Rambling Thoughts on Manifest

Did I completely waste my time watching Manifest? I won't argue that it was a good use of time, a wise use of time, a rewarding use of time. 

Very quick summary: A plane full of people--flight 828--disappear during a storm only to reappear five and a half years later. They're the same and not the same. The passengers haven't aged--of course, their loved ones have. Some have moved on--having grieved in their own time and way. All their families have in some way been traumatized by the missing nature of the flight. Of course, the passengers face their own ordeals--literally and figuratively. The "motto" of the show, if you will, is "all things work together for good..." This one has a little bit of everything: man versus society, man versus man, man versus nature, man versus self. 

Do I regret watching Manifest? Once I was a handful of episodes into the first season, I wanted to see how it ended. I wouldn't have been content to not know. I thought about searching out spoiler-y posts. But all the spoiler posts were a) divided in their reactions b) confusing in the extreme. I had "no choice" (not really) but to go on watching. 

Were there any spiritual OR theological truths hidden within Manifest? Absolutely NOT. For sure, they dabbled in quoting--or misquoting--scripture throughout the seasons. But it reminded me of the story John MacArthur used to share in a sermon about a woman who made the ugliest patchwork quilts. (Quoted from Principles for Discernment Part 1)

“Well, I saw the sign about the quilts, and I just wondered if, you know, I could see some quilts.”

And then I looked to my left and I saw this man sitting in this huge, overstuffed, cheap recliner, all worn. And I know he had been in there for years, I mean, he just was in there. And to his left were stacked all kinds of magazines and newspapers, and to his right were videos, and he had two TVs and two video machines. I mean, he might as well have been a statue. And he said, “My name’s Johnny.”

I said, “Well, Johnny, you’ve got a lot of literature here.” And I looked over, and he had books by James Dobson, and he had books by the Unity Fellowship, Unitarianism. He had Mormon stuff. He had Christian Science magazines. He had the Worldwide Church of God literature. He had Moody Press stuff. He had all kinds of stuff in this assortment. And I said, “You know, you have quite a mix of things here.” And I’ll never forget what he said. He said, “There’s good in all of it. There’s good in all of it.” That is a lack of discernment, isn’t it?

Then, all of a sudden, his wife says to me, “I have just the quilt for you,” and she ran in the back, she said, “I made it myself.” She ran in the back; she came out with the ugliest quilt you have ever seen. It was absolutely nondescript. It was no particular color or pattern. And, you know, it’s like when somebody shows you their homely baby, you know, what are you going to say? “That is a baby.”

So I didn’t know what to say to this lady. And so, I said, “That is a quilt.” She said, “I made it myself.” And I had to think fast, so I said, “Well, you know, it’s just not the color I was looking for.” And she said, “Well, it’s got every color in it.” And I said, “No, I don’t think I’d want that.”

And I thanked them and I left, and I went out and I realized that she had quilted her husband’s theology into that quilt, sort of metaphorically. That quilt was like a metaphor for her husband’s eclectic theology. It was a whole bunch of nothing all sewn together that made no sense.

The spirituality of the show was a hot mess and that's an understatement. I was not surprised so I was not angry. I would have been more surprised if there were a LOT of helpful, insightful spiritual insights packed within. It made me think if they are getting so much wrong about Christianity then what are they getting wrong about other religions they are representing? Are they getting anything at all right for anybody? 

What were my biggest frustrations with the show? Several things come to mind. It was a hodge-podge of mythology and religions. Everything "depended" on them hunting down clues, searching out obscurities, looking for signs and wonders, getting in touch with the divine consciousness that connects everything in the universe. There were always "hidden" "secret" meanings that went beyond the surface. It was sacrilegious. Again, not a surprise, but several characters took on the role of "prophet" "teacher" "mediator." All had various motives. 

But essentially, my biggest issue with the show was this notion of the "lifeboat" and works-salvation. First, ALL the passengers were supposedly linked together and faced this all-for-one-one-for-all fate. If even ONE person failed judgment day, then all were doomed. And not only all the passengers were doomed, but the whole world was doomed to face the apocalypse. The two main characters took it upon themselves to be the "captains" of the lifeboat. To ensure to the best of their ability that EVERY SINGLE PERSON did his/her share to live right. To be good. To be kind. To be helpful and generous. To be reconciled. To live peaceably. To be the best they possibly could be under any/every situation. So being captains, well, they could get a bit self-righteously bossy in telling others how to live and guilting others. All being connected, it led to a very insecure five years. Worrying will what I do be enough? Will what he does be enough? Will what she does be enough? What about so-and-so? How can our actions make up for so-and-so's actions? There was never any peace or calm or assurance...having to micro-manage righteousness--your own and hundreds of others. I disagreed, of course, with the lifeboat analogy. That is not at all Christian. But I especially disagreed with the works-righteousness. At the pivotal climax of the final judgment, the captains were listing out all the reasons why the passengers were worthy, were righteous, were good, were upright and deserving. They were able to "defeat" the final judgment, if you will, by their long lists of "righteous" deeds. While many outside (and sometimes inside) the church may be confused about righteousness--about works-righteousness, about trying to "earn" salvation, "work for" salvation, earn "merits" etc. this just played out as you'd expect. Again, not surprised that a mainstream show got theology wrong. 

My favorite characters were Zeke and Vance. 

Relationships were complicated. Plenty of conflicts between parents and children (grown children in most cases), between siblings, between couples, between coworkers, between friends. Much food for thought. For example, what would you do--could you do--if you were standing witness to terrible injustice. Many types of love were explored--as I mentioned. But sacrificial love definitely had a role to play in this one. Several characters made BIG sacrifices. 

Definitely NOT clean. Definitely NOT recommended for Christians who want to be careful and mindful and discerning of what they view. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible