![]() Star Wars appears to be one of those eclectic sources from which people can/have drawn. “Unfortunately, many Christians have focused their attention on folk religious notions about life after death…an amalgam of notions drawn from eclectic sources…which has little to do with revelation or the classical Christian tradition” (see The Mosaic of Christian Belief). Roger Olson considers dualism, a significant aspect of Gnosticism, as “ The Mother of All Heresies” (see Counterfeit Christianity). ![]() For Yoda’s wisdom and Jesus’ crude matter are diametrically opposed. The popularity of Star Wars in the church and culture makes that a tough task. And not even 24 hours later, I witnessed firsthand the problem the church has with shaking the negative influences and effects of dualism. This is the time our Christian tribe remembers weekly the flesh and blood of Jesus- of God becoming man, or “incarnate,” and dying on the cross to save the world. The next morning, a friend quoted this line during his communion talk. And in a statement that is presented as both wise and deep, Yoda tells him, “ Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter” (as he pinches the flesh on Luke’s shoulder). It was at that moment I realized Yoda was a dualist. Luke is getting discouraged amidst his Jedi “two-a-days,” so Yoda has to coach him up. And turns out, its one of the most famous lines in all of Star Wars. Think about it, w hat better way is there for a church striving to live up to Sticky Faith principles and bolster intergenerational relationships than watching Stars Wars together?! Name one, I dare you.īut in the midst of the 7 hours of watching IV-VI, eating Galaxy Mix jelly beans from the Target dollar section, and playing”Guess Who? Star Wars Edition” with my son, one line from The Empire Strikes Back still rings in my ear. I ask you this, in return: Do you not see the answer? A heart is a heavy burden.On the eve of the new “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” premier, our student ministry just had our own Star Wars marathon. How can this greeting be one of familiarity? He is at once a god of immense power and a humble beast reliant upon his heart. Yet, he trembles at the touch of a hand upon his cheek and the gaze of the one he has lost. He can crush mountains and hold a sun within his palm. He dreads the feeling of echoing grief and so so deep trembling aching fe a r that resides within his very being. The pride of his men, the loss of his father/brother/life, the weight of his fate and the power he wields in hand and voice and heart. He experiences, with his whole being, the sheer life force of the universe he lives in. He is a soldier, a man of barely 21, in grief and in growth and fear. I could not remain distant as I so often did.Įven if I seek to run, I often come face to face with myself in the end. Tonight, the transaction of feeling was not the normal give and take. Of the unrealistic hopes, of the dreamers, of the fantasies far away. It eases it, a bit, to feel things not of my own. I’ve been reading, as I so frequently do when my lungs become too small for the breaths I cannot take. Until I was numb, and my gaze felt distant, and I didn’t feel so much. I would clench the fist in my lap and will the white hot fear blossoming in my stomach to fade away. I would have my eyes on the classroom chalkboard and think- not again. ![]() The overwhelming embrace of true feeling. The hotness of your skin, the clenched teeth and the blurriness of your vision. The tightness of your throat, the stinging of your eyes, the trembling of your fingers. You know that feeling in your chest? The one where, when you press your hand to the warmth there, you feel as if an entire galaxy is setting your ribcage ablaze? As if a beast is howling in your lungs?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |