"You're watching Star Wars and when they say "May the force be with you," if you reply, "and also with you."
—You Might Be a Lutheran If...

This year, December marks the long-awaited release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. For me the appeal of Star Wars saga is two-sided. On the one hand, being a 20-something male and a huge dork, I can't get enough of the fantastic locations, the aliens, the laser swords, and the spaceships. On the other hand, as a Christian, I've always appreciated that Luke Skywalker's spiritual journey so strongly parallels the journey of many Christians new to the faith.

Luke, a normal teenager anxiously awaiting an opportunity to move away from home and see the world (or in this case, the Galaxy), has a chance encounter with an elderly neighbor who happens to be a retired pastor (Jedi) named Obi-Wan Kenobi. Having grown up in what appears to be a nearly 100% secular galaxy, Luke has no concept of God (The Force), and immediately prods his new mentor with questions about the very essence of what God actually is. Obi-Wan's reply even echoes Scripture: "(The Force) surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together," (Eph. 4:6).

Shortly thereafter, Luke's new friend passes away, but leaves him with two important bits of information. Firstly, he again echoes Scripture, telling Luke that "The Force will be with you, always," (Mt. 28:20). Secondly, he offers Luke advice on how to contact the Galaxy's foremost Christian scholar and Obi-Wan's former seminary teacher, Yoda.

With Yoda, Luke moves from the innocent questions of the early Christian ("What is God?"), to questions of what it means to be a Christian, and how The Holy Spirit interacts with us in our daily lives. Yoda explains that through faith, even faith as small as a mustard seed, Luke can literally move mountains. Luke is skeptical. Yoda replies: "Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is...Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you."

Eventually, having studied his new faith for some time and confident in his knowledge and devotion, Luke experiences temptation at the hands of the Devil himself, Emperor Palpatine. He urges Luke: "Use you aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you" and your "journey towards the dark side will be complete!"

Rather than comply, Luke passively drops his weapon, showing compassion for his enemies and banishing the hate and aggression from his heart.

So many of our classic stories—The Lord of the Rings, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Star Wars, etc.—all show these Christian influences. Perhaps through the lens of these fantasy words, we can discern a greater understanding of our own faith and our relationship with God in our everyday lives.

Dear Lord, help us to see your influence in all things, to appreciate the relationship we have with you, and to serve your will as all Christians should. Amen

ref 1: You might be a Lutheran If
ref 2: Old Lutheran
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Contributed by Michael
Monday January 4, 2016
Liturgical Year: C Week 7
Liturgical Color: White
Sunday Gospel reading: cChristmas2
Second Sunday after Christmas