blog-in-the-round: gilligan's island

for a while, you could get this show 24 hours a day in some sort of syndication. as a result, i have seen way too much of it. good enough show, i guess, but it always begged a question or two:

why did everyone (save the 2 men who worked on the boat) have so many clothes for a 3 hour tour?

for that matter, how were they shipwrecked so long only 3 hours from civilization?

wasn't it convenient that of all groups to be shipwrecked with, gilligan and the skipper were with a group consisting of hot, rich, and smart people?

the misadventures of the folks on the island can teach us a few things. namely, how people best function, specifically followers of Jesus. it would have been easy for the 7 stranded ones to become so caught up in escaping the island (which certainly was important; indeed, it drove the show) to do nothing positive for the surroundings they had. while each show was an exercise in a wacky way to escape, they also built huts, ate food, enjoyed the surroundings, and otherwise made a life there. the hope of escape was important, but not singular.

my brothers and sisters in Christ sometimes have a gilligan-ish mentality. "we are not at home here. we should focus ALL our energy on escape, on preparing for eternity." meanwhile, the world around them goes to hell (quite literally a hell on earth). simply put, an escapist mentality benefits no one, and lets the forces of darkness and un-love and hatred and violence win.

we could take a cue from the castaways. no, we are not at home in this world the way it is now. and hope for the future with God is an important part of our worldview. but we are here, and should form community and build huts and feast and otherwise enjoy and live in the surroundings we are given.

i have to believe it would be the best way to live. just watch out for the natives.