tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85436026710652280952024-03-13T14:10:30.684-07:00The Force and FaithDiscussing and analyzing the spiritual side of Star Wars. The vast Galaxy offers much to think about in terms of our own spiritual journeys and our understanding of the world around us. Let's examine these things using the lens of this great modern myth.Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-18108963595144164672019-01-02T07:23:00.000-08:002019-01-02T07:24:19.384-08:00The Jedi and the Messianic Hope<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CpyyNezgSgE/XCzWFF3Xz3I/AAAAAAAABq0/_LYFMbkgmXw_BN1jpGph0yT_MqAu0ERewCLcBGAs/s1600/Luke%2BChristmas.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CpyyNezgSgE/XCzWFF3Xz3I/AAAAAAAABq0/_LYFMbkgmXw_BN1jpGph0yT_MqAu0ERewCLcBGAs/s400/Luke%2BChristmas.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>This post first appeared at the amazing <a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-jedi-and-the-messianic-hope/" target="_blank">Coffee With Kenobi</a>. </i></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is my Christmas post. Trust me for a bit on that.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span id="more-44387"></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Allow yourself to rise up. Meditate on what it means, or the process
by which, you can become greater than you have ever thought you could
be. Leave behind ideas of materialism, or even what pop culture offers
as spiritualism. Identify not with the crude matter, but give great
psychological effort to becoming one with the Force, that the Force may
become one with you. If we can find clarity enough to look inside of
our own souls we will find that there is a secret hope there, implanted
by the Creator. While the Jedi hoped for the Chosen One, we have a hope
for the messianic.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img alt="Image result for anakin at council" class="aligncenter jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-lazy-loaded="1" height="248" src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/d/d4/The_Phantom_Menace_4.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150316192228" width="583" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Hope of the Jedi was the Chosen One of the Prophecy. Mace Windu
did not speak broadly, but specifically. Of all of the prophecies that
the masters of the Force had uttered, this was THE ONE. And it called
for one knight who would rise up and bring balance, securing peace and
tranquility for all. True, George Lucas maintains that Anakin was the
Chosen One, but that bothers me. It affronts my desire and need for the
redeeming messiah figure (which, I have said, is innate to humankind).
The messiah of the prophecy must fulfill the prophecy and cannot fail.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Perhaps Anakin did fulfill the prophecy of balance, though in a very
unexpected way. The prophecy spoke of bringing balance. We, in our
real world expectations assumed it would be worked out through the
triumph of the Light Side. But what happened at the end of the Jedi
Purge? Left standing were the two Dark Lords of the Sith. And two
Jedi. Balance. But then a new Prophecy was uttered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img alt="Image result for yoda dagobah" class="aligncenter jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-lazy-loaded="1" height="269" src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/6/69/RMQ-YodasHut.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100514135246" width="358" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Master Yoda sent the Skywalker twins into hiding. Not Jedi yet, they
would be revealed to the Galaxy in the fulness of time to bring a new
hope to those who were suffering and laboring under the fetid darkness.
This was the New Prophecy, and we are blessed to watch it being
fulfilled in our time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When Yoda was training the young Luke at his swampy reliquary, the
boy got distracted by visions of Cloud City. Luke was living with his
head in the clouds but was forgetful of being mindful of where he was.
He, to that point, had failed to look inside of himself to find that
deeper and more powerful truths were found within.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And we also, my fellow young souls in search of the messianic, can
look within our own selves and find truths greater than will ever be
offered by the material world. There was a philosopher named Jacques
Derrida who noted that messianism is inherent to most religious faiths,
and therefore points to an inherent longing for that which is wholly
other to come and transfigure our lives. Now, for Derrida, it was
antithetical for that other to ever actually arrive, since the innate
hope of the human person would be fulfilled – and therefore dashed. His
first point is correct while the latter half is lacking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img alt="Related image" class="irc_mi aligncenter jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-recalc-dims="1" height="202" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.reel3.com/images/obi-wan_obi-wan/obi-wan_old.jpg?resize=474%2C202" width="474" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If we look in our hearts, there is this sense of something good to
come. No matter how rich or poor, the idea of more value added to our
lives is a constant hope. But this is where we must leave Derrida and
look to the Blue Ghosties. The Jedi who have become one with the Living
Force are our guides here.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">“If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”<img alt="Image result for athanasius the great" class="alignright jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-recalc-dims="1" height="286" src="https://i0.wp.com/images.oca.org/icons/lg/may/0502athanasius-great.jpg?resize=138%2C286&ssl=1" width="138" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Obi-wan believed in the messianic redeemer, and knew that this
brought something greater than fulfilled material life. When Jesus was
headed to his trial and crucifixion, one of his disciples still asked if
the armies of angels would destroy the Romans. A short-sighted
question, focused on the mortal life. Christ the Messiah was paving a
path to the invasion of immortality into the mortal, eternal into the
finite. This Messiah brings us to something greater than Derrida, or
Marx (the champion of materialism) could ever imagine. Becoming like a
god. St Athanasius of the 5th century said that “God became man so that
man could become God.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img alt="Image result for nativity icon" class="irc_mi alignleft jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://i2.wp.com/wp-media.patheos.com/blogs/sites/276/2012/12/nativity-icon-1.jpg?resize=230%2C300&ssl=1" width="230" /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Messiah was born on this temporal plane as any other human was.
He was raised in a normal town of the time, learned a trade and did all
things that humans do. And he fulfilled them. He baptized them into
the divine. And when it was time for him to return to where he came
from (Heaven), it was his power that took mankind with him. Since
humankind was now redeemed and healed by the Messiah, it could be raised
up to something even greater. No longer bound to the mortal cycle
resolving in death, but fulfilling our intended purpose of becoming
joined in liberty and fraternity with the God who desires his beloved
children to be full members of his household.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I asked you to look inside yourself, to meditate on what your heart
truly wants. For what it was created to desire. Your heart was created
to be a cave with a manger. A place for the messiah to be born, to
fulfill more than the hopes than you imagine. To make us adopted sons
and daughters no longer subject to death, but heirs of eternal life.</span>Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-67019945597040098802018-11-29T10:34:00.004-08:002018-11-29T10:35:47.228-08:00Seeing Star Wars Anew Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hwLoF22agkw/XAAvkfBaR2I/AAAAAAAABqA/12pYjCLHVjM4I53Yms6_QMbyEv8MvQzCQCLcBGAs/s1600/LakeComo-1170x480.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1170" height="163" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hwLoF22agkw/XAAvkfBaR2I/AAAAAAAABqA/12pYjCLHVjM4I53Yms6_QMbyEv8MvQzCQCLcBGAs/s400/LakeComo-1170x480.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="lead" style="text-align: center;">
<i>This article was originally published at the venerable <a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-seeing-star-wars-anew-again/">Coffee With Kenobi </a></i></div>
<div class="lead">
<a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-seeing-star-wars-anew-again/"><i><br /></i></a></div>
<div class="lead">
<i>Attack of the Clones</i> was on TBS the other
day. I dutifully and joyfully put it on. This under-appreciated episode
of the Saga is much maligned, and I think that is wrong. While viewing
this visually stunning masterpiece, I realized that I was reciting all
of the lines along with the movie. Like some people sing along to
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Sweet Caroline” or “Frankenstein,” I find that
speaking along with these movies is comforting and helps me to find new
depth in them. So then the question arises: How can we see these movies
for what they are, and not what we expect them to be? By this I mean an
even more basic question. Can we ever see these movies new again?</div>
<div class="lead">
For the past decade we have been treated to <i>The Clone Wars</i> and <i>Star Wars Rebels</i>,
each of which has offered new insights to Episode II (among other
things); and I would say that it has made it an entirely different
movie. So, I ask myself, can I see this movie fresh, or is it constantly
going to be colored by preconceived notions that I, myself, bring to
each viewing? What if I had seen Episode II after the various cartoon
series? And if I had, what would have changed? Certainly not the
cinematic output, but me. I would have changed with more insight, or
having been at a different stage in my life.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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<img alt="Related image" class="irc_mi aligncenter jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-recalc-dims="1" height="296" src="https://i0.wp.com/images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/19600000/obi-wan-kenobi-and-Anakin-skywalker-obi-wan-kenobi-and-anakin-skywalker-19662423-1012-751.jpg?resize=384%2C285" width="400" /></div>
<div class="lead">
And I realized that <i>Attack of the Clones</i>
being the middle installment of a Trilogy, was robbed of the suspense
that such a movie deserves. We knew going in what the outcome would be.
We knew who Anakin would become, where Yoda would end up. The end of the
story was known before the first reel ever rolled. And an existential
crisis for the viewer continued.</div>
<div class="lead">
The crisis is that we put judgments onto things
because of our own prejudices and experiences that almost become
indelibly part of that experience. It is nigh on impossible to
reinterpret an event, an experience or a piece of knowledge after it has
been decided upon. How many of our brothers and sisters in fandom speak
about the earliest viewings of <i>A New Hope</i>? And the younger
generation that speaks as if Ahsoka has always been around believes that
this is so. What glorious fruits of contemplation could we uncover if
we could experience all of this again, as if it were the first time?</div>
<div class="lead" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for the thinker statue in winter" class="irc_mi aligncenter jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://i1.wp.com/cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ike5pSva6RDWDKRji7cbcg5iIYY=/0x0:3600x2400/1200x800/filters:focal(1512x912:2088x1488)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59096577/Rodin_Museum.0.jpg?resize=450%2C300&ssl=1" width="450" /> </div>
<div class="lead" style="text-align: left;">
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On
the one side of this equation, I propose, is anxiety. I know that I
myself am afraid to let go of my personal understandings, to reexamine
my judgments, lest I find out that I am not, in the end, the arbiter of
all things truthful. I am confronted when my judgement or expectation
must change in the light of some subsequent information or development.</div>
<div class="lead">
<br />
On the other side is freedom. I find that when I am
open to interpretations or well-considered teachings of the more
knowledgeable and righteous of a given community, whether of fandom or
of faith, I can be brought to greater levels of understanding that are
not dependent on my own myopic experience. The world doesn’t depend on
me! I am not at the center of the universe! This is a most freeing
realization.</div>
<div class="lead" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for naboo lake" class="irc_mi aligncenter jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-lazy-loaded="1" height="300" src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/9/94/LakeComo.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20080118163605" width="535" /> </div>
<div class="lead" style="text-align: left;">
<br />
Where
I live in upstate New York we have breathtaking vistas of high rolling
hills, miles long lakes and ancient creeks that have witnessed every
epoch of human habitation. And on queue, the earthy fall foliage was
covered with an expanse of white snow. As expected. Thousands of
commuters were caught off-guard, and many citizens thronged the stores
for their French toast ingredients (you know: bread, milk and eggs!).
The news droned on about the same old disaster we have each year. But
what if we looked differently right out our own windows? What if instead
of slick roads and damnable weather, we saw something new and wondrous
happening? Instead of the hustle of everyday life, running to and fro,
we have an opportunity to see the world anew, instead of the tired
backdrop of an unexamined life. The muck of life covered by a forgiving
and cleansing blanket of white. Intellectual and emotional freedom are
available to all, and offered throughout the world just outside of our
home’s windows.</div>
<div class="lead">
<br />
This freedom is all around us. And I would like to
propose that the unknown conclusion to the Sequel Trilogy offers the
same delicious opportunity.</div>
<div class="lead" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for episode 9 logo" class="irc_mi aligncenter jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-lazy-loaded="1" height="300" src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/b/ba/Episode_9_Logo.png/revision/latest?cb=20150820234904" width="444" /> </div>
<div class="lead" style="text-align: left;">
<br />
What
do you think about how the Sequel Trilogy ended? I am truly asking, it
is a serious question — and a very important one. Have you already come
to a conclusion about where this trilogy is going? Are you expecting a
parallelism or an anti-parallelism to one or the other of the previous
trilogies?</div>
<div class="lead">
I would bet that more than a few <i>Star Wars</i>
fans have some inkling to the answers to these questions, though they
would not have known that they were already answering them. And your
answer will be highly personal, based on real world experiences,
commitment to the saga and the amount of free time one has to
contemplate such things. But what if your expectations were on changing
yourself, and not on imposing yourself upon the Trilogy? Listen to Elsa,
my friends: Let it go!</div>
<div class="lead" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for yub nub" class="irc_mi aligncenter jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://i2.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/47CR_Hry0a4/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=533%2C300&ssl=1" width="533" /> </div>
<div class="lead">
<br />
Since
1983, we have actually known too much. The outcome of the Saga has
always been known for 35 years. Even the prequels had a very definite
ending to which they were trending, and we knew it. But now we have one
movie to tie together a complex trilogy. Do not go into the theater with
an expectation, but with an openness to the profound wonders to come.
