my husband to a tragic accident, I know only too well the sadness that envelopes us, but I also know that God is good and is redeeming. I pray for the Neeson family that they will find peace in our God and in the hope of eternity."

--So, I didn't know quite what to think of "Lost" last night. I'm not really liking our Losties being stuck in Dharmaville. Or in 1977. I did like just about everything Hurley (Jorge Garcia) said...his comments and personality always just bring everything back down to earth.

But right now, I'm kind of getting the same feeling I had when Jack, Kate and Sawyer were stuck on that other island in Season 3...claustrophobic and a little frustrated.

Big questions: Why didn't Sun land in 1977 too? When will she and Jin be re-united? And when will the ones stuck in the 70s get back to the future (where's a flux capacitor when you need it!?!)

Even on a not-so-stellar night, "Lost" is better than most anything else on TV...but I hope next week's episode will be better. Any comments?

--A bit of bright economic news: Christian fiction continues to thrive during this recession (hat tip to Brandilyn Collins)

--If you're a Danny Gokey fan, here is the consummate website.