Desmond shepherds Christian's coffin, Kate pushes him for answers

At the church where the Lamp Post station was located in the original timeline, Kate sits in Hurley's Camaro as a Oceanic delivery van pulls into the parking lot. Desmond approaches the Oceanic employee and signs for Christian Shepherd's coffin, telling the guy that he works at the church. Desmond asks the guy to take the coffin around the back.

Desmond returns to the Camaro and she asks him who died. He tells her that it was a man named Christian Shepherd, and she laughs and asks if he's serious (the name is fairly funny when sitting in front of a church).

As Desmond is about to start the car, Kate stops him and asks why he's doing what he's doing. He says "No one can tell you why you’re here, Kate... Certainly not me." Kate objects saying that he brought her there and Desmond says that he's not talking about the church, "I'm talking about here."

Desmond introduces himself and tells Kate that even though she doesn't know it, he's a friend and all he wants to do is leave. When she asks where he wants to leave to, Desmond says "Let me show you."

Ben tells Jack about Doubting Thomas, leaves to fulfill a promise

Jack comes out of Eloise Hawking's office and finds Ben in the sanctuary and he appears to be praying. Ben goes to light a candle and asks Jack what Ms. Hawking told him. Jack replies "Nothing that matters" and then asks Ben about who Eloise Hawking is and how she knows so much about the them and the island.

Ben's looks up at the painting "The Incredulity of Saint Thomas" by Michelangelo da Caravaggio and starts telling the story of Thomas. He tells jack that when Jesus wanted to go back to Judea knowing he would most likely be murdered, Thomas told the other apostles that they should go with Jesus so that they can die with him. He continues saying "But Thomas was not remembered for this bravery." He then tells the story of "Doubting Thomas" who refused to acknowledge the resurrection of Jesus. Ben chooses an intersting way to describe this saying "He just couldn't wrap his mind around it." Thomas need to touch Jesus' wounds to be convinced. When Jack asks "So was he?," be replies "Of course he was. We're all convinced sooner or later Jack."

Ben then starts to head out the church before Jack stops him to ask where he is going. Ben replies "Oh, I made a promise to an old friend of mine, just a loose end that need tying up." He then tells Jack he'll see him at the airport and leaves. When then see Jack sit in the pew and look upward as if he's slowly starting to move closer towards faith.

Ben's speech about Thomas seems to have at least two meanings. One is that Jack is Thomas. He refuses to have faith in the power of the island. The other is that Locke could possibly be resurrected like Jesus once his body is returned to the island.

Something else interesting about this scene is that Ben seems to be praying and once again lights a candle (he also lit one in "The Lie"). While Ben is telling Jack the story of Thomas, he also phrases it in a way that could lead one to believe that at one time he didn't have faith.

And last but not least, what is the promise that Ben needs to fulfill? I only know of one promise that Ben has made which we saw last season.

Eloise Hawking gives Jack Locke's suicide note, further instructions

Jack goes with Eloise Hawking to her office where she tells him that what she has to say doesn't concern the others. She looks under papers on her desk and pulls out an envelope with Jack's name on it. She tells him that it is Locke's suicide note and that he hung himself. She says that there are probably a lot reasons why Locke would kill himself but that Locke is going to help Jack get back to the island. Locke's body will serve as a proxy for Christian Shephard's body. She tells Jack that he needs to recreate the conditions of the original flight and that he needs to give Locke something that belonged to Christian. At this point, Jack is still playing the role of the "man of science" and fights Ms. Hawking's instructions saying they're "ridiculous." She tells him to stop thinking about how ridiculous it seems but to ask himself "whether or not you believe it's going to work." She continues by saying "That's why it's called a leap of faith Jack."

In this scene, we see Jack's hardlined lack of faith become even more maleable as Eloise Hawking breaks things down for him. You can tell at this point that he's still not completely convinced yet though.

So how did Eloise Hawking end up with Locke's suicide note for Jack? There's also still the question of how she knows and understands what steps need to be taken to get back to the island? She is indeed a mysterious character.

Interior shots of Eloise Hawking's church

Here's a few interior shots of Eloise Hawking's church. You can see the paint The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio behind Ms. Hawking. You can also see some of the stained glass inside the church. I wanted to get these shots out of the way before the massive post of the group in the Lamp Post Station. There will be more about the painting later.

Jack and Sun meet Eloise Hawking, Desmond meets her again

When Ben, Jack and Sun arrive at the church where Eloise Hawking is, Ben gives Sun Jin's wedding ring. She tells him that Locke gave it to her when he was alive. Ben clarifies to Jack that Locke didn't come to him but he went to Locke. Sun agrees to go back to the island with Jack and Ben. That's when Desmond walks up and asks if they're here to see Daniel's mother too? Ben seems surprised that Eloise is Daniel's mother. Either that or he is surprised that Desmond knows this. They all proceed into the church and Desmond seems to immediately recognize Ms. Hawking. In case you forgot, Desmond encountered her in his time shifting after the Swan Station imploded in "The Constant" in season 3. Eloise says to Ben "I though I said all of them" but he replies "this is all I could get on short notice." She say "Well, I suppose it will have to do for now." The episode ends after she says "Alright, let's get started."

It seems that Locke did not approach Sun like he did the others who are off of the island. It would seem that he and Ben may have worked something out in advance to convince Sun to join the cause. Does Ben not know that Eloise Hawking is Daniel's mother? Why is Eloise Hawking not seem all that concerned that all of the six are not currently there? She seemed pretty adamant that all of them be there when she and Ben spoke earlier.