In a world that tells us to put on the masks of self-importance and
pretense of individual omnipotence, we fans have the glorious
opportunity to grow our souls through being witnesses to the greatness
of a story that we are seeing new for the first time.</div>
Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-53171123711535681052018-09-22T19:06:00.002-07:002018-09-22T19:07:13.953-07:00Sympathy for Maul<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Force and Faith: Sympathy for Maul" class="img-responsive wp-post-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="43013" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Screen_Shot_2017_03_22_at_3.55.55_PM.0.png" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen_Shot_2017_03_22_at_3.55.55_PM.0.png-1024x768.jpeg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen_Shot_2017_03_22_at_3.55.55_PM.0.png-300x225.jpeg" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen_Shot_2017_03_22_at_3.55.55_PM.0.png.jpeg" data-orig-size="1400,1050" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-sympathy-for-maul/screen_shot_2017_03_22_at_3-55-55_pm-0-png/" height="164" itemprop="image" src="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen_Shot_2017_03_22_at_3.55.55_PM.0.png-1170x480.jpeg" width="400" /> </div>
Please allow me to introduce my subject. He is a man of power and
strength. He’s been around for long, long years, and laid many a Jedi
souls to waste. Staring into our souls from every poster, every toy
store peg and the merchandising for <em>The Phantom Menace</em> was this
red devil instilling fear and unease. His presence in the rise of the
Sith is palpable, though his loss of usefulness caused his expulsion
from the Sith. But in the end, he is a cautionary tale for us who are
buffeted by the pains of this world. <span id="more-42977"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Maul"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-42978 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="42978" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Maul Close Up" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Close-Up.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Close-Up.jpg?resize=308%2C154&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Close-Up.jpg" data-orig-size="318,159" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-sympathy-for-maul/maul-close-up/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="154" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Close-Up.jpg?resize=308%2C154&ssl=1" width="308" /></a> </div>
<a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Maul">Maul</a>
was a being that was victimized from the very beginning of his life.
Now, I will offer a lot of sympathy for him in this article. Do not get
lost or sidetracked: we must get to his tragic end to find the value to
meditating upon such unmitigated evil. So our victim. He is the very
flesh of a strong Dark Side practitioner, <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Talzin">Mother Talzin</a>.
He was marked before his age of reason with those monstrous tattoos, as
signs of his intended purpose. In her entanglement with Darth Sidious,
Maul was the pawn. Sidious stole the lad when he recognized his
immense strength and trainability. By his tutelage, Maul became
enraptured with the idea of vengeance being rained down upon the Jedi.
He was literally fed the images and anguish of the Sith defeats – and he
yearned for their revenge. All of this was implanted in him, without
respect for the person, without concern for his freedom, without
deference to his own desires.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
But what’s puzzling you, what’s confusing you, Is the nature of his game</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Naboo.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-42980 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="42980" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Maul Naboo" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Naboo.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Naboo.jpg?resize=349%2C142&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Naboo.jpg" data-orig-size="352,143" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-sympathy-for-maul/maul-naboo/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="142" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Naboo.jpg?resize=349%2C142&ssl=1" width="349" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Darth
Maul was marked as a weapon. Trained to be a fearsome warrior, he was
the face of the unveiling of the Sith, thought to be long gone. He was
used in his majesty’s vengeful service. Maul was not seen as a partner
by his master. He was a weapon, a being that was useful to Sidious’ own
purposes. There was no regard for him as a sentient being. He was a
utilitarian tool. And what happens when a tool breaks? Where is that
hammer of yours that has the broken handle? Sadly, he himself blindly
said “I was apprentice to the most powerful being in the galaxy once. I
was destined to become … so much more.”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And then Palpatine Washed his hands and sealed Maul’s fate.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
He was strong, full of potential and imbued with Force sensitivity. Imagine the promise in another circumstance!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/darth-maul-returns.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-42981 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="42981" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="darth-maul-returns" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/darth-maul-returns.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/darth-maul-returns.jpg?resize=300%2C166&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/darth-maul-returns.jpg" data-orig-size="672,372" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-sympathy-for-maul/darth-maul-returns/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="166" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/darth-maul-returns.jpg?resize=300%2C166&ssl=1" width="300" /> </a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Maul
was trash. Or more directly, he was treated as trash. You use this
word. You do! That person with the suspicious sores, that child of God
enraptured in the drug world, that person who betrayed you and made you
feel insignificant. This is the dirty world we really live in, one
where sometimes a person’s value is dependent on my use for them. So
Maul is trash, from a certain point of view. Used as the opening salvo
in the renewed Jedi-Sith conflict, he was a soldier sent on a suicide
mission. You know the battle. You can hear the music, the red force
fields separating him from his prey. And that definitive lightsaber
swipe. Obi-Wan Kenobi, moved to avenge his master.</div>
<br />
A strength growing; Pitched fighting; Evisceration; The look of
surprise and fear as Maul Is rent asunder; His fall down a bottomless
chasm. And at the bottom of it all, he was tossed away by his master as
garbage.<br />
<br />
But while he was in his exile, he lost something more important.
Legs, in the larger picture, are a small deal. His mind was lost.
Incensed with a burning rage that consumed his rationality; a purpose
existentially held yet suddenly incinerated. This phase of his life was
marked by having half of his body replaced with cybernetically. This
trash was healed with trash. And he being a man bent on vengeance,
sought to exact it upon Obi-Wan. There are many more exploits here.
Trace his life and you will find an incredibly satisfying story. But
let us move to his end.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Stuck around Mandalore</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When he saw it was a time for a change.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Killed the <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Satine_Kryze">Duchess Satine</a> and her ministers.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Bo-Katan howled in pain.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Dear readers, my life is also a bit of a mess. Myriad changes have
come my way in the past year. My very self-definition has been
challenged, honed – and some of it even buried. And through it all, I
still have hope that healing is possible. I have hope that something
good will come around the corner even as I am fallen down right here. I
aim to always be the hope guy.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Tatooine-Duel-2-BBY.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-42979 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="42979" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Tatooine Duel 2 BBY" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Tatooine-Duel-2-BBY.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Tatooine-Duel-2-BBY.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Tatooine-Duel-2-BBY.jpg" data-orig-size="900,600" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-sympathy-for-maul/tatooine-duel-2-bby/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="200" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Tatooine-Duel-2-BBY.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
Now
Maul was not the same. He was malformed by the hands of many others.
Revenge was his constant motivation. In his life in the shadows, he
built up a criminal empire to visit pain upon the master who had
previously shunned him. Sidious, Obi-Wan, Mandalore, the Galaxy: He
wanted it all to hurt. This wasted him. Or more accurately, by his own
actions, he wasted the end of his life. He had no overlord to
subjugate him. He was his own being. <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Twin_Suns_(episode)">And he stalked Obi-Wan</a>.
But in that final showdown of ancient foes, bright truth dawned on him
under the crimson and yellow suns of Tatooine. Maul learned that a new
hope was rising, that Luke Skywalker would bring balance to the Force
and destruction to the Sith. This final piece offered the lone bit of
solace to his blackened heart. As he was at his end dying in the arms
of his first Jedi enemy, Maul learned who Luke was and what he would
bring about. Maul asks is he “the chosen one? … He will avenge us!”
Maul had been a pawn. Someone else’s weapon. Trash. Yet in the end,
compassion, honesty and respect were given by Obi-Wan. His life was
wasted, but his value as a being would not be consigned to oblivion.<br />
Now, I am not offering sympathy for Satan (and indeed, there are
apologists for all sorts of evil clogging up the hyperspace lanes). My
point here is that as humans we are given the great gift of free will.
Zabraks too. And out of that free will, all options are possible.
Faced with a lost wallet, one could keep the contents or search for the
owner. Faced with immense power, it could be used for service or
degradation.<br />
<br />
So: what happens when that free will is somehow seemingly inhibited?
You see, freedom is God-given, and inherent. But what about the kid
who was born to those with evil intentions? What about the young one
who is raised with his range of choices restricted to maleficent ends?
How much can that babe be blamed? Rather, does the blame belong to the
devil himself? Perhaps more so it belongs somewhere closer. The
parents, the community, the larger culture.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Old-Master.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-42982 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="42982" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Maul Old Master" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Old-Master.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Old-Master.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Old-Master.jpg" data-orig-size="480,360" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-sympathy-for-maul/maul-old-master/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="225" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Maul-Old-Master.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We
are products of a lot that has gone before us. We are benefactors and
sufferers of much out of our control. So the judgment of the actions of
a person cannot be simply judged by static rules. Rather, we must
understand the actions and life of a person based on their efforts and
intentions. And be forgiving. In addition to being free, the heart is
inherently good. This law of goodness is written on every heart, and
offers the possibility for some grasp, whether tenuous or perfect, on
the hope in the one who does not make us unwitting slaves, but partners
through respecting our free will.</div>
Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-39809223421329600042018-05-22T19:02:00.000-07:002018-09-22T19:03:38.267-07:00The Royal Majesty Points to the New Hope<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Force and Faith: The Royalty Majesty Points to the New Hope" class="img-responsive wp-post-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="39959" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="natalie-portman-as-queen-padme-amidala-phantom" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/natalie-portman-as-queen-padme-amidala-phantom.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/natalie-portman-as-queen-padme-amidala-phantom-300x132.jpg" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/natalie-portman-as-queen-padme-amidala-phantom.jpg" data-orig-size="993,436" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-royalty-majesty-points-to-the-new-hope/natalie-portman-as-queen-padme-amidala-phantom/" height="140" itemprop="image" src="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/natalie-portman-as-queen-padme-amidala-phantom.jpg" width="320" /> </div>
This past weekend saw a television and historical event that will be
remembered for a generation or so — The Royal Wedding of Prince Harry
and Meghan Markel, now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. And in our
modern echo chamber, you either loved it, had disdain for it, or did not
even notice that it happened. I would like to offer that most of us
missed the point of why it mattered. And it mattered because the fate
of the Galaxy hangs in the balance, though not for reasons you may be
thinking.<br />
<br />
For 40 years we have been following the exploits of a Princess – how
she saved her rescuers, how she rallied a Rebellion against evil, and
the life we followed in the Legends novels. We were thrilled when her
King and father appeared in the prequel trilogy (and later!). These
admirable examples are the scope through which royalty, monarchy and
headship ought to be viewed.<br />
<a name='more'></a><span id="more-39944"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/padme-face.jpg?ssl=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-39945 alignright jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="39945" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="padme face" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/padme-face.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/padme-face.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/padme-face.jpg" data-orig-size="780,585" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-royalty-majesty-points-to-the-new-hope/padme-face/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="225" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/padme-face.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
It
is undeniable that all royals are men and women like you and me. They
are not essentially or existentially different. They have foibles and
gaffes, we know. But these are noted in the grocery store rags because
we expect better.<br />
<br />
Royalty embody the hopes and aspirations for an entire people. We
hope for healing, forgiveness, beauty, service and leadership. Monarchy
shows the best of what a culture has to offer. All come together not
to serve the individual, but to invest as a figurehead the embodiment of
the nation in a person. And in return, monarchy responds in service
and patronage.<br />
<br />
Let’s look at a royal we know. Padme Amidala was a young woman who
wore the mantle of the glory of Naboo. From an early age, she
participated in the <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Legislative_Youth_Program">Legislative Youth Program</a>,
hoping for a life of service through leadership. When the invasion of
Naboo came, she fought selflessly for their liberation. She put herself
in harm’s way, actively fought for her people without regard to
station, but utter freedom. This is but one example of the high calling
of service being discussed here. What we have seen in Padme, and what
we already know of Leia and Bail Organa, calls to mind our hopes for how
royalty can be beneficial to a society as a whole in each person’s
life.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Samuel-and-Saul.jpg?ssl=1" rel="https://sites.google.com/site/challengesofisraelites/challenge-a---coping-with-enemies/samuel-making-saul-king-of-israel" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-39946 size-medium alignleft jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="39946" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Samuel and Saul" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Samuel-and-Saul.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Samuel-and-Saul.jpg?resize=300%2C183&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Samuel-and-Saul.jpg" data-orig-size="398,243" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-royalty-majesty-points-to-the-new-hope/samuel-and-saul/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="183" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Samuel-and-Saul.jpg?resize=300%2C183&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
In
ancient Israel, there was no King but the Lord who reigned from on
high. He was not often visible, and he spoke only sporadically through
his judges, chosen vessels of his message. But as the Children of
Israel became more complacent and enamored with the material world, they
begged to look just like the nations that surrounded them. “all the
elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to <a href="https://oca.org/saints/lives/2018/08/20/102349-prophet-samuel">Samuel</a>
unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, …now make us a
king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel,
when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the
Lord,” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+9.4-6&version=KJV">1 Samuel 9.4-6</a>). Their desire was lowly minded.<br />
<br />
Out of his fatherly compassion – both in order to show his coming
fulfillment in Christ, and to use every moment as a lesson – God
acquiesced. “They have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
According to all the works which they have done since the day that I
brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have
forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. <sup> </sup>Now therefore hearken unto their voice,” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+9.7-9&version=KJV">1 Samuel 9.7-9</a>).
So he gave them what they wanted, not out of a misunderstanding, but so
that the children would learn and grow. Many kings and queens would
rule the nation of Israel for another 1000 years, and only seven were
noted as even being righteous. It was precisely when they gave up their
obedience to God and saw themselves as the mighty protector that their
falls were inevitable.<br />
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/QE2-Anointing-1.jpg?ssl=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-39953 alignright jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="39953" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="QE2 Anointing" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/QE2-Anointing-1.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/QE2-Anointing-1.jpg?resize=239%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/QE2-Anointing-1.jpg" data-orig-size="446,560" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-royalty-majesty-points-to-the-new-hope/qe2-anointing-2/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/QE2-Anointing-1.jpg?resize=239%2C300&ssl=1" width="239" /></a>In
the land of my ancestry, England, there is a moment at the coronation
that bespeaks of the relation between the temporal sovereign and the
eternal Almighty. Before being invested with he symbols of power, the
monarch is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYay408Rd7c">anointed with holy oil</a>,
just as spiritual leaders always have – and even each of us who have
been confirmed or chrismated in our own faiths. At the anointing, the
celebrating <a href="https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/">Archbishop</a> says this prayer:<br />
<div style="padding-left: 60px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="padding-left: 60px;">
O Lord and heavenly Father…who by
anointing with Oil didst of old make and consecrate kings, priests, and
prophets, to teach and govern thy people Israel: Bless and sanctify thy
chosen servant …Strengthen her, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost the
Comforter; Confirm and establish her with thy free and princely Spirit,
the Spirit of wisdom and government, the Spirit of counsel and ghostly
strength, the Spirit of knowledge and true godliness, and fill her, O
Lord, with the Spirit of thy holy fear…</div>
<br />
Begging the Lord to give the strength from above, because strength cannot come from within.<br />
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/galactic-senate-Palps-address.jpeg?ssl=1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-39949 alignleft jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="39949" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="galactic-senate-Palps address" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/galactic-senate-Palps-address.jpeg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/galactic-senate-Palps-address.jpeg?resize=352%2C150&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/galactic-senate-Palps-address.jpeg" data-orig-size="800,341" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-royalty-majesty-points-to-the-new-hope/galactic-senate-palps-address/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="150" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/galactic-senate-Palps-address.jpeg?resize=352%2C150&ssl=1" width="352" /></a>Let
us draw a counterpoint here. Palpatine. Of course, Palpatine. A man
of immense intelligence, cunning and ability. He claimed the Sith
through his own desires. He stole the leadership of the Galaxy through
nefarious evil machinations. He invested himself as Emperor while
assuming dictatorial power by decree. This example is all too often
what is assumed of the monarchs that have presided over our nations.
However, while there have been negative examples, the desire for
sacrificial servants bearing the weight of a people still never dies.<br />
<br />
Poe Dameron spoke to <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lor_San_Tekka">Lor San Tekka</a>
about the general at the head of the Resistance. The elder added,
gently but powerfully, “To me, she’s royalty.” In Princess Leia, we see
a life of strength and power, never abuse. Raised by her adoptive
parents to always be concerned with the least of the community, her life
was always one of service, hopeful leadership and loving sacrifice.
She is not defined by her military successes and failures, nor
legislation which bears her name. She is defined by her lifelong
commitment to serve her people – and this was the only thing that was
given to her without her permission. A most loving gift from noble and
righteous parents.<br />
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Extreme-Humility.jpg?ssl=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-39950 alignright jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="39950" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Extreme Humility" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Extreme-Humility-756x1024.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Extreme-Humility.jpg?resize=221%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Extreme-Humility.jpg" data-orig-size="756,1024" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-royalty-majesty-points-to-the-new-hope/extreme-humility/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Extreme-Humility.jpg?resize=221%2C300&ssl=1" width="221" /></a><br />
Since
Royalty and Monarchy points toward the hopes and dreams of a people, it
is only logical to conclude that there is a prototype to which we are
looking. There is a King of the highest order that is benevolent and
serves with sacrificial love, heals without harming. And of course I am
speaking about Jesus. The Son of God, a Prince of the Kingdom to
Come. He did not come at the head of a military coterie. He did not
scream from the heavens leading an angelic strafing run. He came as a
small child, to a life of service, sacrifice and restoration. We sing
at his birth: “The hopes and fears of all the years are laid with Thee
tonight.” At his resurrection, we sing: “<a href="http://myocn.net/christ-is-risen-orthodox-paschal-troparion-english-arabic-greek/">Christ is risen from the dead</a>,
trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing
life!” The royal and beloved son of the King of Heaven is the monarch
of the Galaxy, the benevolent lover of mankind. Through his royal
patronage, all the ills of our lives are banished. He fights the
battles that need fighting, offers the comfort and healing that is
required. And we recognize in his rule what we have been longing for
since we skulked out of the Garden of Eden.<br />
<br />
The royals of our day are conscious (or ought to be) that they are
pointing with their lives toward the Eternal invading and healing the
temporal. They are not our overlords and oppressors, but by their
vocation are a conduit and example of the way that faithful sons and
daughters of the Lord are called to be of service to one another.Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-65895716790250884832018-04-22T18:56:00.000-07:002018-09-22T18:59:16.182-07:00The Joy in the Force<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Theed.png?ssl=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-38644 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="38644" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Theed" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Theed-1024x433.png" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Theed.png?resize=385%2C163&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Theed.png" data-orig-size="1916,810" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-joy-in-the-force/theed/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="163" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Theed.png?resize=385%2C163&ssl=1" width="385" /></a> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We are quite blessed in this renaissance era of <i>Star Wars</i>
creativity. When once we suffered through dark times, we are now
embarrassed by riches and opportunity and a wealth of material. These
things make us happy. Usually. And the happiness can be expressed in
our homes through killer posters or sweet action figure displays.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But each of these things is topical. Either that is the depth of the
engagement for a fan, or there is a potential rebirth of the soul, a
nurturing of mankind’s inherent creativity available through finding the
joy in the contemplation of this great mythology.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is the chasm between happiness and joy. Ice cream makes us
happy, Porgs make us happy, and so on. But each of these moments is
fleeting, and does not necessarily leave a lasting sense of joy in our
souls. To find joy in happiness, one must enter deeper into the
mysteries and lessons of a thing.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span id="more-38641"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Pascha-Icon.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-38642 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="38642" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Pascha Icon" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Pascha-Icon.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Pascha-Icon.jpg?resize=300%2C211&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Pascha-Icon.jpg" data-orig-size="497,350" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-joy-in-the-force/pascha-icon-2/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="211" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Pascha-Icon.jpg?resize=300%2C211&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Joy
may be found in other ways, and not simply through happiness.
Happiness often may become shallow, vapid or enslaving. In addition to
many pleasing moments, joy is also found through struggle, fasting,
effort, training, stress, pain, and even in loss.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For us Orthodox Christians, we also celebrated Easter, or <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Pascha">Pascha</a>,
recently. The joy of the festal day is still fresh in our minds. The
gulch between earth and heaven is smaller as we rejoice with Heaven on
this beautiful day. As we hear in the <a href="https://oca.org/fs/sermons/the-paschal-sermon">Paschal Homily</a> of <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/John_Chrysostom">St John Chrysostom</a>
on that night, “If any man be devout and love God, let him enjoy this
fair and radiant triumphal feast. If any man be a wise servant, let him
rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord.” We arrived at this night
after a long Great Lent. This great joy came after ascetical struggle,
and not by prematurely feasting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Adam-and-Eve.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-38643 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="38643" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Adam and Eve" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Adam-and-Eve.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Adam-and-Eve-187x300.jpg?resize=187%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Adam-and-Eve.jpg" data-orig-size="570,913" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-joy-in-the-force/adam-and-eve/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Adam-and-Eve-187x300.jpg?resize=187%2C300&ssl=1" width="187" /></a> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://becomeorthodox.org/fun-vs-joy/">Fr Moses Samaan</a>, a priest of the <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Church_of_Alexandria_(Coptic)">Coptic Church</a>,
wrote: “What is true joy?…Man in the Garden of Eden was happy, blessed,
innocent and perfectly joyful. The source of his joy was a real and
uninterrupted relationship with God. As long as he was close to God, he
was filled with the peace of God and rejoiced in the perfect and
indescribable joy of God. When he chose to become independent by
disobeying God, however, he became separated from the source of his
great joy.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The machinations of this self-serving world has directed us toward
the disjointed search for happiness, and nothing deeper. It is a
function of the human soul to seek depth and fulfillment. As Adam and
Eve had done in the Garden, sometimes that function and gift is traded
for an immediate and fleeting excitement. Fr Moses again says “What we
do today is have fun, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into joy…
[T]he Greek word for fun, <i>diaskedazei,</i> is the same exact word
used to describe how the Prodigal Son scattered his wealth in sinful
living. It’s the same exact word, because to simply have fun is to
scatter oneself on the things of the world, which never produces true
joy.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But we, dear readers, are pilgrims in search of something more, for
something original and foundational. The joy which flows only from
God. <a href="http://jonimitchell.com/music/song.cfm?id=75">Joni Mitchell</a>
longed for this when she yearned I “Got to get back to the land and set
my soul free…And we got to get ourselves back to the garden.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Theed.png?ssl=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-38644 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="38644" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Theed" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Theed-1024x433.png" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Theed.png?resize=385%2C163&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Theed.png" data-orig-size="1916,810" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-joy-in-the-force/theed/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="163" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Theed.png?resize=385%2C163&ssl=1" width="385" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The celebration scene at the end of the Special Edition <i>Return of the Jedi</i>
is fabulous. Roaming throughout the galaxy and seeing celebrations of
freedom. A statute falls on Coruscant, Jar Jar narrates Naboo by
screaming “Weesa free!” And we come back to Endor. The Rebels have
lost many comrades in arms and sacrificed years of their lives. But in
this triumph, when the goal is achieved, when the galaxy has the
potential to be resurrected, they are gathered in a treetop village
singing, dancing, smiling and feasting. Joy has encroached in the
struggles of this plane. But honestly, can you trust an Ewok banquet?
