I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see…
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home. – Amazing Grace
Did you ever lose something of dear importance? Car keys when you
are late, a child in a packed department store? We all have, to one
degree or another. Then the friends mobilize and work to find the
missing person or item.
We saw an amazing example of this in the Star Wars community a short while back.
Definitely him. Definitely awesome.
Boshek, the man who led the young hero and his mentor to Han Solo,
was found – in real life. Sadly, it was not in time to express our love
and friendship to him in person, as he passed away more than a decade
ago. On many of our shelves sit countless atlases and complete guides
and the like (all of which have been or will be surpassed). Many of the
mysteries of the making of our favorite movies have been solved – though
a few remain. The revelation that Frances Alfred Basil Tomlin has
been found is great news, and gives those of us finishing up the season
of Great Lent a springboard to uncover the manner in which our lives
and gift of years have been lost or wiled away.
A brief digression to make clear the last few sentences. Our lives
are a gift. There is a short amount of time that we are given, and no
more. How often, though, do we throw away this amazing gift? Maybe I
have brought it up before, but my absolute favorite song is Time by Pink Floyd. The song opens up with this chillingly clear diagnosis of our human condition.
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way…
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way…
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
Now, back to our story at hand. Boshek was lost, and through a fan’s
enduring pursuit, the actor was brought back within the fold of the Star Wars
family. Many have longed to know the story about the actor – how he
found himself on the stage that day, what his memories of his time
were. He never returned, but his family will be sharing more about this
little known man that, in his small role, has inordinately touched the
story. Telling the whole story in one panel.
We can look at the Prodigal Son for
a similar story, though he is not as lovable a character until he is
broken and redeemed in the end. A young man, an immature soul, takes
his inheritance from his father. This told the father that the son saw
him as good as dead. He took that gift from his father and squandered
it on some pretty nasty stuff. Destitute and starving, the son takes a
disgusting job and envies the slop that is trampled in the pigpen. He
gets the bright idea to try to go home and let daddy solve all of his
problem. What do you suppose the loving father did? What would you
do? What should the father have done? While his son was still some
distance from the house, the father ran out to welcome him home. No
matter where the son was, no matter the circumstances, the father was
overjoyed to welcome him back into the family home. This certainly
resonates with the return of our friend Boshek, though the incidentals
of the story may not all be the same. If he had just taken the job!
The Prodigal Son was a nasty kid, but realized his nastiness because
of his awful decisions. That is not the situation for Mr Tomlin. By
all accounts, he was an honest and hardworking man, just trying to make
his way in an English studio. While he is in that far off land, on the
other side of the great divide, he had to be found by someone on this
side of eternity. The legwork of the journey of discovery was expertly
done by Bill Jensen, an investigative journalist. I encourage you all
to read that fan’s journey over
at his blog. Since Boshek was lost, and unable to find his way home,
he was searched for. This is the beauty of the community that we are
all a part of. Star Wars is based around the love of a son for
his father, and the redemption that each receives by their triumph over
evil. We are drawn to, or called to, this universe of storytelling.
At many times in each of our lives – perhaps in the distant past, or
in a situation in which we currently find ourselves – we have been the
one who needed to be found by a friend. Perhaps there was a wedge in a
relationship or a selfishness that was indulged to unhealthy extreme.
But there was a call to return to a healthy life. Maybe the call was in
our hearts, screaming “Who am I Lord, that you should save me?” (1
Chron 17.16). The friend forgives out of unwavering love.
Who indeed. Someone inherently lovable and valuable simply by the
fact of being in existence. Boshek was found because he was a long-lost
member of this amazing family that we have decided to join. The
Prodigal Son was loved by his father, and welcomed back to the fold with
great joy and feasting. No matter where we find ourselves in life,
there is always a chance of returning to our heart’s true home, the
warmth and blessings of the company of our family and friends. In
moments of weakness, may we all have someone around us to bring us back
to the community to which we belong.
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