Lost - A Man of Faith (Locke fic)

[hackthis_archive]

From today's Popbitch: Central Park zoo's gay penguin couple Silo and Roy have split. Silo left his mate of six years for Scrappy - a girl penguin.

Huh.

I was not pleased with last night's Lost premiere, but like always there were two saving graces: Hurley and Locke. I heart Hurley and Locke. I need to write Locke!fic, like now. *cracks knuckles*


Lost
Spoilers for 2.01
Locke, Boone, Danielle, Jack, Kate
*Dedicated to edigo and ethrosdemon, who both have finally joined the Lost train.


A Man of Faith






When John called Jack a man of science, he meant it as a compliment. It's not that John doesn't like science, or that he doesn't believe it's necessary, science helps people every day with shots, medicines, antidotes and technology. There are innumerable things that man has come to depend on that science provides, but there are some things that science simply can't take credit for and that's where faith comes into play.

Science said John would never walk again after the accident. Science said that John Locke was destined to spend the rest of his life in that wheelchair, but science was wrong.

Science has nothing on faith, and John has faith.

John believes that science can't answer everything; he believes that science is too hard-headed and emotionless. Science needs a better bedside manner.

Science -- and Jack -- should feel more and think less.

You can call it intuition or gut feeling, or you can just call it... faith.

The island is a manifestation of John's faith, of everyone's faith, and the island is there to save them -- if they let it. John is doing his best to show everyone this, but people fear what they can't see, and faith is about blind hope and trust, and belief.

You have to believe or faith doesn't work, and non-believers will be punished for their lack of faith.

John had a foster father once -– Mr Taylor, Mr Reed Taylor –- and Mr Taylor was a believer. He believed in God, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary -- but he kept a shotgun under his bed.

Mr Taylor liked to say, "Believe in God, but -–"

Believe in God, but lock your doors.

Believe in God, but keep your gun loaded.

Believe in God, but don't associate with "the lesser element" because when God comes, he's going to take the believers first.

These days, Mr Taylor would be called a Christian Fundamentalist, but John doesn't think too much about that. He doesn't really subscribe to different theologies as much as he subscribes to the main concepts:


Believe in something greater than what you are.

Through me all things are possible.

Without me you are fucked.

There is only one God, and you have to have faith in him.


John lacked faith after the accident, and that's why he lost the use of his legs. When they first crashed on the island, John was so taken with having his legs back and the wonder of the island, that he got a little carried away. He believed -- but he forgot that there is only one being worthy of belief. He thought there were two, and that he was the other.

And that is why Boone died -– for John's sins -- but John knows better now.

Boone was John's only son, and he was taken away because of John's pride, but John understands now. He understands his mortal sin: he broke the First Commandment. And the Second. And the Tenth.

He had another god; he himself was a graven image, and then, he coveted more.

John fought the island -- he fought his faith -- the island fought back.

That's what happened to the French lady, Danielle. She fought the island, and the island fought her back. It took her son, too; but, she is a scientist after all, and science and faith don't mix well -– as far as John's concerned she was destined to lose from the start.

But John, John is penitent, and he has learned.

John Locke is a man of faith, but John Locke is also a pragmatic man.

He believes in God -- but Kate will go down the hatch first.


-end-

Comments

[antheia.livejournal.com]

Damn, woman.

[totalimmoral.livejournal.com]

love the last line!!

[prairiedaun.livejournal.com]

This was awesome. Thank you for writing it.

[dopplegl.livejournal.com]

Awesome, as always.

Just one nit pick: Alex was the French Lady's daughter.

[smonsterbite.livejournal.com]

I don't know how a show can be so simultaneously intriguing and boring. But Lost manages it. Locke and Hurley were definitely the best things about last night. (But I gotta say, I was rolling my eyes when he had to go down the hatch *rightnowthismeeeeenute*. Dude, it's 3 hrs to daylight. Bunk down in eyesight of the hatch if you want, in shifts if you want, but is it really that urgent?)