And what happened to the former inhabitants of those stormtrooper
helmets? Are these connected questions?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Ahch-To-Sunset.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-38645 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="38645" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Ahch To Sunset" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Ahch-To-Sunset.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Ahch-To-Sunset.jpg?resize=300%2C142&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Ahch-To-Sunset.jpg" data-orig-size="749,354" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-joy-in-the-force/ahch-to-sunset-2/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="142" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Ahch-To-Sunset.jpg?resize=300%2C142&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">True liberation is an <a href="https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Seven_Habits_Study_Guide/Private_victory">internal victory</a>.
This internal victory consequently leads to external victories. We saw
Luke make peace with the Force and be reawakened. Through his reborn
desire for communion with the Force, he became the catalyst for the
spark that will bring the next victory to the Galaxy. The sweaty old
man on the craggy lonely rock has achieved joy. He has lost his best
friend, is mournful with his sister, laments his vocational failure; yet
by allowing himself to be a conduit through which the Force may flow,
he is the carrier of salvation for many others. The twin suns of
Ahch-To are harbingers of the genesis of this man’s life. Back to a
time when he sought fulfillment. In that childish desire, he did not
know where he would be led, or the cost it would exact. Here at the
end, we see that all sacrifices were worth it. His joy is completed and
he has achieved communion with the Force. He has been joined at a
profound level to the other.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is the Pascha story. Mankind has stepped out of the Garden, but
has been called back. Through the cycles of life and death, through
denial of temporal joys in deference to the eternal, through being
servants of all and not coveting power over the weak, mankind has been
brought into the eternal joy of union with God. This is not a state
reserved for the great and the good, or the randomly chosen. “You rich
and poor together, hold high festival. You sober and you heedless, honor
the day. For God “shows mercy upon the last, and cares for the first;
and to the one he gives, and upon the other he bestows gifts. And he
both accepts the deeds, and welcomes the intention, and honors the acts
and praises the offering. Wherefore, enter you all into the joy of your
Lord; and receive your reward.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Joy is available to all, and is greater than mere happiness. It is
the fulfillment of what it means to be a human. We were made to be good
stewards of the earth and all that dwell therein, to rise above the
angels, to join to God in oneness of mind and will. This is true joy.
And this joy supersedes all fleeting pleasures of the temporal world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TLJ-Crystal-Fox-Featured-10102017.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-38646 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="38646" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="TLJ-Crystal-Fox-Featured-10102017" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TLJ-Crystal-Fox-Featured-10102017.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TLJ-Crystal-Fox-Featured-10102017.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TLJ-Crystal-Fox-Featured-10102017.jpg" data-orig-size="970,545" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-joy-in-the-force/tlj-crystal-fox-featured-10102017/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="169" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/TLJ-Crystal-Fox-Featured-10102017.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Will
the new rebellion be successful? It doesn’t matter, really. Will the
good continue to fight and sacrifice for the good? Will Rey, Finn or
Poe lose their lives in service to the salvific Force? It doesn’t
matter. Trillions of insignificant beings find their joy through the
struggles of this life that are fulfilled and blessed in the life of the
world to come. The forces of evil and death cannot prevail. As St
John ends his Paschal homily,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
“O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ
is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are
fallen. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and
life reigns. Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.”</span>Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-48664504496540044912018-03-22T18:52:00.000-07:002018-09-22T18:55:01.373-07:00Luke Returns to Life as One with the Force<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcVztiDHaMk/W6byVWxRPTI/AAAAAAAABlA/RJ2J5yWQuKg5FQNpmNxvEwAPcyutMTgcQCLcBGAs/s1600/Ahch-to-sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="800" height="151" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcVztiDHaMk/W6byVWxRPTI/AAAAAAAABlA/RJ2J5yWQuKg5FQNpmNxvEwAPcyutMTgcQCLcBGAs/s320/Ahch-to-sunset.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">All that I have learned in my line of work is this: Wisdom is
eternal, truths are unchanging, and yet they find their eternal
expression in temporal ways that can only be perceived by the
limitations of mere humans.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Throughout my life, all stages, I had looked to Luke for a way to
understand some family dynamics and other personal concerns as well.
But then recently, I met this grizzled old-timer on a harsh island that
threw something besides salt over his shoulder. He threw out the legacy
of the past, the weight of which was crushing. Now what do I do?! On
the heels of major family upheaval both in my own home and in that of my
close family members, what do we do now? Look to the eternal, look to
what is inherently good, while participating as well as we can, acting
out of profound lessons borne of anguish and effort. How will Luke be
judged in his eremitic state? For me, as with the entire movie (and
saga), I am challenged, called beyond my myopic vision, disabused of
prejudice. His actions are more highly evolved than I have even had a
chance to give words to.</span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="more-37603"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Luke-on-Falcon.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-37604 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="37604" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Luke on Falcon" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Luke-on-Falcon.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Luke-on-Falcon.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Luke-on-Falcon.jpg" data-orig-size="618,412" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/the-force-and-faith-luke-returns-to-life-as-one-with-the-force/luke-on-falcon/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="200" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Luke-on-Falcon.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1" width="300" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Luke is like a man who has previously been dead and brought back to
new life; for some reason, purpose or mission. Happy in the stink of
his own isolation, he did not wish to be called out of his man-made
island. And yet the Force pulled him back in. The eternal will, that
which guides creatures into higher forms of maturity and <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Theosis">deification</a>,
called Luke back to society. Now, having learned to live out of the
world, he was no longer of that same world; and yet he had to move
within it. But he was lacking the linchpin to his entire endeavor.
Initially, he desired to be cut off from the Force, family, friends and
fame so that he could harm them no more. And I think his initial
assumption was deficient. It is like the first day of college when we
believe we are perfect students, only to be relieved of that burdensome
fantasy.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">He went to the island to die, and yet lived. He went to the island
to suffer exile, and found his way into eternity through his mystically
guided magnanimous ascetical efforts. It was the capstone of his
education that we witnessed on that outcropping, on the salty tundra.
The Force, eternal truths, do not belong to the Jedi; eternal truths do
not belong to a narrowly harnessed sect. Rather, what is good and true
are. <a href="https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/doctrine-scripture/the-symbol-of-faith/god">They be</a>.
And we must struggle to align ourselves, to give ourselves to the
eternal, in order to be relieved of our islands and become citizens of
eternity, students of the eternal Truth.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lazarus-icon.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-37606 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="37606" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Lazarus icon" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lazarus-icon.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lazarus-icon.jpg?resize=300%2C230&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lazarus-icon.jpg" data-orig-size="698,535" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/the-force-and-faith-luke-returns-to-life-as-one-with-the-force/lazarus-icon/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="230" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lazarus-icon.jpg?resize=300%2C230&ssl=1" width="300" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Luke is a type of <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Lazarus">Lazarus</a>.
Lazarus was a friend of Jesus Christ. That is to say, he was a friend
of God Himself. And yet, under such a great beneficence, Lazarus died
in illness. But his death was not showing the weakness of Christ (who
in other places is called both Life, Wisdom and Truth), but to show his<a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Lazarus_Saturday#Fulfillment_of_prophecies"> phenomenal power</a>
and command over even life itself. Christ goes to Lazarus’ tomb after
four days and with his peaceful voice alone calls Lazarus back to life.
Lazarus hears the call of the Creator Himself and answers the call. He
sheds the grave-clothes, is restored to his sisters and community,
though changed. Where once Lazarus hosted grand feasts, now he was a
serious servant of God. In the face of so great a miracle, the current
order in power, the Sadducees, wished to kill the one who was revived.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Before I go further, I don’t want to be vague, and hope that everyone is catching the connections:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Force represents the Jesus</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Luke represents Lazarus</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Rey with the lightsaber represents Christ’s calling forth from the grave</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The First Order represents the <a href="https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/departinghoreb/scribes-pharisees-and-sadducees-oh-my-sectarianism-part-iii/">Sadducees</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Luke-Crait.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-37608 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="37608" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Luke Crait" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Luke-Crait.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Luke-Crait.jpg?resize=369%2C123&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Luke-Crait.jpg" data-orig-size="650,217" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/the-force-and-faith-luke-returns-to-life-as-one-with-the-force/luke-crait/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="133" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Luke-Crait.jpg?resize=369%2C123&ssl=1" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Now, the analogy of the movies diverges from my point here, but just
keep reading for a minute or two if you are still so inclined. On the
timeline, we are mere days away from Christ’s crucifixion and
resurrection. So Lazarus is forced to flee. Fearful of the would be
assassins, he wishes to be the bearer of the new life that was granted
to him at his first tomb. He is not fleeing the persecutors out of
selfish desire for preservation, but to bring his story to the world.
Luke goes to the ancient outpost of the Rebellion to both receive his
final lesson and to share all that he had learned since coming back to
life in the Force.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Christ empowered his servants to do all things he had commanded, and
they set out across the world to do so. Lazarus finds himself in
Cyprus, and later is ordained by the Apostle Paul himself as the bishop
there. His eyes and heart, his <a href="http://orthochristian.com/79038.html">noetic sense</a>,
has seen the life of the world to come, and can no longer be satisfied
with the mortal coil. Finding no more joy in the present life (because
of knowing what oneness with the Almighty was like), it is said that he
was stern and never laughed or smiled again after his resuscitation.
