No More Jack

"Jack is back", these three words have evoked feelings of anticipation and excitement in thousands of people for the last several years. But, after 8 seasons, "24" has now come to an end. As someone who has seen every single episode (OK maybe I missed 1 or 2) I will miss "24" but feel that it was indeed time for it to end as the story lines had gotten tired and rehashed and Jack was forced to go to even greater lengths in his pursuit of justice (at least his idea of justice).

Jack Bauer was a hero to many, even if only imaginary, but what was it that made him so appealing to thousands, even millions, of people? Well, Jack was resilient, tenacious, persistent, self-sacrificing and always ready to fight for freedom and bring bad guys to justice. As a fan of "24" and of Jack Bauer, here are some things that I learned over the last 8 years:

1. Jack Bauer can hunt down and kill terrorists around the country and the world but he can't seem to find them when they work at CTU
2. If you have answers to Jack's questions, you might as well just tell him up front
3. If Jack Bauer loves you, you're in trouble - but don't worry he won't rest until he brings the people responsible for your death to justice
4. There is no obstacle too great for Jack to overcome, even death
5. When you are confident that you have Jack right where you want him, he's got you right where he wants you
6. Jack does more by 9:00am than the Army does all day

Jack Bauer was one tough dude and had certainly had some good qualities and by way of analogy, some people have even compared him to Jesus Christ. While Jack was willing to sacrifice himself and he did save people and the country from the bad guys, he did so on his terms and for his own reasons. While "24" was an entertaining show, the thing that bothered me season after season was that Jack wanted everyone brought to justice and held accountable for their actions, except for him. Time after time, Jack would go out on his own, making his own rules all in the name of justice and time after time, Jack would not have to face any consequences for his actions. Even in the last episode of the last season when Jack had gone further across any kind of moral line than ever before, Jack avoided accountability.

While there certainly are a few comparisons between Jack Bauer and Jesus, there are a couple of major differences;

1. Jesus was held accountable for something he never even did, sin. Jesus was the only perfect person to ever walk this earth, yet He allowed himself to be killed for our sin. We crossed lines and made mistakes that separate us from God, yet Jesus paid the price.
2. Jesus saved us from far more than terrorists and cover ups, He saved us from eternal separation from God.

Now obviously "24" and Jack Bauer are not real but the show did present a world view, primarily that the end justifies the means. Season after season we were told through the story of Jack Bauer that it doesn't really matter what you do as long as the result is good. We live in the real world though and there are consequences for our actions. For every single one of us, our actions cause us to fall short (we sin) but unlike Jack we must be held accountable for those actions and unlike Jack we can't escape that accountability. Our efforts don't get us there, it is only through the grace of Jesus that we are saved.

Routine

I am a bit of a pattern or routine kind of guy. I don't really like new or different, instead, I like to know what to expect, know what is coming. That probably explains why I was somewhat convicted by the video I saw today called "Sunday's Coming" while also finding it funny.

Too often churches try to copy the big ideas or formulas that seem to have worked for other churches or worked in the past. This video goes even further and pokes fun at what I see as manipulation of emotions or feelings. I think the video would be even more funny if it weren't also so true. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think there is anything wrong with have a plan for a service and coordinating what is going to happen when. I think the problem arises when it is so scripted or manipulated that it doesn't allow for God to work.

My life can get like that too. I can get so used to my plan or routine that I don't seek God's plan, I don't allow Him to work like He may want to in my life. I am working on changing that, on finding the areas in my life where I am on autopilot and need to let God work and stopping the routine.

Focus

Have you ever tried to do something while focusing on something else? It is pretty hard, if not impossible to do this. Take baseball for instance. If you are the batter, you are taught to pick up the ball as soon as you can (ideally right as it leaves the pitcher's hand). Doing so and staying focused on the ball will give you the best chance of hitting it well. However, if you are distracted by other things and don't focus on the ball, your chances of hitting it (especially hitting it well) are greatly reduced. The longer you play baseball the more important this becomes as the pitchers start throwing harder and throwing with more movement.

Baseball is just one example of where a lack of focus becomes a problem. You can also look at driving, homework, reading comprehension, or just about anything else. If you are focusing on the wrong thing, you will have a hard time accomplishing whatever it is that you are trying to do.

I was reminded of this reality in my spiritual life through a story that Jesus told in Luke 12:13-21. When I focus on things other than God, my relationship with God is not what it could be. There are many many things that pull my focus off of God and not all of them are bad by themselves. The problem isn't that I am involved in things or spend time doing things, the problem is when those things become my focus. You've probably heard that when you're driving, wherever you are looking is where you tend to steer and therefore where the car goes. The same goes for life, where you are focusing is where you will go.

The challenge for me is not to get rid of all these things (although some I need to) that distract me or take my attention, the challenge is not to let them be my focus. So what are you focusing on? Let God be your focus.