Dear Friends,
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”
I was just six years old when that line flashed across the movie screen at The State Theatre, the little, one-screen, downtown movie house in Rheinlander, Wisconsin. The year was 1977 and the phenomenon that is Star Wars was born. For Generation Xers like myself, Star Wars, and the now 43 years of films that have followed, are simply a part of our cultural narrative.
I dressed us a a Star Wars character four years in a row for Halloween.
I figured out how to play the iconic theme song on my clarinet.
And for kids growing up in the North woods of Wisconsin, all it took was two sticks and your buddy and suddenly you were Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader battling in an epic struggle of good versus evil.
We love great stories and epic tales. We fall in love with heroes that give themselves over to something larger than themselves. We want an invitation to participate in bringing transformation to the world. A good story always makes it clear–it i only in the transformation of one’s self is anyone able to participate in the transformation of the world.
That is what this Sunday is really all about. It is not just a trip down nostalgia lane for middle-aged guys like me. It is not to simply dissect and appreciate a good movie. No, Star Wars Sunday is the reminder that we are all invited into a real-life story of transformation. That is what the Jesus journey is all about. “Come and follow me and I will give you a chance to change the world… and guess what? You’ll be changed in the process as well.”
So yes, thank you for indulging my childhood memories but more importantly, thank you for accepting the invitation to this journey to change and transform our lives and the world.
I should end this by saying, “May the Force be with you…” but guess what? It already is!!!!
Grace and Peace,