But his flock always remembered the lone time a touch of glee crossed
his countenance. Once, Lazarus saw a man steal a clay vessel, and he
said aloud “Look, one earth steals another.” His joy was no longer of
this place, but of the eternal bliss and banquet awaiting the other side
of the final rest.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Ahch-to-sunset.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-37605 jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" data-attachment-id="37605" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Ahch to sunset" data-large-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Ahch-to-sunset.jpg" data-lazy-loaded="1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Ahch-to-sunset.jpg?resize=300%2C142&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Ahch-to-sunset.jpg" data-orig-size="800,378" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/the-force-and-faith-luke-returns-to-life-as-one-with-the-force/ahch-to-sunset/" data-recalc-dims="1" height="189" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Ahch-to-sunset.jpg?resize=300%2C142&ssl=1" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Let us look at Luke in his solitude, on his rocky perch, and in his ultimate sacrifice, as a <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Typology">type</a>
of Lazarus. He calls us beyond fleeting fame, he begs us to shed
egotism and selfishness, to eschew wealth. He calls us to be true
servants of Wisdom, Truth and thereby become participants and celebrants
of Life Himself.</span></span>Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-49835014758007187472018-01-11T13:09:00.002-08:002018-01-11T13:12:15.280-08:00Go See This: Baptism in The Last Jedi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/baptism-last-jedi/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/baptism-last-jedi/" border="0" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="174" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IxNwEFpR3mA/WlfSadsXUmI/AAAAAAAABf4/D1jiEn49d9gKypp8UIUegVS5UwfQncL5ACLcBGAs/s1600/TIE-RYDER.jpg" /></a></div>
This is a very enthusiastic recommendation.<br />
<br />
Monthly Blogger <a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/author/ryderw/" target="_blank">Ryder Waldron</a>, over at the ever venerable <a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/" target="_blank">Coffee With Kenobi</a>, posted this excellent piece today. Did you ever think about all of the water and fire imagery in Star Wars? How it purifies, refines, and gives purpose to the heroes and villians? Let Ryder illuminate it all for you in his excellent piece, <a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/baptism-last-jedi/" target="_blank">Baptism in The Last Jedi</a>.Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-21673900966888060132018-01-04T10:04:00.002-08:002018-09-22T19:10:49.002-07:00We’ll Just Use the Force of Music: Review of How the Force Works<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://fullofsith.com/archives/2205" target="_blank"><img alt="http://fullofsith.com/archives/2205" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rr-RRByv2uE/Wk5l7xpr2pI/AAAAAAAABfA/v6k02MR_8SAmgE9v2oR28VmFfRh2mKiLgCLcBGAs/s200/FOS%2BHow%2Bthe%2BForce%2BWorks.png" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">When I was a kid, I always went to sleep with the radio
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back then, it was the smooth sounds
of an 80s synthesizer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And today, quite often playing
in the soundtrack of my routine, are the themes and motifs of Star Wars cinematic
scores, of course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we were leaving
The Force Awakens, I was absentmindedly humming <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65As1V0vQDM" target="_blank">Rey’s Theme</a>, because it seemed
unique and grabbed my attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I
am not educated in music at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">W</span>e are now blessed with <a href="http://fullofsith.com/" target="_blank">Full of Sith's</a> <a href="http://fullofsith.com/archives/2205" target="_blank">How the Force Works - Episodes I-III</a>. This highly recommended podcast miniseries, which breaks down the music of Star Wars: The Last Jedi is astonishingly powerful. To come
to a deeper understanding of the music, for several years we were treated to
the likes of <a href="http://www.rebelforceradio.com/" target="_blank">Rebel Force Radio's</a> <a href="http://www.rebelforceradio.com/star-wars-oxygen/?rq=oxygen" target="_blank">Star Wars Oxygen: The Music of John Williams</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now, with the arrival of this new and wonderful
miniseries of podcasts, the music of the great maestro and The
Last Jedi is brought to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uaM8bd8S0v8/Wk5qMR6SFRI/AAAAAAAABfY/OkMH9FHiRY8n3tUgfeUYDR1d1zeugtVKgCLcBGAs/s1600/JW%2BConducts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uaM8bd8S0v8/Wk5qMR6SFRI/AAAAAAAABfY/OkMH9FHiRY8n3tUgfeUYDR1d1zeugtVKgCLcBGAs/s320/JW%2BConducts.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://fullofsith.com/bobby-roberts" target="_blank">Bobby Roberts</a> has been a favorite podcast voice of mine for several years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really get and appreciate his style, his
unabashed yet thoughtful commentary and insight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His Rumor Control on Full of Sith was amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never entertained spoilers before, but was
sucked in to his common sense analysis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His work enlightens my own fandom.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">In this
commentary series, he brings together his vast pop culture awareness, love for
the content and tremendous research skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I gobbled up these podcasts as fast I could, and will do so again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I highly recommend that this series get at
least two listens from everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We can not let these pristine episodes disappear into the cacophonous glut of obscurity.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">His
layman’s approach to the music is anything but rudimentary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This content calls together music from across
the vast saga, and enlightening the ways in which particular movements create
mood and drama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By delving into our own
psyche, preconceptions of society and these beloved movies, we find through
Bobby Roberts’ deft analysis a multiple strata of appreciation for the latest soul-feast,
which is The Last Jedi.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://fullofsith.com/archives/2205" target="_blank">How the Force Works - Episodes I-III</a></span></b></span></span></span></div>
</div>
Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-62089025108005134172017-12-23T09:30:00.000-08:002017-12-23T09:30:31.447-08:00The Cave of Wonders and Rebirth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eVdSPTQJuwo/Wj1zrpd_QUI/AAAAAAAABec/eNmifztGVykm1xUh75kbuTuBISsFirH5ACLcBGAs/s1600/Luke%2BChristmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eVdSPTQJuwo/Wj1zrpd_QUI/AAAAAAAABec/eNmifztGVykm1xUh75kbuTuBISsFirH5ACLcBGAs/s400/Luke%2BChristmas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This article was originally published at <a href="http://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/">www.coffeewithkenobi.com</a> </div>
<br />
There is nothing you know that can’t be known. Eternity has invaded
and fulfilled creation with its fullness. Everything we learn is only
that which has been passed on from some masters who found intimate and
profound connection to the source of knowledge. And this lesson is at
the core of what Master Yoda has been trying to pass on to us younglings
and padawans since 1980 or so. Never stop educating yourself. Never
stop going to the source of goodness and growth and finding the lessons
found in that long sought after place, for they are the beginning of
eternal life.<br />
<a name='more'></a><span id="more-34400"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Related image" class="irc_mi aligncenter" height="300" src="https://i1.wp.com/starwarsblog.starwars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/09.jpg?resize=534%2C300" width="534" /> </div>
It
is the function of being a human to climb to ever greater levels of
knowledge and self-understanding; to grow to be a more vital and
contributing member to the community in which you find yourself. And as
outward looking as that is, it begins by withdrawing. We must withdraw
from the world, if only for a little while, in order to be trained up
for the way in which we are called. In this <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Nativity">majestic Christmas season</a>,
we are actually being called to pull away from the hubbub and search
our hearts for what is true, eternal, meaningful and salvific. We must
go to a place of education – but education on a grander scale than any
mere university can offer. We are called and invited to the source of
that knowledge, to the prime mover who is all things.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Spoiler alert!!!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Here is your spoiler alert. Do not read any further if you haven’t seen <i>The Last Jedi</i>. Seriously, if you haven’t seen <i>The Last Jedi</i>, you shouldn’t be doing anything else right now anyway. Bookmark my ramblings, pull up <a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7690999-13091899" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Fandango </a> and run to the next available screening. I did, and I’m about to talk about it a little.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-faith-cave-wonders-rebirth/" target="_blank">
</a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><img alt="https://i1.wp.com/cdn2us.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeekus/files/styles/article_width/public/2017/12/star-wars-the-last-jedi-jedi-texts.jpg?resize=533%2C300" class="aligncenter" height="300" src="https://i1.wp.com/cdn2us.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeekus/files/styles/article_width/public/2017/12/star-wars-the-last-jedi-jedi-texts.jpg?resize=533%2C300" width="533" /></b></div>
All lessons reside with the source of knowledge. Well, more on that
in the real world is coming. For now, though, we know that is why Luke
Skywalker ended up on the island of <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Ahch-To">Ahch-To</a>.
He was searching for the root of the knowledge of the Jedi, the place
where it was in its purest form. He disappeared from the Galaxy so that
he could return to the roots of his religion. He was returning to the
ways of the living Force. And he found an ancient cave there that
contained what he was looking for – the ancient Jedi texts. These
several texts are apparently so dear to Luke that they are kept in a
safe place, a living cave. Did he find what he was looking for? I
don’t know. Was he able to incorporate those lessons into his spiritual
understanding of the Galaxy? I don’t know, and I think those answers
are elusive to we the viewers. And I am fine with that mystery. I do
not know what happened in that cave for Luke, and it is none of my
concern. It is his journey, not mine. He must <a href="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/shrinknp_800_800/AAEAAQAAAAAAAALjAAAAJGRkOTljYzA4LWMyM2UtNDA1Ni04MmY2LTk2MmJmMGY5YmNmZQ.jpg">cultivate that quest</a> and thirst for the promised land.<br />
<br />
But it all begins in the cave. His Jedi training began in a <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Cave_of_Evil">cave on Dagobah</a>.
What lies in that cave? Only that which he brought with him. He
descended some slick and shadowy steps into a depth of organic decay,
bugs, and ultimately a battle. He drew his laser sword, attacked the
enemy, unmasked it. He found that the combatant was himself. Beneath
that Sith visage was his own countenance. He had died – only to be
reborn to greater strength and power, emboldened and empowered to a
greater position within the eternal fight between good and evil. He
died in that cave, but was resuscitated to a higher, yet more humble,
authority in the universe.<br />
<br />
Everyone ever created can also achieve this sort of knowledge and
truth; no one is barred from the totality of knowledge that is offered
to we human beings, if we endure the test of the cave. The maturity and
growth is also not simply handed over on request. That would devalue
the might of the power of true knowledge. It must be sought by whatever
means are available to each person. This hopeful mystery is available
in a place even closer than is imagined – in the heart. Yes,
pilgrimages and external journeys are necessary for the faithful ones,
but that journey begins by delving into the heart and finding that God,
Christ himself, is already enthroned there, waiting to give us a loving
welcome. Christ says “When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the
hypocrites are: for they love to pray…that they may be seen of
men…[W]hen thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut
thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which
seeth in secret shall reward thee openly,” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+6%3A5-6&version=RSV">Matthew 6.5-6 KJV</a>).
In this closet, a portable cave, we meet the source of knowledge, the
fountain of wisdom. The eternal who is greater than the paltry limit of
the most exalted of all creatures. I like the verse worded this way
because of the vivid imagery of the closet. We all have one, hardly
ever think of it. It is kind of in the corner of our rooms and holds
our stuff – with a part further back that is probably a bit forgotten
and frightening! But if we were to withdraw from the daily grind of the
home and work, in a moment where we lay aside all earthly cares, the
eternal and mysterious would have a chance to be opened up to us. And
the place of the opening is just a few steps away.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for ICON NATIVITY" class="irc_mi aligncenter" height="331" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.orthodoxroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/nativity-icon.jpg?resize=220%2C331" width="220" /></div>
The<a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Nativity_icon"> icon of the Nativity of Christ</a>
has clear connections to the caves and closets as mentioned. From
ancient times, it has been understood that Christ was born in a manger
in a stable, and that stable was in a cave. In fact, there is a very
early Christian text that makes this clear. It is called the <a href="http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/infancyjames-mrjames.html">Protoevangelium of St James</a>, and the author was an eyewitness to the divine birth.<br />
<br />
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">
[Joseph] found a cave there and brought
her into it, and set his sons by her: and he went forth and sought for a
midwife of the Hebrews in the country of Bethlehem…And they stood in
the place of<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Nativity"> the cave</a>:
and behold a bright cloud overshadowing the cave. And the midwife said:
My soul is magnified this day, because mine eyes have seen marvellous
things: for salvation is born unto Israel. And immediately the cloud
withdrew itself out of the cave, and a great light appeared in the cave
so that our eyes could not endure it. And by little and little that
light withdrew itself until the young child appeared: and it went and
took the breast of its mother Mary. (Protoevangelium XVIII.1, XIX.2)</div>
<br />
All were, and have always been, invited to the cave where Christ was
born. The shepherds, the wisemen, the angels, the little drummer boy.
It is that private closet for each of us, where the one who is Wisdom
became human so that we humans might be more and more like God. As with
all wondrous stories, our lives are not a series of disconnected
events. Rather, if they are revealed through the lens of eternity, the
human’s complete life is one whole. It is a continuous singular event
revealing something greater than the sum of moments.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="https://i2.wp.com/i.pinimg.com/736x/7b/d4/6e/7bd46e104405b92e0eb833139e6e04bb--byzantine-icons-religious-icons.jpg?resize=240%2C300&ssl=1" class="shrinkToFit aligncenter" height="300" src="https://i2.wp.com/i.pinimg.com/736x/7b/d4/6e/7bd46e104405b92e0eb833139e6e04bb--byzantine-icons-religious-icons.jpg?resize=240%2C300&ssl=1" width="240" /></div>
For Rey and Luke, we will leave that speculation for another time.
