On "Lost," No Man Is an Island

Most of last night’s episode of "Lost" focused on revealing the secrets of Mr. Eko, one of the survivors from the tail section of the plane, who we learn knows all-too-well the history behind the crashed plane Charlie had discovered loaded with statues of the Virgin Mary. Nevertheless, it was some of the smaller moments of last night’s episode that truly moved me.

While Mr. Eko and Charlie made their way to the crash site, we were treated to glimpses of seemingly insignificant moments of kindness and grace among the community of survivors left on the beach as well as those who were living in the hatch. Kate volunteered to give the ailing-but-still-caustic Sawyer a haircut. Michael, who previously had never gotten along with Sawyer, gave Sawyer some words of encouragement. Jin and Sun brought the lonely, angry Ana Lucia--still reeling from guilt over Shannon--some food. Jack took time to extend his sympathy to Michael for the loss of his son, Walt, and confessed he should have said something to Michael much sooner. In some of these exchanges, the compassion and mercy that were offered was readily accepted, as when Ana’s face lit up over Jin and Sun’s gift of food, but in other cases, as with Sawyer, the act of kindness was not so readily accepted. It didn’t matter though. We as viewers could see that just the offering of grace itself seems to begin to do the work of healing in the lives of Ana, Sawyer, and Michael.

Watching one of the episode's final montages last night, I couldn’t help but be reminded that, like the surviving passengers of Oceanic Flight 815, we all are in need of a sense of community where we can extend and receive hope, love, and forgiveness to each other. Otherwise we, too, will be become spiritually, well, lost.