I just came back from seeing the last Star Wars movie. While I enjoyed it, I couldn't help myself. I saw some interesting life lessons from it. Sure, the acting is only so-so. Many of the lines are cheesy. And the plot was a surprise to no one. But it just couldn't help reflect truth because it dealt with real issues like the death of a loved one, betrayal, man's appetite for power, and the power of a lie.
For starters, it is interesting to note that what attracted Anakin to the dark side was his desire to cheat death and save his wife. This seems like a noble desire does it not? But at what cost? The dark side only showed its true self when Anakin had passed the point that his heart had grown cold. Sin doesn't normally parade itself around as sin. No, it appeals to some desire and begins to create a path for us to justify it. Many time evil appeals to what seems to be good motives on face value. The dark side does this to get us to do things that we would never otherwise think of doing.
And what really is the dark side? It is something outside of us or part of us? Where does it come from? And was Anakin right when he said that the difference between a Jedi (good) and the Sith (bad) is that the Sith only care about themselves whereas the Jedi care about others? I think he may be onto something there. But he does miss the key to true goodness. When the Jewish teacher/scholar called Jesus, "Good." He responded that there is only one who is good and that is God. Now some have taken this to mean that Jesus was saying that only God is perfect. But I believe that Jesus meant more than this. Jesus was pointing to the fact that all good things come from God. Nothing that is good would be good apart from God's design, influence and power working to make it good. Nothing is good apart from God. Thus, the goodness of something is really based upon God and His original design. How close is that thing or person to what God intended for it to be?
Notice how the Sith Lord uses lies to make Anakin turn on his mentor and Jedi brothers. Evil almost always uses lies as a primary weapon to get us to join its diabolical scheme. Satan, the great accuser, likes to make us think the worst of others just like the Sith Lord did to Anakin. Satan will accuse others and even God of the motive that he really harbors inside himself.
Anakin's process was a slow and subtle one. He did not listen to the wise council of friends. And the in the end, his lust for power, fear of losing loved ones, the uncertainty of the future and his pride cost him everything that he held dear. More importantly he lost his own identity and became the antithesis of everything that he had once been.
There is a bright and cheery part to this post. Even the Sith Lord recognized that anyone could destroy something but real power comes by bringing life and creating something. What Anakin was most tempted by was not the power to destroy but to sustain and revive life. The greatest lie is that evil can every bring life. It never does. Sin and evil always lead to death. Even on the devil's best day, all he can do is corrupt and destroy what God has created.
Truly, the Jedi order is still alive and well for those who choose to selflessly live for something greater than themselves. Good can only be found by those who live for God and His glory. Christians as followers of Jesus have the power to bring life to death. Really the dark side is not stronger. It only claims to be.
So what is your world view. Do you live for yourself, for other people or God? The only answer to that question that will bring real life, joy and goodness to the world is "God."
