For those of you who are LOST fans, and saw last nights episode, may I join you in saying: WOW! I don't know what was more surprising: Mr. Eko deciding he was going to be unrepentant for being a killer and drug Lord, or the "Monster" beating him to death.
There were obvious clues that this was going to be Mr. Eko's farewell episode.
- The monster was following him all episode.
- Locke (who is repentant) saw the monster as a beautiful light (bringing life), while Mr. Eko saw it as dark (bringing death).
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And most importantly, Mr. Eko got a DUI was arrested for a traffic violation in real life a few months ago.
Which, as we know, gets you kicked off the show. (side note: I wonder
how many conspiracy theorists out there are now claiming that these
suppossed DUI's traffic violations are really fabricated by the show. Not me.) [the charges against him were dropped]
So with these factors in consideration, I must say that I was absolutely floored when Eko said that he would not confess his sin, and made his claim that he was simply a victim of circumstance, and that all things considered, he did a fairly descent job considering the hand he was dealt. Really, so trying to sell the vaccines that the village needed, and then killing the competition, that makes you a good person? Not feeling remorse for taking another human's life, regardless of the circumstance, that makes you a good person?
Mr. Eko was right in saying he was a victim of circumstance. We live in a world filled with sinners, and since we all interact with each other, we all sin against one another. Therefore, we are all victims of everyone else. Basically, from a certain standpoint, our life is everyone else's fault. However, we have sinned against them, ourselves, and God as well. So it is our fault too. If we victimize ourself and refuse to acknowledge our sin like Mr. Eko did, then we will never know the freedom that comes from forgiveness. We will never experience the love that God gives us through Jesus bearing the penalty for our sin. No, we will become hard-hearted, remain separated from God, never know forgiveness, and like Mr. Eko we will die in our sins.
The head honcho of the Others, Ben, said that he believes in God because right after he discovered a tumor on his spine, a spinal surgeon fell out of the sky. Ben equated the idea of God existing with the reality that he was receiving mercy. While this is a wonderful reality of our Lord Jesus, it is incomplete, if we as viewers, do not also see Mr. Eko's story as further Island evidence that God exists. When we spit in the face our God's mercy and grace (that God doesn't give us what we deserve, and gives us what we don't deserve) we leave ourselves dead in our sins. And when we live dead in our sins, we die without knowing forgiveness (as Mr. Eko did) and we live separated from God forever.
"But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
May we daily humble ourselves before our righteous God, that we may come to the cross of Christ drink from his fountain of grace and live. If we do not, we should not fool ourselves into thinking that we might go the way of Mr. Eko.
Blessings,
Matt
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