I heard a priest use the phrase "lost" to describe people. I took this to mean, at the least, a group of people who are unfortunate for some reason, and probably not because they're driving in downtown Chicago without a map. I'm guessing that it has more to do with a notion that membership in the church is the "right direction."
A quick look-up of the definition of a "lost soul" is "damned." Synonyms: damned, fallen, irredeemable, past hope, accursed. Antonym: saved.
Certainly a person worth praying for. Wait, is that the right term?
Prayer: A solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.
I tend not to ask God for help, only because I believe that God already has a plan; that our job is to live it out and give thanks for it. So prayer might not be the term. Try again.
Certainly a person worth caring for.
But what causes someone to be "damned" by God, really?
There are nearly as many answers to that as there are people. Popularly, a person who doesn't believe in God the way that (insert religion here) does.
What's the right answer? Only God knows. My belief, perhaps theory, is that God wants us to honor the plan, making creation as beautiful as possible (however our God-given sense discerns beauty), using and enjoying whatever life deals us, and giving heaps and heaps of thanks. At least, that's how I've found my sense of right direction.
But hey, the idea behind the "lost" as it's popularly used is to care for the lost. Mostly, I think that any notion that drives us to care for others is a good thing, whether or not God would agree with the definition. So let the rescue mission continue!
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