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What better place to see the possible end of mankind, than on a beautiful abandoned island with crystal clear blue water, better known as “the island” on Lost. Lost for millions of viewers has become a staple in their life. Just like waking up in the morning and reaching for that first cup of coffee it has become routine to put the kids to bed early on Tuesday night for Lost.
Lost unapologetically keeps raising more and more questions and giving very few answers. Unlike most TV shows that are meant to numb the senses, Lost makes you think, it engages the mind by asking questions about character, good versus evil, eternity, and yes, even polar bears living in the jungle. Lost went against the very thing that makes TV shows successful being predictable and all the lose ends tied up by the end of the hour. The show isn’t about the castaway’s survival necessary in the typical sense. They were not always looking for food, water, or making shelters. Instead they were more concerned with avoiding the black smoke and jumping back and forth in time.
If you are a person that is not big on the unknown, likes routine, and don’t like making hypothesis – then Lost is probably a waste of your time. But for those of us that love the show there is a ton of questions being thrown around about the show and the characters in the show. Some believe the show has a real spiritual side to it concerning free well and faith. Others believe it is all a dream world and that one of the characters is actually dreaming. Still others believe it has a lot to do with science, there are a ton of hypothesis. Take your pick.
But Lost is more than all that, it is a well-crafted tall tail one would assume that has been told throughout the generations – one that has been added to many times. It makes for a good evening seating on the edge of your seat popcorn in one hand and a soda in the other. It’s a show that you could watch a hundred times and always find out something new about a character or the island itself.
Those that watch the show regularly will tell you that it is really multi-dimensional. Meaning you not only watch the show, but you talk about it around the water-cooler at work the next day, you can listen to pod cast about the show. You can even go to different websites that discuses the show trying to find answers. Make no mistake about it Lost has a cult-like following. Probably one of the reasons the show is so hugely popular is because we all can see a little of ourselves in some if not all of the characters. Misfits that just could not get their act together. People that some how lost purpose and joy in life. And don’t many of us feel like that sometimes?
Like all good things they have to come to an end eventually. So on June the 23rd 2010 we say goodbye to the show. Will all our questions be answered, very unlikely for that would be out of character of the show? But no matter how it ends the fans of the show will love it, begging for more.
Seth Godin, the crème de la crème of bloggers and the author of a book entitled “Tribes”, states that a Tribe is a group of people that come together for a common interest or cause. A tribe can be any size and their interest can range from a group of people that trade stamps together, to diehard U2 fans. Tribes usually start out small, but if it is a great tribe it usually grows into something great – something of which people take notice.
And this is what sparked my curiosity of the term “tribe” and the connection it could have with the church. It is my view that Jesus Christ started the greatest tribe ever. He started out with twelve men and turned his tribe into one of the biggest tribes anyone has ever seen. But when a tribe gets to big, can it lose the main reason why it became a tribe in the first place? We have a Church on every street corner; you’d think we are in competition with McDonalds.
It is my opinion that many have lost their passion to be in this tribe, we call the church. I’m sure they joined for good reasons: like to save their spirit from eternal hell in the after life or maybe some joined to feed the poor or help the sick. However isn’t it funny how after a while we can get sidetracked and lose focus on the main agenda of the tribe. Let’s face it, if we the church are not fulfilling the “Great Commission”, which is the tribe’s mission statement – then we are not helping the tribe grow in the right way. Christ never stated anywhere in the Bible, at least not what I have read – that once your in this thing for a while you can take a leave of absence or pass the torch over to someone else. But isn’t that the attitude of so many Christians (though I would question if they really are Christians with this attitude) we know. I can hear them now saying, “I’ve put my time in, it’s time for someone else now” or “God hasn’t called me to serve, but to be a student of His word”. PLEASE, this kind of talk makes me want to vomit! You would never walk up to you’re boss at work and say well I’ve put my time in, I am just going to show up to work everyday and just watch everyone else work. NO, you would be fired. Man aren’t many Christians lucky that God is not like that!
If we are to truly be a church — a body of believers — a tribe, – each one of us have to pull are own weight to make “this thing of ours” (quoting from Tony Soprano) great. God wants workers. We have no time to rest. There will be plenty of that when we get our reward. However for now let us labor and get our hands dirty — for we know our labor will not be in vain.
As for me, the tribe I want to see us become is special. It is worth fighting for, losing sleep over and working until I am tired – because my tribal Leader did the same for me. There are still far too many that are not yet in the tribe that need to be. I just hope my other fellow tribesmen feel the same way.
