24, Jack Bauer, and Something to Die For

24, Jack Bauer, and Something to die for.

This past summer after dealing with the already-seen reruns and the great bore, baseball, Kathy and I decided to take on the 24 series on DVD. Now I had heard much concerning the show starring Keifer Sutherland. Being a self-confessed “Lost” fan, I knew that not much could steal my loyalty. Well, it is with much hoopla that I confess that 24 has stolen my affections. Action, drama, great acting, excellent writing...to say the least. Even on vacation Kathy and I were saying, “ Just one more episode” which sometimes would take us into like 3 in the morning. “Addicting” was a comment from a friend, “Guilty” I confessed.

Jack Bauer is a rogue agent for CTU(counter terrorism unit) always on mission to save the world from some terrorist threat. In season 6 Jack is released from a Chinese prison in which he has been in holding for 18 months. His release comes with a great price; he is released under one condition. He is placed into the hands of a terrorist whose family was killed by Bauer. Jack’s associates are heart broken when handing him over to a terrorist cell who have in their possession a nuclear device which could be detonated in Los Angeles. What follows is a heart wrenching exchange between Bill Buchanan (who is the head of CTU) and Jack. Bill apologizing for what seems to be certain death for Bauer, Buchanan is in agony for the many times Jack has sacrificed for his country. He even questions Jack regarding why he didn’t give information to the Chinese government so he could be released from torture and imprisonment.

Jack Bauer’s response was chilling to me and the purpose of this writing. He declared to Buchanan these words: “If I would have died in China it would have been for nothing. I want to die for something”.

Now you’re thinking this is another article about dying for Jesus, right? Wrong! We Christ followers here in the west know little or nothing about this subject. So no, I’m not talking about giving your life for Jesus. This isn’t about things that are really worth dying for. Think about that for minute! Death! Dying! Sounds romantic, huh? Not to me. What about you? Something or nothing? My translation is what is worth living for!

Often in western Christendom we hear a lot about loyalty and commitment. Many things are asked of us to define our loyalties: sign this card, take this class, give a 100% commitment, tithe, show up on Sunday, invite your friends. This is how this is translated. This is how we define commitment.

I find this interesting. Jesus never talked about these kind of things. NOT at all. He defined a life of loyalty by the willingness to lay your life down for your friends, caring for widows and orphans, taking the good news to the poor. Rubbing shoulders with the outcast. Being like Him. Doing what He did. Alan Hirsch calls it the “conspiracies of the little Jesus’”.

Through His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus became the reigning King. He is worth living for! When we began to demand loyalty to organizations, clergy, and churches, we usurp the place of the rightful King. When we demand loyalty from God’s people and define it by anything that isn’t producing Christlikeness, we become idolatrous. Men build their own kingdoms and define loyalty by how committed people are to their agenda.

Then, when their kingdom is threatened, they place unrealistic demands on God’s people. As Peter wrote in his epistle “The stone the builders rejected has now become the Cornerstone”. Scathing! We actually can build something in the name of Jesus and reject him in the process.

When Christians see Jesus as Lord, the idols of comfort and security and safety and convenience are severely tested. Jesus as Lord meant something to first century believers. It was a call to live the Life. That, my friends, is something to die for.

For the Quest,

Mike