Thought for Today
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth,
Genesis 2:7 then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God--
“The Force is a mysterious energy field created by life that binds the galaxy together. Harnessing the power of the Force gives the Jedi, the Sith, and others sensitive to this spiritual energy extraordinary abilities, such as levitating objects, tricking minds, and seeing things before they happen. While the Force can grant users powerful abilities, it also directs their actions. And it has a will of its own, which both scholars and mystics have spent millennia seeking to understand.” (www.starwars.com)
This month, our end-of-the-month Fellowship Luncheon fortuitously fell on Palm Sunday. I always enjoy our luncheons. It is a great time to break bread together, to share our lives and our interests at table. The conversations are always interesting and frequently thought-provoking.
I’m not sure exactly what was said at our table yesterday, but some comment resulted in my waking this morning thinking about the Star Wars franchise. Even if you have never seen any of the movies, almost everyone is familiar with some of the favorite lines of dialogue which have become ubiquitous in our society. I have heard the sage wisdom of the Jedi master Yoda quoted in television comedy shows, “Do, or do not, there is no try.” Certainly, we are all familiar with the salutation, “Let the force be with you.” That salutation has even resulted in an unofficial holiday recognized by geeks and nerds around the world, May 4th, Star Wars Day. Among engineers and scientists, that holiday ranks almost equal to Pi Day (March 14th) . . . okay, 03.14 for all you muggles (Yes, that is a mixed pop culture reference)
That definition of The Force above captures one of the main elements of that universe created by George Lucas. I have long been fascinated by the influence that Star Wars and other pop culture movies, songs and books have on our lives, our societies and even our religions. I plead guilty to the accusation that I often use pop culture references to help me emphasize a point I am trying to make in my sermons and these Thoughts I share.
I have witnessed the influence of The Force on our own culture and Protestantism in attempts of some to liken The Force to our understanding of God. Something said yesterday triggered my mind to once again ponder on the question of The Force and our Creator God. Is God simply another name for The Force? Is God “a mysterious energy field created by life that binds the galaxy together?”
Yesterday was Palm Sunday . . . or, if you prefer, Passion Sunday. Next Sunday is Easter. Today is the Monday of Holy Week. Could there be a better time for us to think about the nature of God? Certainly, “both scholars and mystics have spent millennia seeking to understand” God, just as that Star Wars website says about The Force.
“The phrase ‘man cannot understand God’ is often attributed to Thomas Aquinas, who stated, ‘Because we cannot know what God is, but only what He is not, we cannot consider how He is but only how He is not.’ This reflects the philosophical view that human understanding of God is limited and often involves recognizing what God is not, rather than what He is.” (Bing Search) In seminary, I learned that limitation as “God is greater than we are capable of conceiving.”
Is God “a mysterious energy field created by life that binds the galaxy together?” God is certainly mysterious to some degree. But, all those discussions about The Force and mysterious energy or mystical powers ignore the most salient aspects we know about God. God cares. God is sentient. God loves. I know of no greater statement of that than John 3:16 and no greater demonstration of that than the events of Holy Week. God is not some impersonal energy field. God is the Creator of Creation. God is the great I AM. And God sent Jesus, the Son, to save Creation.
Stay safe, know the true force of God’s loving care, trust God,
Pastor Ray