Who is your God?

It is always challenging wrapping up a series. I've seen good series finales and ones that left me scratching my head. The trouble always comes in seeing how the writers' vision of how the show should end matches your own.

For the past five seasons, I've watched "Big Love" on HBO. The show is centered on polygamist, fundamentalist Mormons. In other words, it depicts a people group whose beliefs greatly vary from my own. But I was always attracted to the character elements, watching how they struggle with ideas of love, family, and faith.

The show wrapped up its run on Sunday night, and it was a reminder to me how hard it's been to watch these last few episodes. As the show has moved toward its conclusion, the characters have faced severe trials and, in each circumstance, have turned toward their faith for comfort and consolation.

In each of the final two episodes there were moving depictions of faith, but it left me feeling something different than was intended. As Christians we believe that our faith gives us strength and provides us hope in times of need. We serve a great God, and our faith is based on the truth and promises provided in Scripture.

But there was something profoundly sad to me in seeing a show depict characters doing likewise as part of a false religion built on warped theology. I was profoundly saddened by the episode, and I had to think about why.

I think it was the idea of it being a depiction of people that were searching for meaning, searching for answers, searching for hope but finding them is something false. Faith takes work, trust, and love. And there are plenty of people we can admire for their faith and dedication that have just placed their trust and faith in the wrong place.

I think that's what I found sad. It was people who were seeking that found the wrong outlet for their passion and faith. In that way, they remain lost.