For Christ, it is more apparent. Each of the touchstones in his life –
his birth in a cave, childhood, ministry, crucifixion, entombment in a
cave and resurrection – must be understood as one whole. Each block
builds a mansion of incomprehensible glory. Shall we leave the story at
a baby in a hay trough? No! It is part of one whole lifestory,
right? Jesus was born in a cave. He ended his earthly life in a cave –
and yet brought it up to something more than a tomb. It became the
place of resurrection, fulfillment, wholeness, life triumphing over
death, light outshining the darkness; and all of this is available to
those who simply, meekly and humbly enter into their caves to seek the
source of knowledge and the locus of hope. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8Vfp48laS8">Happy Christmas. The war is over.</a>Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-2648247964951396492017-11-30T11:26:00.000-08:002017-11-30T11:34:44.811-08:00Forgiving Anakin, Giving Thanks with Luke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pZESyMOHnWo/WiBbEoerKEI/AAAAAAAABbk/PIXNp9fsKqAF-hDzrjyfqy4vwuIvp-XrQCLcBGAs/s1600/Anakin-on-balcony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="768" height="135" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pZESyMOHnWo/WiBbEoerKEI/AAAAAAAABbk/PIXNp9fsKqAF-hDzrjyfqy4vwuIvp-XrQCLcBGAs/s320/Anakin-on-balcony.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This article was originally published at <a href="http://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/">www.coffeewithkenobi.com</a> </div>
<br />
Dear readers, I am preparing for quite a funk this coming holiday
season. My life is turned upside down. Things are changing, and this
is inevitable. Changes have been coming for a while, but we all know
that the holiday season can be taxing in such a situation. And I want
you to know that I am trying to remain thankful and hopeful. Trying.
Will I succeed? I’ll let you know in January. Thanksgiving is the
kickoff to the holiday season, and I intend to maintain and meditate on
the hope that is imbued in the reason for the civic holiday. I have
blogged about hope many times. I firmly believe everything that I have
written for this grand community. And the opposite of hope is despair.
This is a paradigm that has been central to my life for its entirety.
Let’s look at each in turn and see where that gets us. <a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-faith-forgiving-anakin-giving-thanks-luke/#more-33582" target="_blank">Read More</a>Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-44916017369931759252017-11-28T11:31:00.000-08:002017-11-30T11:33:58.813-08:00One Life Saved, the World Entire Saved: Schindler’s List & the Passing of a Survivor of WWII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O2WIJJFWXOI/WiBcK-hPWII/AAAAAAAABbw/97L6uUHSzbk-CkM-0ut81jC6IPJzr85bgCLcBGAs/s1600/Schindlers%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="341" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O2WIJJFWXOI/WiBcK-hPWII/AAAAAAAABbw/97L6uUHSzbk-CkM-0ut81jC6IPJzr85bgCLcBGAs/s320/Schindlers%2BCover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This Article was originally published at <a href="http://www.thebeardedtrio.com/">www.thebeardedtrio.com</a></div>
<br />
All of us who find or
search for this page have something in common: a love of great movies,
the joy they bring us and an admiration for the people who have brought
amazing ideas to life. I am a Star Wars enthusiast, and will watch
anything by Spielberg when it is available. Goonies, ET, everything
Indy, everything Marty. All of these fantasies fueled the emerging
hopes of my childhood.<br />
<br />
The fanciful and wonderful movies of my youth that led me to look for
the great mysteries of this world. And then I found a great mystery
confronting my sensibilities, my stomach and my own relationship to the
world around me. When I was 18, I came across Schindler’s List. It was
only three weeks after my grandmother died, the matriarch of the
family. I often refer to her as St Granny because of the place her love
has had in my life – even after her repose in the Lord. I don’t
remember the occasion, but a lot of the family was gathered together and
watched the movie, which was aired without commercial interruption.
Drama of this sort was not something we generally did as a family. We
were into comedies, stand-up comedians, and family stories. This was a
special evening. <a href="http://www.thebeardedtrio.com/2017/11/one-life-saved-world-entire-saved.html" target="_blank">Read More</a>Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-53028436787432446662017-11-09T20:03:00.001-08:002017-11-10T07:00:21.976-08:00Life and Death of a Simple Leaf<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
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I just watched a single leaf fall from a tree outside. It is autumn, we
saw temperatures in the 30s last night, it was beautifully brisk. That leaf
has done its job since late spring. The bud showed itself sometime as the
last icy patches were receding. The yearly tiny glaciers that give rise
to a new short age. The shoot pushed out of the branch, arcing toward the
sunshine, toward the source of the light. Soon after Pascha, the full
young leaf revealed its inherent splendor. Still smaller than its potential. I
have heard in many nature documentaries that the deer love young leaves the
most. So being young was risky, but necessary. As we all tumbled
through the end of the school year, or to the early days of outdoor life
reawakened, that leaf reached its full stature. Broad, green, its lines placed
there by the finger of God Himself. We didn’t notice. That leaf
became one of thousands on one tree in a stand of thousands of trees in a town
that is more green than anything else. It offered shade to the world below, it
fed us the air we breathe. It worked in concert with its elevated
neighbors in a fragile yet powerful system. The canopy above us, that is
the sky, is unreachable by our tiny selves. So the Lord put the canopy a
little lower so that we might know that His loving care is also reachable, and
condescends to meet us and provide in our need. The leaf was a part of
that plan.<br />
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And just now, as fall is establishing, a new time for that leaf has
come. The sacrifice. The death. Untimed, and only predictable
by the experts, that leaf has fallen. A few weeks ago the beauty of the
green receded and yellow and brown appeared. These colors mark the end of
the elevated life of that simple leaf. In the oldest areas of our nation,
people take trips to see the changing of the leaves. Foliage tours are big
business in some small New England towns. Monetizing the change of the
seasons. But no individual leaf cares. It’s irrelevant to
them. Their cycle is ending, though images of their time above the dirt
may persist in a postcard or medical supply advertisement. Faded colors, losing
its suppleness, drying out, dropping. But its gifts to the world are only
beginning. The hold on the branch is slackening. At a time known to
none but the creator, by means that are completely mystical, the time will
come. The hold on the wood that held that leaf will give way. Some
tumble and twirl with fierce speed to the earth. Some take a twig
with them and plummet more quickly. Some are completely
unwitnessed. The one I saw today was graceful. From somewhere
outside my vision, this old leaf curled in on its side and gently glided to the
ground. A smooth motion from its perch, one line directly to the
earth. No flailing. This beautiful leaf went to the ground without a
whimper, without a crash, but dutifully. To new life, a sacrificial life. </div>
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<a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/38/39/07/383907117256736012a08c4e9034dd3c.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/38/39/07/383907117256736012a08c4e9034dd3c.jpg" border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="576" height="157" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fWGqz9bFsz0/WgUkOdOz1RI/AAAAAAAABZo/5dUfSZzvptcJgKG9wFLnJiaLLBDOF9j5QCLcBGAs/s200/Birch%2Band%2BUp.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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From the creation, through the ice age, and the early empires, death was
the end of it all. Springing from our family histories, scratching around
on a piece of ground in our hometowns until we are eventually returned to the
depths. Then, death was the end of the story. But the philosophers
looked at the firmament and knew there was something to come. The druids
measured the heavens and saw a hope in the new rising. Israelites came out of
Ur, out of Egypt hoping for the rising of the Lord. And every one of them
preceded our leaf to the dust. The dirt below our feet is the decaying
matter that once graced the majestical roof. Our exalted leaf now joins
the generations immemorial in coating the earth. The decay giving way to
the nutrient bearing fields. The ultimate act of sacrifice is ensuring
that the leaves to come, the priests and people, each are well fed. From
the ground springs our sustenance. Sustenance comes from the tiny leaf,
once a tiny bud, itself springing from a tree from the earth. This is
hope. There is something after the death that promises new life. A
life fulfilled by being radiant with a joy that is beyond the simple arithmetic
of the value of one leaf.</div>
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An hour ago, a leaf fell. It will offer soil to feed a generation
that will not remember me. That leaf is an emblem of love. Love
that grows through the gift of its life. Love that cares about the other
even unto a sacrifice of the self. Through that sacrifice, resurrection
is uncovered as the true power in this world. The Creator gives, blesses
and honors his smallest leaf and greatest emperor with a new leaf even greater
than can be conceived.</div>
Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-60636958186088975432017-10-29T22:10:00.000-07:002017-10-29T22:10:04.298-07:00Force and Faith: Luke's Lonely Exile and Hopeful Return<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vTmoXXfAwgo/WemG7sFrjeI/AAAAAAAABYk/u6IWmbcI5dgRm8iMWHWyOEU9r5X9rSzsgCLcBGAs/s1600/Luke%2Bc%2BLightsaber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="992" height="166" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vTmoXXfAwgo/WemG7sFrjeI/AAAAAAAABYk/u6IWmbcI5dgRm8iMWHWyOEU9r5X9rSzsgCLcBGAs/s400/Luke%2Bc%2BLightsaber.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Some very fun and creative parody accounts are on Twitter, spoofing Kylo Ren’s maudlin behavior, or the loneliness that Luke must be feeling. Whichever comic geniuses were behind them, they had me laughing many times. (And I make no endorsement of any blue material I may be overlooking). They took these iconic characters and looked into their psyches for incredible comedic results. But the online world of Twitter, Facebook and the like can actually lead us to feeling isolated, which is very similar to the loneliness that Luke must have felt on the heights of Ahch-To. Luke was a man who grew up in a family, surrounded by friends, and joined the vast rebellion with its camaraderie. In his exile, he must have experienced a profound loneliness that affected him.<br />
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<a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Luke_and_Rey_on_Ahch-To.png"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-32532" height="200" src="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Luke_and_Rey_on_Ahch-To-300x124.png" width="484" /></a> </div>
A while back, <a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-jedi-lessons-from-skellig-michael/"> I looked at the monastic island of Skellig Michael</a>, the real world place standing in for Ahch-To. The early Christian monastics who resided there lived solely for God, but always in a community of brothers. In the single-minded relationships, focused on the Ultimate, they forged a community of support and love. This was not the case for Luke, as far as we’ve seen. You know, Coffee With Kenobi is about discussion, analysis and rhetoric – we shall leave the speculation for someone else. So, as Rey mounted the long steps to the Jedi Master, she found a man standing at the edge of an abyss. He was contemplating the vast distance, and the familiar Corellian freighter. What would it mean for him? Would it call him back to his community? Or confirm in him the despair that appears in severe lonely isolation?<br />
<br />
In our minds, he has been up there for two years! We have no idea how long he has been there, but it was not an insignificant amount of time in his experience. What happened in that time? What can happen to any person the longer they face isolation? Further, what is it that creates that feeling and phenomenon of isolation? It is not the lack of other beings in the area, and we will discuss that later. It is the internal emotional and spiritual struggle, the curving in of the soul into itself, that is the true loneliness.<br />
<br />
Do the porgs offer companionship to Luke? I don’t know. However, for my money, the best creature in the galaxy is, of course, the tauntaun. See my very <a href="http://theforceandfaith.blogspot.com/2015/02/tauntauns-are-awesome.html">reasoned and persuasive argument here.</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Luke-Cave.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-32531" height="250" src="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Luke-Cave-300x169.jpg" width="444" /> </a></div>
Luke was driven to the far off exile as a result of some failure in his vocation, for which he took the tremendous burden of responsibility. His departure from society was self-imposed, or so it seems. He left of his own accord, but without the distant support of family and friends. And for us, loneliness can come from the internal conversation we have with ourselves. Sometimes the loneliness is imposed from without – attending college in a distant city, confinement in prison, transfer of employment. But these things are nothing like the exile of one’s heart from the world regardless of the population where one is found. We can find isolation on the streets of Manhattan or in our own living rooms. Loneliness is the reaction of the person (who inherently yearns for connection and community) to either rejection, internalized pain, or harmful choices one may bear in him or herself.<br />
