Six months ago I helped produce a conference for staff ministry leaders in the northwest. For one of the sessions we were going to be talking about some aspects of leadership, so as the MC I decided a fun intro to the topic would be to watch a clip from a TV show that showed a little bit of what it can be like when you're leading: disorienting, lonely, overwhelming, urgent, stressful, perilous, reactive, like trying to prevent airplane wings from falling on people. Well, some things translate better than others. Nevertheless, while leading can be tough going, sometimes we just need to be thankful we're not Jack Shepherd...
It is striking to watch the first seven minutes again, especially as someone who has watched most of the episodes the last six years. There is clearly a spiritual undertone (that may become overt tomorrow night during the series finale) as Mr. Shepherd tries in vain to care for all the people wandering around looking like lost sheep. We'll see if the end of the series points us squarely back to the beginning.
As a footnote, I came to realize that there is a difference between watching Lost at home with my wife and forcing it upon 40 unsuspecting ministry leaders. In the case of the latter, it's good to consider that some may find scenes like this one....disturbing. Especially those with a strong bent towards empathy. Lesson learned: Remember your audience.
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