Man of Faith

Unlike Jack, an open book from scene 1, John Locke is a mystery. He seems at times quiet and reserved, others he is boisterous. He seems a simple middle-aged man until he pulls out his knives. He seems to be a commando/rugged outdoorsman until- well, you get the picture. What John clearly is, even if his motives are not clear, is a man of faith. He believes in something. Something happened to him on the island, and he jumped at the chance to believe and have hope.

Locke believes in what is really incomprehensible. He talks about the island like it were a person- a person he really wanted to be friends with. A person he would sacrifice himself and others for. A person, Locke beleived, was benevolent. And honestly, his faith seems rewarded. He can tell when it is going to rain, he is able to find food when needed. But really- Locke has purpose and a seeming certainty of his path.

But then, he doesn't.

Unlike people of science, people of faith are given to fits of doubt. They wonder if they really are right, is this really the way to go? When you live a life that doesn't always get answers, it's tough to not fall away from time to time. To wonder if it really is real.

Locke finds himself doubting himself at one point, and he questions the island. The island seems to respond by turning on a light in the mysterious hatch Locke is working around. He takes a leap of faith and is renewed. He interprets an a event as a sign. Just like we do. A song, a quote, a picture, a story, a random thought- all of these and more can set us on a path, a vision quest of sorts. If we choose to believe that we are being spoken to.

A lot of people, especially people of science, have a tough time with this concept of hearing God. Is it an audible voice? How do you know it's not just your thoughts? What if you're wrong and it is not a sign?

These are the dangers of faith. So it is, when Jack asks Locke why it is so easy for him to believe, Locke responds forcefully- "It's never been easy!" Living as a person of science isn't easy either, but living as a person of faith is not easy. We serve an unseen God who demands more of us than we can give, and He rarely demands it in a straightforward-road map kind of way. Faith is as dangerous as spinal surgery- but we are not trained for years in the specialty of it. We are all amateurs, all just stuggling to figure it out.

Sometimes we believe in the wrong things- we place our faith in the wrong person or thing, we step out to do what we think is God's calling only to find that it wasn't. Faith can be watered down, and decieved. People of faith can be too trusting, too easily taken in- they can be suckers. This is why faith is dangerous, and faith should never be simply an ideal we hold in regard, but never test.

See, thats the deal. Faith must be tested and tried. There comes a point where faith must be experimented with- not unlike a scientific theory. I know of people who have an inherited faith- they believe what they grew up being told to believe. It is a form of faith, but is a faith that will not stand the test of adversity. Faith that comes from personal exploration, personal experience, this faith will waiver and stumble, but it will possess the connection to God to enable us to rise. Real faith admits it does not know it all. Real faith leans on the one who does know it all, and trusts that He will lead us on.