The Magic of Star Wars wears thin
Posted by tom | Jun 21, 2005Hope you enjoyed the quiz. Hope to not completely place damper on the fun, but the Christianity Today's Review still sticks w/me. In a recent conversation, I could not help but to affirm that a the magic of the Force falls significantly short of a relationship w/the good, personal, One True God revealed to us by the Word, prayer, circumstances, and the experience of the People of God . . .
It's increasingly hard to believe that the Force "binds the galaxy together" in the end. It remains merely a commodity, something that Jedi and Sith can get and learn to manipulate for their own purposes, good or evil. In The Lord of the Rings and Raiders of the Lost Ark, there was "another will at work," an Authority worth serving, a Higher Being that could redeem a mess made by well-intentioned but insufficient heroes. Phanton Menace told us that the Force has "a will." Why, then, do the Jedi not appeal to it? Sith and Jedi (both of them corrupt) seek merely to control it. There's apparently no Higher Power they believe can save them, not even in the afterlife. They're on their own.
When judging the morality espoused by the Star War saga, it is important to remember that "Revenge of the Sith" may be the most recent installment, but it is not the final word. Ultimately, the prequels serve to tell us what went wrong, even with the Jedi. It is the original films that tell us how to make it right again.
I would agree with the assessment of the CT review - the main character flaw exposed in the prequels is a desire for power and control. Palpatine, Dooku and others want to rule the galaxy. Anakin wants to use the Force to achieve immortality for his wife and probably himself. Mace Windu at times seems to be exercising his authority out of a sense of pride rather than a desire to teach Anakin. Even Yoda and Obi-wan are guilty of putting too much trust in their mastery of the Force. Their teachings about not becoming attached have led to an unhealthy inward focus. But the story doesn't end there; there is another way.
Everything we learn about the Force in the subsequent films still comes through Obi-wan and Yoda, so where does the new perspective come from? The answer is that Yoda and Obi-wan have changed; they have studied under the would-be reformer of the Jedi order: Qui-Gon Jinn. He was the one who spoke of the will of the Force, and he clearly thought of himself as its instrument rather than the other way around. He understood that attachment was not always wrong; it encourages community and working for the greater good. He is also the one who gives hope for an afterlife; instead of facing oblivion, true followers can look forward to communion with each other and the Force. It is his teachings about yielding oneself to the Force that Luke will ultimately learn through Obi-wan and Yoda. Thus we see Luke laying his life on the line to save the galaxy, his friends, and his father. He is tempted to give in to a thirst for power and mastery over the Force, but he ultimately chooses submission.
That said, the message is not without its weak points. It is still unclear whether the will of the Force is simply that which yields the most good for the most people or whether some higher plan exists. And it is a little confusing that after Obi-wan explains to Luke all about giving yourself over to the Force and letting it flow through you, he still admonishes him to "use the Force" rather than be used by it. But in the end I don't think the saga is as spiritually bankrupt as it seems after watching "Revenge". It reminds me most of Mark 8:35: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it." The story of the prequels is of Anakin trying vainly to hold onto life; in the original films, by following the example of his son, he gives up his life and finds redemption.
Posted by Andy Walsh, Jun 22 2005, 14:37