High Voltage — Are You Getting “Lost”?
by Bob Smithouser
 I’ve
really enjoyed the ABC drama “Lost.” What do you think
of it?
I’m hooked, too. For the benefit of nonfans, “Lost” is a
fascinating sci-fi mystery, sort of “Survivor” meets “The
X-Files.” A jet gets ripped apart in midair, stranding a
diverse cross section of people on a remote island
where they have to learn to get along. Then
really weird stuff starts happening. Are they in an
alternate reality? Part of an experiment? Or are they
stuck in some tropical purgatory, forced to make peace
with their pasts?
Each week we learn more about the individual
castaways. Flashbacks show us the hunger in their
souls, unresolved family issues, past sins and what led
each to get on Oceanic Flight 815. But “Lost” is more
than just intricate character studies and a labyrinth of
clues to their whereabouts. I see the show as a weekly
reminder that we can make snap judgments about a
person without knowing her whole story. Jesus knows
everyone’s story — flashbacks and all — and loves us
all anyway. Every person we meet, no matter what his
background, deserves and needs to be loved
with the love of Jesus.
Of course, TV is all about ratings. There’s no telling
what might crop up on “Lost” from week to week. We’ve
already run into disappointing language, violence and
a few sexual situations, but they’ve been the exception,
not the rule. Should that change and the Holy Spirit tells
us to walk away, we have to be willing to do it no matter
how invested in the story we might be.
I like listening to hard rock
music. What do you think of Staind’s latest CD,
Chapter V?
Pretty much the same thing I thought about chapters I
through IV. Staind’s social conscience is above
average for a metal band, but profanity is a big spoiler.
Like the band’s past two projects, Chapter V hit
No. 1. And once again lead singer Aaron Lewis shares
his fears, questions, convictions and psychoses with a
vulnerability that I really respect. What’s missing amid
all that transparency is hope.
When Break the Cycle came out in 2001, Lewis
said of that disc, “It’s finally like I’m seeing the light [at
the end of] a 28-year-old tunnel.” You wouldn’t know it
from
Chapter V. A few positive lines can’t overcome
the darkness, dysfunction and a handful of f-words that
earned it a warning label for explicit lyrics. Staind is
consistent. I just wish the band’s messages were
consistently stronger.
Rap/Hip-Hop
Alternatives
If you’re into this style of music, but want to honor God
with your music choices. Here are a few options.
1. KJ-52, Behind the
Musik (A Boy Named Jonah) (Bec)
2. tobyMac, Welcome to
Diverse City (Forefront)
3. 3 the God Way, self-titled
(True Life)
This article appeared in Brio
magazine in February 2006. Copyright © 2006 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
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