<br />
Now, feelings of loneliness can come from mental illness. When someone has a true mental health condition they can feel like they are different from society at large. This is clinical, and something that is beyond my training and expertise to touch upon. If you or a loved one feels isolation, loneliness or alienation as a result (or suspicion) of a mental health issue, seek help from properly trained clinicians immediately. The stuff we are discussing can become much more dangerous when mental faculties are involved.<br />
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<a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/The-Lonely-Crowd.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-32533" height="200" src="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/The-Lonely-Crowd-300x128.jpg" width="469" /></a> </div>
Perhaps our interconnectedness through modern means makes us believe that we are closer to each other than ever before. We Tweet and wait to be notified of a retweet. Hay, <a href="https://twitter.com/pablohidalgo">Pablo</a> responded to my canon question! We post that killer meme on Facebook, and brag about the number of shares and comments. And yet, these vapid victories do not in the end deliver the injection of community, but highlight our neediness for true connection to our brothers and sisters. Many global movements have created communities that are quick, nimble and inclusive. But in these communities, the interpersonal relationships are truly lacking. The loving touch from one human soul to another is lost through digitization and disparate physical locations. That other person is gone from the equation. And the one thing I want everyone to take from everything I have ever preached, written or exemplified is this: Love is about the other. Love is about the other, life is about giving as an act of love from the truest place in our hearts. A soul that can give, no matter the size of the gift, is the soul that can find a home in the community.<br />
<br />
So the loneliness of alienation and exile has to be combated in order for the human person to find healing and salve in this life.<br />
<br />
<b>Find your tribe. </b> Find that community of like-minded people who can give you support within their capacity. I am a runner, and find support in others who enjoy the same healthy habit. Others find a community in volunteering for a community organization like a firehouse or library. Still others find connection through a multitude of other means. But each tribe in which you can find yourself will be beneficial. It won’t subtract form your life or emotional well-being. Rather, your chosen community can carry you on bad days, learn from you on your best days, and be a place of comfort and stability at all times.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/coc.jpg"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-32530" height="300" src="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/coc-300x300.jpg" width="300" /></a><b> </b></div>
<b>Know your Circle of Influence.</b> A symptom of our society that causes great isolation and loneliness is understanding our place in it. It is good to protest against the injustices of the world, but what are you doing about it? What can you do about it? In <a href="http://broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/hair.htm">Hair, the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical</a>, we are challenged to act well to our brothers and sisters <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCs1rkAXZ9o">with these words</a>:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
How can people be so heartless…<br />
Especially people who care about strangers,<br />
Who care about evil and social injustice.<br />
Do you only care about the bleeding crowd?<br />
How about a needing friend? I need a friend.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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I will tell you that these are very important questions. What actions you can take in any given situation will help you find the fulfillment that leads to connection to the other people in the world? There is an injustice in the world that needs to be fixed. Can you provide all of the aid to the area ravaged by a natural disaster? Probably not. But these things are concerning, and that is good. This is your Circle of Concern. Within that is the Circle of Influence. This is necessarily smaller, but provides a place for the moved one, the lonely one, to interact with the world and give of oneself. Was Luke’s lone X-Wing the only vehicle of victory for the Rebel Alliance? Could he save the galaxy through his own Academy? No. Can a single person end world hunger? No. But we can each cultivate our gardens, and thereby feed the neighbor. We can each give love to the tribe in which we find ourselves. And that love, realized in a community, will grow exponentially, not additionally. This releases us from our loneliness and fulfills our deep need for community and acceptance.<br />
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<i><b><u>This IS the Podcast you</u></b></i><i><b><u>’re looking for!</u></b></i></div>
Please leave comments on this and all my posts – I really look forward to it. You can find me on Twitter at <a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-luke-returns-home-as-a-man-and-a-jedi/twitter.com/adelphotheos">@adelphotheos </a>and email at <a href="mailto:jamew@CoffeeWithKenobi.com">jamesw@CoffeeWithKenobi.com</a>, occasionally at <a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/review-of-star-wars-rebels-the-rebellion-begins-by-michael-kogge/TheForceandFaith.blogspot.com">TheForceandFaith.blogspo</a><a href="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/review-of-star-wars-rebels-the-rebellion-begins-by-michael-kogge/TheForceandFaith.blogspot.com">t.com</a> as long as I am not listening to the latest edition of the <i>Coffee With Kenobi</i> podcast!Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-73656595987145546782017-06-22T10:52:00.000-07:002017-10-12T12:33:04.735-07:00To Rebel is to be Truly Human<h3 style="text-align: center;">
“I rebel.”</h3>
<br />
Very simply put, this is the most important thing you can come to
grips with, and become part of. And yeah, me, of the first estate by
vocation, I will teach this to the bitter end. There are evil and
nefarious forces in the world masquerading as goodness, trying to steal
the inherent beauty in each of us. There are greedy people trying to
gain unlimited power through the theft of the beauty each of us
possesses.<br />
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<b><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="321" src="https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/uf51IZr5scU/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=533%2C300&ssl=1" width="570" /> </b><br />
<br />
<b>The Beginning</b></div>
Rebelliousness is not a natural state; rather it is a reaction that
is coaxed out of us by unnatural circumstances. Humankind was created
good; we were given all good things, blessed with perfect weather and
body fat percentage. And we were given the greatest gift of free will.
We were given the freedom to choose to love, and to choose to be
selfish. Love is only true if it is freely given. But the attendant
danger is that someone, or many, may choose to abuse that freedom and
become oppressors. In the biblical story, this is what the serpent in
the Garden of Eden did. He used his freedom to misrepresent the human
situation. He was actively working to destroy the goodness within our
ancestors. At that time they fell for it. They fell. The disastrous
ways of the devil became the governing principle of the world, and all
because humankind allowed it to be that way.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Predicament</b></div>
But we are not on the hook for the expiation of the sins of our
ancestors. However, we are living with the consequence of all of the
hate, pain and pathology that has found its way into our world. As part
of our inherent make up as human beings, we want to get better, we want
to be healed. To get <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IollBzebXM">back to the Garden</a>, we have to powerfully rebel against the evil powers that are subjugating our beautiful creation.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 300px;"><img alt="https://winstonchurchill.hillsdale.edu/the-arts-what-are-we-fighting-for/" class="transparent" height="300" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.ibpf.org/sites/default/files/blog/Winston%20Churchill%20Depression.PNG?resize=300%2C300" width="300" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Like Ann & Nancy Wilson said, NEVER!</figcaption></figure></div>
Winston Churchill said that<br />
<div style="padding-left: 60px;">
it is by art man gets nearest to the
angels and farthest from the animals. Indeed it is a pregnant thought.
Here you have a man with a brush and palette. With a dozen blobs of
pigment he makes a certain pattern on one or two square yards of canvas,
and something is created which carries its shining message of
inspiration not only to all who are living with him on the world, but
across hundreds of years to generations unborn. It lights the path and
links the thought of one generation with another, and in the realm of
price holds its own in intrinsic value with an ingot of gold. Evidently
we are in the presence of a mystery which strikes down to the deepest
foundations of human genius and of human glory.</div>
Beauty, art, the works of the soul, are true and effective rebellion.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Process</b></div>
In last December’s amazing <i>Rogue One: A Star Wars Story</i>, we
see the desperation on the faces of the rebels, those who have lived
through the damnable blossoming of the evil Galactic Empire. They have
felt their freedom and beauty tortured and injured – but not to the
point of being destroyed. Our great heroine, Jyn Erso, reminds us to
never give up on the possibility of the return of the good. That
through rebelling against the perceived monolithic and invincible
doorkeepers of her age, the Rebel Alliance can restore hope to the
Galaxy. This is the only thing that can be done. She says “We have
hope. Rebellions are built on hope!”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 353px;"><img alt="https://i2.wp.com/www.orthodoxchurchquotes.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/icon-expulsion-from-paradise-2.jpg?resize=353%2C215" class="" height="215" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.orthodoxchurchquotes.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/icon-expulsion-from-paradise-2.jpg?resize=353%2C215" width="353" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">As Kent Brockman said: It’s in revelations, people!</figcaption></figure>
The restoration of the hope of the good things to come is a deeper
idea than just the platitude may seem. Knowledge is ever evolving and
leads to more questions. Gaining knowledge is not salvific, it does not
transform the soul of a person. Hope does that. Hope for what is to
come, for the restoration of what was, for the transfiguration of the
present life into the greatness for which it was intended. The hope of
the restoration of all goodness was promised from that moment when Adam
and Eve were expelled from the Garden: God said to the agent of
destruction: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between
your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+3&version=NKJV">Genesis 3.15</a>).”
Even in that moment of sorrow, when the good earthly blessings were
revoked, there was an element of hope, in that all would be restored to
the former glory. This hope is the foreordained truth from the All Good
One, and should you be inclined to believe Him, this hope becomes
greater and more sure than any scientific breakthrough. The knowledge
may be superseded, but the hope persists until it is fulfilled.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Victory</b></div>
The lifelong rebel, Cassian Andor, has shown us the hard decisions
that must be made in order to maintain the rebellion against the forces
of evil. And likewise, we are in for a dirty and destructive fight.
Not because those who are full of hope desire to destroy anything, but
because the destructive force is engaged in all of its terrifying
horror. I am not merely speaking of <i>Star Wars</i> and its
multitude of applicable lessons. I am talking about your world, your
country, neighborhood. The battle may be waged in your own home; and
most importantly within your own heart. All has been infected with the
disease of death and illness. We must rage against it, fight against
the nagging doubt, the misproportioned love of self or the animosity
toward the other ones. We must bless all lives with hope and goodness,
and transform the human experience into one of ignorance of suffering.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 533px;"><img alt="https://i2.wp.com/www.thecultureconcept.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/On-the-Beach-Rogue-One.jpg?resize=533%2C300" class="shrinkToFit" height="300" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.thecultureconcept.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/On-the-Beach-Rogue-One.jpg?resize=533%2C300" width="533" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Heading into battle, for the sake of others.</figcaption></figure>
And what is the love that will overcome the destruction of the spirit
of this age? It is found in this statement (and this is the only thing
I ever want quoted by me, should my rebellion bring about an early
demise): Love is about the other. Love is not about me, it is about me
giving all that I have for the care and welfare of the other. It is
about making their life better, and through that action, the whole
world. Love is sacrificial, and never seeks its own benefit or selfish
pleasure.<br />
<br />
<br />
Again, Jyn is a prophet in this regard. The rebellion must go on
until the fulfillment of the divine hope is brought about. We fight.