John Locke is a man of faith, but John Locke is also a pragmatic man.

He believes in God -- but Kate will go down the hatch first.

Yeah, funny that.

You have to believe or faith doesn't work, and non-believers will be punished for their lack of faith.

Neatly absolving him of guilt for their deaths. The faith-based rationalizations feel very in-character to me. Thanks for the ficlet.

[julissak01.livejournal.com]

Oh. Oh, that was just wonderful. I loved it, especially the last line.

[sparky77.livejournal.com]

Stop making me have sympathy for Locke!

That was lovely! A great glimpse into Locke's thoughts.

[circe-tigana.livejournal.com]

your short thematic pieces are just so diamond-sharp. they glitter and cut. i love them. this was magnificent.

[edigo.livejournal.com]

noooo you can't dedicate something to me when I CANNAE READ EET!! *stabs*

now i am forced to download ep 2.01.

will read and feedback as soon as i watch eet.

[arabella-hope.livejournal.com]

O___o I needed that too. That was just perfect, a nice little discorse on belief there.

It has a sorta Pahaliniuk quality to it. Awsome!

[helholden.livejournal.com]

Awesome. Love how you tied it all together with the ending. This is John Locke through and through; I don't know if he's a God-type person, or if that even matters. If he is, I don't think that's what drives his faith. I just think his faith is Fate, Destiny, and belief in the better side of things. There could be more to it, but until John mentions it, I just think he believes in the supernatural without calling it any one thing.

I loved your fic. He's a tricky, interesting little bugger. ;-D

[zoniduck.livejournal.com]

I just love everything you write. It doesn't matter what fandom, whether it's canon-based or AU, or whether it's a main character or one you've plucked from the corps de ballet, it's always good. Thank you for sharing your wonderful talents with us.

[quiet-rebel.livejournal.com]

Very creepy! Very Locke!

Just to clarify if Alex is a boy or girl, Danielle said Alex was a girl in the finale:
Our ship went aground on this island 16 years ago. There were 6 of us - my team, 6. At that time I was already 7 months pregnant. I delivered the infant myself. The baby and I were together for only 1 week when I saw black smoke - a pillar of black smoke 5 kilometers inland. That night they came - they came and took her - Alex. They took my baby. And now, they're coming again. They're coming for all of you.

I remember there was speculation if that girl in the Others raft was Alex, too.

[luvmax1.livejournal.com]

That last line was just amazing. As was the rest of the story.

[psycho-llama.livejournal.com]

Wow. That was excellent; really chilling at the end.

Dammit, I can't wait until Feb! I don't want to miss out on all the fanfic you're sure to be writing. Evil Australia.

[ethrosdemon.livejournal.com]

And that is why Boone died -– for John's sins -- but John knows better now.

arg!
yeah. exactly.

Tina and I were discussing Locke, mainly how she wants to hate him yet still loves him, and really I think that since I watches all the OTHER shows Terry was on it says a lot about Locke, the writing on the show, and Terry himself that I can divorce him from Millennium--my favorite show ever, on which is he was a very similar but eviler character.

He believes in God -- but Kate will go down the hatch first.

Hello, exactly what I thought as it happened. I was all "Yeah, Locke, send her bitch ass down there, they need you on the island." Excellent ending line.

So, I might be thinking about writing a Sawyer fic, but I don't know about what exactly yet. Maybe gambling and some girl who rolled him?

[edigo.livejournal.com]

fuck the hatch, what happened with Walt the Antichrist and the pirates? Bitches!

AHAHAHAHAHAHA YES.

I love Locke, because it's so obvious that he's the only one with any sense. No morals, but lots of sense and instinct.

oh, my god, yes. no morals. and the self-righteous faith and the pragmatism. he is one hell of an interesting motherfucker, and you portray that wonderfully here.

Jack's an idiot.

n'aw, he's a cute puppy! although his hair was so pastede on.