Star Wars Spirituality

Like millions of geeks nation wide I went to a midnight screening of Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith. (And like millions of geeks I was late to work due to the "Star Wars Flu")

I enjoyed the movie, not too much talking this time and plenty of action, including just about everybody getting their arm chopped off.

But as a children's minister I had to sit back and wonder about the transformation from that giving, sensitive little 'Ani' Skywalker from Episode I into the arm-chopping, throat-crushing Darth Vadar. The interesting thing about his transformation is that it came from a desire to save the lives of his mother and wife. (And the Emperor used the language of "Peace" to destroy the Jedi, sometimes the worst things are done with the best language.) Yoda told Anakin that death is a part of life and all kind of fun Buddhist ideas like "Learn to give up what you are afraid to loose." But it's too late the seed of the Dark Side had been planted.

But back to the main idea... how do good children become throat crushers. There is no one manipulating Emperor in our world, we are up against a bigger foe: Society. If it was one guy, I could just go chop his arm off and it would be over. But there it is hard to target an entire culture. Our Cultural Emperor is always whispering in our children's ears, "What do you want? How can you get it?" "There is no good or evil only different points of view." What's a parent of a young Jedi to do?

Well, first off all don't seclude your kids from yourself and from all emotion. The whole Jedi Knight thing is a crock anyway. Fear and anger can not be completely suppressed, perhaps if Anakin had learned to deal with his feelings they wouldn't have run wild. What the Jedi teach about no emotion is like saying, "Don't get a cavity! Don't get a cavity!" They don't tell you how to brush and they don't say, "When you slip up and get a cavity, go to the dentist for heavens sake!"

Sometimes our Church does the same thing. "Don't sin! Don't sin! Sinning is bad so don't do it!" We don't provide real prevention training and our church culture makes you want to keep your hidden sins bottled up and not seek help. That's the lesson Anakin missed, "When you screw up, face up to it and get help or it will only get worse." (In fact in the movie he tries to do this but Obi Won doesn't take it as seriously as he should ending up in him having to tell Vadar, "I failed you." So if you teach your kids to repent you better be there to forgive and educate.) Please go to the dentist, confess your sins, get help and see Star Wars.

Ps. Chewy makes an appearance. (Don't worry Wookies live much longer than humans so he'll still be spry by the time he meets up with Han.)

XOXO, Trey Laminack, 8th lvl Jedi Dork.