Rev Mr. Eko - LOST

First, let me state that trying to get good theology from a TV show, especially a prime time TV show is like trying to eat peas with only a knife.  It sometimes works, but ultimately it is frustrating and futile.  (and in the’TV Shows’ I’ll include the numerous televangelists that pop-up on my screen to be pounded like an endless whack-a-mole game) (AND also Barbara Walters and the late Peter Jennings don’t get a pass either)

But Jen is upset with the bad theology from Mr. Eko last night.  (and so is Thinkling Bill.

If you don’t want spoilers, don’t go below the fold.

I agree that the treatment of the baptism point last night was bogus, errorneous, and downright maddening (theologically speaking).  As a protestant, and a Baptiser, I’m thinking that Claire and Aaron have their baptism on the wrong side of their salvation (as our pastor puts it). 

Though as a viewer, and seeing the plot played out through a pop-culture reference I think there are some things to learn for evangelicals like us.

SPOILER WARNING (and backstory… it’s LOST, of course there is backstory)

Let’s step back a bit, and take a look at the two main characters last night.  Mr Eko a Nigerian catholic school boy, turned mobster, that has killed his little brother with one of his criminal schemes, a good-hearted Robin hood type that in one moment is a ruthless killer, and the next ‘looking out for the kids’ by using illicit drugs to fund a poliio vaccine.  I think we can start to see that we shouldn’t expect the best theology from this man.  Next up, Charlie, a musical prodigy from a young age (we learn this episode) and also an admitted altar boy (from the Mr. Eko meets the monster epi), who, at a young age, is an aging rock-star has been, and a recovering herion addict.  Again not the best person you’d expect crystalline theology to spring forth like water.

Lets get a bit more into the script of things.  Two weeks ago… no we need to go back to Walk About first.

In Walkabout, John Locke’s character gets inspected.  We don’t get much look at him in the pilot, he helped Jack with the guy stuck under the landing gear, he has some engmatic poses (the one of him with the orange in his mouth) and his discussion of backgammon with Walt (Two peices, one black, one white.. .yadda yadda) But we are led to believe that he is some wise sage from the looks we glimpse before his first flashback.  The writers did a great job, exposing Locke as a cubicle dweller that would like to be something more.  We find out through the episode that Locke is frustrated with his boss and his vocation, and finally ‘sticks it to the man’, by actually sticking up for himself, though ‘the man’ isn’t really impressed.  He trumpets his success to his girlfriend Helen, and tells her he has a ticket for her to finally go on the vacation he’s been talking about.  We find out ‘Helen’ is a voice companion (i.e. ph0n3$3x operator), and isn’t going anywhere, and in the gut punch of the flashback-story we find out that when boarding the doomed flight, Locke was in a wheelchair.  (and largely unnoticed, as he was sitting a couple of rows behind Jack, and we have no idea if anyone evens suspects he used to be crippled) In that episode we see that on a Boar Hunt, Locke comes face to face with the Island, and what’s he sees is beautiful (well the beautiful part comes later).

Two weeks ago, Mr. Eko gets his ‘face-to-face’ with the Island.  And in the CGI smoke the audience gets a sneak peek of what that might represent.  The frame-by-frame smoke showed images of Mr. Eko’s past, his brother, the man he killed as a child, two women and a crucifix.  After his encounter with the smoke, and finally makes peace with his brother’s death (and that of his partner that ‘saved his life’ ) Charlie asks him, “Are you a priest?” Mr. Eko, replaces the necklace that he lost when he was taken by the mobsters back in Nigeria, and staring out to space says, “Yes.”

Comparing the two ‘Island’ encounters, one might conclude that both men are now able to live their ‘intended’ life.  Mr. Locke as some rustic outdoorsman that can hunt, and track , and Mr. Eko as a priest (albeit largely untrained, and ultimately dependant on his own understanding of the scripture, and perhaps stories from his youth).  As Locke’s experience on the island grows, we see bit by bit his ‘intended life’ is also largely a charade, he can hunt well, but he loses a bit of faith in the island, during Boone’s death.  The smack down by Zeke last week, my also be causing some doubts in his mind that his ‘island’ isn’t the fairy-granting of wishes that he may presuppose.

As Charlie’s dilemma last night played out last night, we get a glimpse of the growing darkness of his drug addiction, as well as his belief that he can be the catalyst of salvation, for ‘his family’ played out in the first flashback, and the last flashback as his brother leaves him alone (and without the magic piano).  Perhaps Charlie’s view is that his musical talent (if that is what you want to call it) will bring about a balance in the force prosperity for his working class family.  He is disappointed that his path has led to the enslavement of his family to drugs, and we see that in his first backstory, his brother gets clean without him, and Charlie is still in the dillusion that ‘Driveshaft’s comeback will make everything OK’.  His dilusion that he can be ‘the savior’ also shades his understanding of what Mr. Eko and he talked about in the scenes leading up to his taking the baby.  His intentions were right in that he saw ultimately salvation (in his mind) through baptism was a way to make Aaron safe, though as Mr. Eko states in the night, “Charlie, this is not the way.”

In a meta perspective, I think that Mr. Eko is wise in this statement.  We as evangelicals, Christians, discisples, and missionaries, cannot force a salvation experience on someone.  We can guide them, speak the truth, and continue to minister to those on the same journey.  But we cannot ‘save’ anyone.  Even the multitude of those around us in ‘mortal danger’.  The act of salvation, belongs to Jesus Christ, and we are right to proclaim that the baptism as portrayed last night is nothing more than the magic piano Christmas gift that Charlie was given.  Baptism as a sacrament in the Catholic Church isn’t taught the way Mr. Eko spoke to Claire in the finale of the episode.

It is interesting to me, that the opening shot was a painting of Jesus’ baptism.  That last night in bible study, we saw the Visual Bible’s portrayal of the story that Mr. Eko had his homily.  The dove and the voice from heaven are deep with symbolism, just as Charlie’s dreams and Eko’s exposition are fully of symbolism.  The scripture for this event:

Matthew 3:11-17 (HCSB):
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I; I am not worthy to take off His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. With a winnowing shovel in His hand, He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out.”

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.  But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?” Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.“ Then he allowed Him to be baptized.  After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him.  And there came a voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!

John’s role was to make clear a path for the Lord, as prophesized by Isaiah.  John’s baptism was different that Jesus’ baptism of ‘the Holy Spirit and fire,’ I’d expect that Eko’s baptism falls in the same category as John’s.  But notice the progression, the opening of the relationship with Clair asking the question she did, hearing the words of the sacrament, that we didn’t.  I’d expect her to ask more questions as time goes on.  Her character, and that of her son, is chock full of symbolism too, so we could spend time on that as well.

LOST hasn’t lost me with the bad theology. 

Posted by Jon in
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   on  01/31  at  11:13 PM

  
  

  My Bible tells me that Jesus was sinless. Didn’t the episode say that John washed away Jesus’ sins when he baptized him? How can that be if he was/ is sinless

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  Jon  on  02/01  at  11:36 AM

  
  

  Thanks for the comment.

  Certainly Jesus was sinless.  I think Mr. Eko’s theology is off, and/or his story didn’t explain the reason for Baptism. 

  I believe that Jesus’ sacrifice is enough to overcome many people’s bad theology, while they seek after him.

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