Comments on: Did Ben Get Off Easy? http://www.christandpopculture.com/uncategorized/did-ben-get-off-easy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=did-ben-get-off-easy Where The Christian Faith Meets The Common Knowledge of Our Age Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:10:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joseph http://www.christandpopculture.com/uncategorized/did-ben-get-off-easy/#comment-75276 Joseph Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:51:33 +0000 http://www.christandpopculture.com/?p=6220#comment-75276 That would be fascinating. It would also be horribly disappointing, at least to me. Jack has played the tortured soul who is searching for meaning, peace, and closure for so long. To have him end up in sort of a nihilistic, "the whole world is madness" kind of mentality would be awful. That would be like him ending up like the Comedian from Watchmen - believing that the whole of existence is one meaningless cosmic joke. That would be fascinating. It would also be horribly disappointing, at least to me. Jack has played the tortured soul who is searching for meaning, peace, and closure for so long. To have him end up in sort of a nihilistic, “the whole world is madness” kind of mentality would be awful. That would be like him ending up like the Comedian from Watchmen – believing that the whole of existence is one meaningless cosmic joke.

]]> By: Richard Clark http://www.christandpopculture.com/uncategorized/did-ben-get-off-easy/#comment-75274 Richard Clark Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:41:59 +0000 http://www.christandpopculture.com/?p=6220#comment-75274 I actually heard a theory that Jack is fed up with Jacob, acknowledges his power, but is planning to con him after it's all said and done. To me, this would make for a fascinating symmetry once Jack and Sawyer both reveal themselves to be double agents for different sides. I actually heard a theory that Jack is fed up with Jacob, acknowledges his power, but is planning to con him after it’s all said and done. To me, this would make for a fascinating symmetry once Jack and Sawyer both reveal themselves to be double agents for different sides.

]]> By: Joseph http://www.christandpopculture.com/uncategorized/did-ben-get-off-easy/#comment-75267 Joseph Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:56:29 +0000 http://www.christandpopculture.com/?p=6220#comment-75267 This was certainly one of the best and most important Lost episodes ever, at least in the spiritual sense. I found it riveting. For the very first time, Ben became a sympathetic character for me. For the first time (in the scene with Ilana), I felt like I could believe everything that Ben was saying. It seems like that might have been the first time since his childhood, maybe, that Ben had opened up so much of himself to someone. Was it strange that the someone he opened up to was someone who by all appearances wanted him dead? Maybe, but I think it makes sense, too. There is huge power in confession, in "getting something off your chest". In that moment, I think Ben was in a mindset of, "I have to tell someone this. She's here, and either I'll kill her and no one else will know, or she'll kill me and my misery will be over." (By the way Richard, it looks like I was wrong in our discussion about Ben's motives at the end of season 5.) Then when Ilana said that she would have Ben, I think that might have been the first time in Ben's life (or maybe the first time that really resonated with him) that he was shown kindness or grace. I don't think that this whole scene was more about Ilana or Ben. Ben plays the role of (pardon the Bob Marley reference) "the hopeless sinner who has hurt all mankind just to save his own", who finds the unexpected offer of grace and is truly affected by it. Ilana plays the role of the compassionate Christian who forgives, even when she doesn't feel like it, in order to express the love of her Lord (Jacob) and put another person back on the path to salvation. So, to answer the original question, was the forgiveness Ben received cheap? I don't think so. I think it is exactly what each of us receives from Christ - free grace and an opportunity to change into a better version of ourselves that is more like Christ. As to Jack... I love that he seems to finally have a real sense of purpose and faith, but don't you think he's getting a little reckless? That scene with Richard is akin to me putting my head in a crocodile's open mouth and proclaiming, "Nah, he won't bite. God's got a plan for me." If I did that, someone would (hopefully) have me checked out for a brain injury. I guess that begs the question, where IS the line between confidence in faith and testing God? This was certainly one of the best and most important Lost episodes ever, at least in the spiritual sense. I found it riveting. For the very first time, Ben became a sympathetic character for me. For the first time (in the scene with Ilana), I felt like I could believe everything that Ben was saying. It seems like that might have been the first time since his childhood, maybe, that Ben had opened up so much of himself to someone. Was it strange that the someone he opened up to was someone who by all appearances wanted him dead? Maybe, but I think it makes sense, too.

There is huge power in confession, in “getting something off your chest”. In that moment, I think Ben was in a mindset of, “I have to tell someone this. She’s here, and either I’ll kill her and no one else will know, or she’ll kill me and my misery will be over.” (By the way Richard, it looks like I was wrong in our discussion about Ben’s motives at the end of season 5.) Then when Ilana said that she would have Ben, I think that might have been the first time in Ben’s life (or maybe the first time that really resonated with him) that he was shown kindness or grace.

I don’t think that this whole scene was more about Ilana or Ben. Ben plays the role of (pardon the Bob Marley reference) “the hopeless sinner who has hurt all mankind just to save his own”, who finds the unexpected offer of grace and is truly affected by it. Ilana plays the role of the compassionate Christian who forgives, even when she doesn’t feel like it, in order to express the love of her Lord (Jacob) and put another person back on the path to salvation.

So, to answer the original question, was the forgiveness Ben received cheap? I don’t think so. I think it is exactly what each of us receives from Christ – free grace and an opportunity to change into a better version of ourselves that is more like Christ.

As to Jack… I love that he seems to finally have a real sense of purpose and faith, but don’t you think he’s getting a little reckless? That scene with Richard is akin to me putting my head in a crocodile’s open mouth and proclaiming, “Nah, he won’t bite. God’s got a plan for me.” If I did that, someone would (hopefully) have me checked out for a brain injury.

I guess that begs the question, where IS the line between confidence in faith and testing God?

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