This evening I went to the Warner Village in Piazza Repubblica to get a glimpse of the stars of Star Wars Episode III. I was actually hoping Natalie Portman (Padmé) would show up but it was fine that Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) and Anthony Daniels ( C-3PO) were there to grace the premiere of the movie in Rome.
Hayden, who was of course the center of everyone’s attention, seemed low key and shy. Since he did not in any way resemble the robot he played in the movie, Anthony did not get as much interest. The Italian girls screamed and asked for Hayden’s autograph (Italians pronounce his name as Ay-dennuh). He took the time to approach the fans and I got to be that close to him because I had a prime star-spotting position just outside the main entrance to the cinema.
The “Revenge Of The Sith" is essentially the story of the fall of Anakin Skywalker from grace. In Episode II we saw him as an idealistic young Jedi knight and in Episode III we see how he is seduced by the Dark Side of the Force and becomes Darth Vader.
A Cebuana friend lightheartedly calls me Jedi because she reasons that as a priest, I am celibate and do not follow my heart in areas such as romantic love. I had been a fan of Star Wars since forever. As a child I liked the movie for its battle scenes, intergalactic journeys, and futuristic characters. As a teenager I was attracted by its breakthroughs in filming and computer generated effects. And now as a Catholic jedi, ehem priest, I watch each episode with special attention to the spiritual dimension of the whole Star Wars saga and its subplots.
The common thread running throughout Star Wars is the battle between good and evil. It particularly shows us how an individual or an entire community can choose to be good or give in to evil desires. Whether intended or not, the six Star Wars episodes are loaded with Christian images, symbols and themes. You don’t need a background in doctrinal theology to see how stories of love, forgiveness, reconciliation, self-sacrifice, redemption and spiritual hope are interwoven seamlessly from the first episode to the last.
At the heart of the films are the life journeys of Anakin and Luke Skywalker. I look at Luke’s journey as a journey towards spiritual enlightenment while that of Anakin as a departure from paradise and going away from his true vocation. It is almost natural for us to side with the good guys – in this case, with Luke. But how many of us would honestly accept that we often take the path Anakin took?
And that is what I truly love about the Star Wars films. It does not only tell you a good story and show you smashing special effects, it also behooves you to ask questions about yourself and about your faith.
One of the first English sentences I learned by heart in childhood was “may the Force be with you”. Even at a young age I always recognized it as a rephrasing of “may the Lord be with you” I would always hear in mass. Some say that the Force can be taken to represent Nirvana for the Buddhists, Allah for the Muslims, and the Holy Spirit for Christians. Well, I never really considered “May the Force be with you” merely as a stylized Jedi goodbye but as a spiritual blessing. And so I say: may the Force be with you. And may you always feel blessed.
Gospel Acclamation of the Day: "I am the light of the world, says the Lord, whoever follows me will have the light of life." (Jn 8:12)
I never understood and still will never understand STAR WARS hehehe
juts dropping by and saying hello!
‘dre, maybe Natalie Portman is still on the train …
Star Wars is one of the few things i share with my kids, having seen the first one (which is of course now the fourth) when i was still a kid. And with Maui well-versed in the intricacies of Starwars.com and the myriad twists and turns of starwars.com/databank, I find that he now has more to share about the saga than I ever had.
Dumaan lang po at makiki-blog. Ako po pala si Abe yung ka email nyo but most people know me as yuga online.
Ayeza, Bambit & Yuga, thanks for dropping by. Ayeza, ayawg kabalaka nga wala ka kasabot kay morag si George Lucas ra jud ang nakasabot ana tanan. Hi hi hi. Bambit, ang ako jud untang ganahan makita ni Natalie kay ang iyang shaved head. Yuga, I always thought Abe & Yuga are two different people. Thanks for telling me na one and the same person lang pala. Keep up the good work!
Kuhaon pa ni nimo imong Star Wars nga vcd inig balik nimo? Dili na ni nako i-uli. =) Or basin ilisan na lang tika ug pirated. Hehehe. A jedi should be giving baya.
hello fr.
i just dropped by to read this interestingly funky post about star wars philosophy/spirituality. I’m actually a christian buddhist, and its nice to hear that a techie-priest like you understands the meaning of star wars.
I’ve always been fascinated by star wars. But the the matrix still goes number one for me! n_n
may the force be with you!
p.s.>> bisaya diay ka fr? from where? taga cagayan de oro man ku. n_n
Gilbert, yes bisdak ko. Taga Cebu ko bay. One of my all-time favorites pud na nako ang Matrix trilogy. The other one is Lord of the Rings. I am going to give a seminar on “Film and Faith” next week and I will use Neo as an example of a sci-fi Christ-figure.
oh, i see. kaya pala. its about neo,wow i also wrote a feature on our school paper regarding neo’s connection with our religious diversity. I also suggest The Fountain, very inspiring! well, i wish you the best fr!