Special Devotion: Still Lost?

Acts 2:12         Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"


Last night, millions of viewers across the world were left stunned with the final conclusion of the television series LOST. They just couldn’t believe that none of the characters survived the initial plane crash and that all the events on the island were either ways to salvation or damnation. I think that most of the fans wanted their favorite characters to survive, so most of them were either disappointed with or grieving the ending.

I must confess, I have never watched an episode of the series but I have listened to other people, including my family members, about it. Before the finale was shown I told my family that all of the characters were dead, but they didn’t believe me. After weighing up what I had heard from them and others, I just didn’t think the show could have concluded any other way.

Mortality has a way of sneaking up on people when they least expect it. I think that most people who were stunned will probably be pondering and postulating about life after death for a couple of weeks. And then some new show will come along, attract their viewership, and fill the gap. Life will go on and LOST will be nostalgically remembered years from now.

Just like the characters in LOST, we all destined to die. Unlike those fictional characters, we will have to deal with that reality on our own. We cannot depend upon scriptwriters to work things out for us. We cannot escape the reality of God. We will either be welcomed into the highest halls of everlasting human happiness through Jesus Christ, or we will be lost to God forever. Ultimately, what we choose to believe about Jesus will reveal our final destiny. LOST was just a TV series; LIFE is the ultimate reality.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You want us all to be found and never be lost. We are aware of our mortality and how limited life really is. Help us to come to You for comfort and guidance, ultimate hope and everlasting assurance. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.