We rebel. We continue to bring truth and beauty back in to the world,
to restore it to its paradisiacal origins. This is our calling in life,
as good and free people. The call from Jyn’s lips was profoundly
brilliant.<br />
<div style="padding-left: 60px;">
<br />
What chance do we have? The question is
“what choice.” Run, hide, plead for mercy, scatter your forces. You give
way to an enemy this evil with this much power and you condemn the
galaxy to an eternity of submission. The time to fight is now!</div>
<br />
My friends, the time is now to rebel, to bring freedom to yourself
and to the world around you. Do not wait another day, offering your
services to ugliness and evil. In the words of <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Herman_of_Alaska">St Herman of Alaska</a>, a 19<sup>th</sup>
century American saint, “for our good and for our happiness, let us all
make a vow: at least from this day, this hour, this very minute, we
should strive to love God above all else and do His will!”Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-12535813579114166342017-02-22T10:54:00.000-08:002017-10-12T10:57:01.605-07:00Abundant Life in the Blooming DesertThe <i>Star Wars</i> community tends to boil things down to a lowest common denominator. While we all have <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page">Wookieepedia </a>bookmarked
and a vast knowledge TIE fighter models, we find the conversations
being whittled down to likes or dislikes, goods or bads. We polarize
our conversations instead of finding deeper levels of understanding
through true understanding, dialog and compassion. If you think I’m
nuts, have you ever persuaded someone with your theory about who Snoke
is? When talking to someone with an opinion on midichlorians, have you
changed your mind? There is a call to something greater, though.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span id="more-26541"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/anakin-skywalker-Shadow.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-26542" data-attachment-id="26542" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="anakin skywalker Shadow" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/anakin-skywalker-Shadow.jpg?fit=570%2C604&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/anakin-skywalker-Shadow.jpg?fit=283%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/anakin-skywalker-Shadow.jpg?fit=900%2C953&ssl=1" data-orig-size="900,953" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-faith-life-blooming-desert/anakin-skywalker-shadow/" height="265" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/anakin-skywalker-Shadow.jpg?resize=250%2C265&ssl=1" width="250" /></a> </div>
These
interactions are given a vivid form in the tragedy of Darth Vader the
Selfish. The hopeful, young, newly-freed slave, was said to have no
thought for himself, but only a desire to do good for others. By the
time Anakin is romping with Padme and the <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Shaak">spaceticks </a>on
Naboo, his desire for a simple and dictatorial Galaxy has replaced his
former hope. He has devolved in his thinking from love and service to
order and simplicity. This is the reward he gained. In his desire to
have everything, he found just that – and nothing was lurking on its
heels. He gained some sort of command of the world, but lost his
compassion and relationships in the process.<br />
We need to only look at the outcome. Amputated, burned, widowed,
disowned. All possible joys were either thrown away or subsequently
taken from him as a result of his choices. He had no legs of his own to
stand on, nor a hand to caress the cheeks of his loved ones. Scalded
on the inside, fresh air was torture. Food – the simple joy of the
community table – lost all of its savor. He aimed for an indulgent life
and ended up with nothing. This is vividly described in some of the
New Canon literature, such as <i>Lords of the Sith</i> and the
comics. St Augustine said that sin is when one becomes curved in on
himself. The commonwealth of the world is sacrificed for some sort of
selfish gain, but finds that the just reward is damnation.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Han-Carbonite-Chamber.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-26544" data-attachment-id="26544" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Han Carbonite Chamber" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Han-Carbonite-Chamber.jpg?fit=485%2C273&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Han-Carbonite-Chamber.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Han-Carbonite-Chamber.jpg?fit=485%2C273&ssl=1" data-orig-size="485,273" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-faith-life-blooming-desert/han-carbonite-chamber/" height="188" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Han-Carbonite-Chamber.jpg?resize=334%2C188&ssl=1" width="334" /></a> </div>
It
is the selfish human element that reduces things to the small bits. It
is a base form of interaction that only wants to get its own point
across. But let us not fret over this cautionary tale for too long.
There is an <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Typology">antitype</a>,
and it is good. There is another way, which leads to blessedness,
fullness, joyfulness and a requited love. Ironically from the modern
point of view, it is the ascetic way of life. You see, when you claw
for everything, you will often end up landing in the mud. When you are
willing to sacrifice everything for the other, the greater blessings
flow back. This is love; this is freedom from being owned by
selfishness, materialism and fleeting success. “Freedom is just another
word for nothing left to lose.”<br />
Last Sunday was my penultimate Sunday with my current congregation. I
said very plainly in my sermon this crucial statement: “If you have
heard me say anything at all, let it be this: Love is always about the
other person.” To give, to sacrifice, to empty yourself – these are the
highest virtues that a human can exercise.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/xschmemann-web-size1-e1428429479112-266x300.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.HB-Ec9ED6A.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-26543" data-attachment-id="26543" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="xschmemann-web-size1-e1428429479112-266×300.jpg.pagespeed.ic.HB-Ec9ED6A" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/xschmemann-web-size1-e1428429479112-266x300.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.HB-Ec9ED6A.jpg?fit=266%2C300&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/xschmemann-web-size1-e1428429479112-266x300.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.HB-Ec9ED6A.jpg?fit=266%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/xschmemann-web-size1-e1428429479112-266x300.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.HB-Ec9ED6A.jpg?fit=266%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-size="266,300" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-faith-life-blooming-desert/xschmemann-web-size1-e1428429479112-266x300-jpg-pagespeed-ic-hb-ec9ed6a/" height="300" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/xschmemann-web-size1-e1428429479112-266x300.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.HB-Ec9ED6A-266x300.jpg?resize=266%2C300&ssl=1" width="266" /></a> </div>
My
favorite theologian (I would have doubles of his trading card, if there
were one), Fr Alexander Schmemann commented on our topic at hand. “I
am more and more convinced that nothing, absolutely nothing, is achieved
or solved through discussions, arguments, debates – an aberration of
our times…Anything that convinces, or converts others, grows in
solitude, in creative quiet, never in chatter. It does not mean that a
creator should not have a universal vision – he must have. The error of
our times is the belief in words, leading to their complete devaluation
(<i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/623582.The_Journals_of_Father_Alexander_Schmemann_1973_1983">The Journals of Father Alexander Schmemann</a> 157</i>).”<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/yoda-and-obi-wan.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-26545" data-attachment-id="26545" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="yoda and obi wan" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/yoda-and-obi-wan.jpg?fit=480%2C360&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/yoda-and-obi-wan.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/yoda-and-obi-wan.jpg?fit=480%2C360&ssl=1" data-orig-size="480,360" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-faith-life-blooming-desert/yoda-and-obi-wan/" height="225" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/yoda-and-obi-wan.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
Fr
Alexander is describing the life of exile from the known world, not in
despair, but in the hope of the age to come. At times of great
importance and weight, the most powerful statement may be that of Master
Yoda: “Into exile I must go.” Before he leaves, in a perceived
disgrace, he passes on some crucial information to Obi-Wan Kenobi. “In
your solitude on Tatooine, training I have for you.” Hold on: if they
are leaving in shame, what use is there for training? What is good
about life in a dust bowl? Through their ascetical efforts, they will
emerge greater, stronger, more creative and powerful. The path for
Obi-Wan was not in vocational fulfillment, but in the beautiful struggle
in the desert. And, I hope you caught my unnecessarily veiled
allusion, that the desert is not necessarily the home of sand and
Jaxxon’s mortal remains, but the absence of this age’s pursuits in
service to the greater future of redemption.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/121975782/star-wars-a-new-hope-minimalist-movie"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-26546" data-attachment-id="26546" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="ANH Fan Art" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ANH-Fan-Art.jpg?fit=570%2C880&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ANH-Fan-Art.jpg?fit=194%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ANH-Fan-Art.jpg?fit=971%2C1500&ssl=1" data-orig-size="971,1500" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-faith-life-blooming-desert/anh-fan-art/" height="302" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ANH-Fan-Art.jpg?resize=195%2C302&ssl=1" width="195" /></a> </div>
These
ideas are kicking around in my head these days since the season of
Great Lent is quickly approaching. It is a tithe of the year where we
set aside earthly delights (for the <a href="https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the-church-year/lenten-fasting">Orthodox tradition</a>,
that means many dietary restrictions, almsgiving, a reduction of
pleasurable pursuits and more attendance at the divine services).
Through the setting aside of the admittedly good things of this life
(among them Philly cheesesteaks and fired up barbecue grills), we are
moving in the sure hope of the greater things of the age to come. The
ascetic struggle, the current life of denial and self-control, is a
profound statement of hope in the promise of the Kingdom of Heaven and a
school for the better appreciation of the Creation in which we will
live out our lives on this side of the eternal repose of our souls.Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-37344102183685807522016-12-22T10:59:00.000-08:002017-10-12T12:27:24.581-07:00Jyn and the Woman of HopeThe joy of being a <i>Star Wars</i> fan knows no bounds. To be
treated to the latest epic adventure just days before the celebration of
Christmas is like an embarrassment of riches! Let’s take a short
spoiler-free look at <i>Rogue One</i>, and see what we can draw out of it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://starwars.com/">StarWars.com</a> offers this as a
synopsis of the movie: “In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely
heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star,
the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction.” While this is an ensemble
cast, the story has an iconic heroine in Jyn Erso. Through her, the
story is moved, the task is completed (don’t be surprised, since we have
known since 1977) and all of the soldiers aboard <i>Rogue One</i>
find their fulfillment. That is all I will say, in case you haven’t
seen it yet. But seriously, why are you reading my ramblings if you
haven’t seen the move yet? Put this down! Run to the theater! Then,
come back and finish up here.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
The scourge of the Empire has enslaved millions and oppressed the
rest. Their power is supported by Death Star I as it menaces the
galaxy. Only Jyn can get her hands on the plans and deliver them to the
Rebel Alliance. Her efforts are the beginning of the hope-filled
future for the Rebellion. The sinister Sith-inspired scum are coming
upon their crushing calamity.<span id="more-24816"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/DS1-RO.jpg?ssl=1" rel="http://www.starwarsnewsnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Rogue-One-05-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-24833" data-attachment-id="24833" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="DS1 RO" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/DS1-RO.jpg?fit=570%2C252&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/DS1-RO.jpg?fit=300%2C133&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/DS1-RO.jpg?fit=969%2C429&ssl=1" data-orig-size="969,429" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-jyn-and-the-woman-of-hope/ds1-ro/" height="206" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/DS1-RO.jpg?resize=449%2C206&ssl=1" width="449" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The
Death Star I is a curse unleashed upon the galaxy. The only good that
ultimately comes from its existence is that it hastened the end of
Sheev’s folly. This curse was the downfall of many – even if we only
consider the annihilation of Alderaan. Had it been allowed to
indiscriminately enforce submission from orbit, the Emperor’s plan would
have succeeded. However, the maleficent battle station failed because
of its own ambition and through the woman who revealed its weakness.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/jyn-erso-rogue-one-1024x426.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-24830" data-attachment-id="24830" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="jyn-erso-rogue-one-1024×426" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/jyn-erso-rogue-one-1024x426.jpg?fit=570%2C237&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/jyn-erso-rogue-one-1024x426.jpg?fit=300%2C125&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/jyn-erso-rogue-one-1024x426.jpg?fit=1024%2C426&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1024,426" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-jyn-and-the-woman-of-hope/jyn-erso-rogue-one-1024x426/" height="205" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/jyn-erso-rogue-one-1024x426.jpg?resize=500%2C216&ssl=1" width="475" /></a></div>
This great woman, Jyn, is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typology_(theology)">type</a>.
She finds here incalculable value in the archetypical Woman. Let me
digress here, as I often do (my teaching style tends to follow the logic
of “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celebrated_Jumping_Frog_of_Calaveras_County">The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County</a>.”
Easily distractible). Jesus was at a wedding in a town called Cana.
He was there as a guest, and not ready to reveal too much about his
coming ministry yet. The wine runs low – a bad sign for a wedding
reception. Mary, his mother, asks him to perform a miracle and create
more wine. He responds to her by saying: “Woman, what does your concern
have to do with Me?” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+2&version=NKJV">John 2.4</a>).
It has been wrongly asserted in some circles that by calling her Woman
he is being dismissive of her, or denigrating her status in his eyes.
But this is not so! No so at all! By calling her Woman, he is
hearkening back to the beginning of time, revealing her to be the cause
and genesis of all blessings and redemption to come to the race of
humankind. The Woman that he is referring to is known by several names –
the second Eve, the Virgin, the Mother of God, and Theotokos.<br />
Let’s go back to Eve and see how important (crucial and exalted) the role of the Woman is in salvation.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Expulsion.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-24829" data-attachment-id="24829" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Expulsion" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Expulsion.jpg?fit=570%2C428&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Expulsion.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Expulsion.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1" data-orig-size="600,450" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-jyn-and-the-woman-of-hope/expulsion/" height="225" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Expulsion.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
It
is a story as old as time itself – in the most literal way. Snake
deceives woman, man blames woman, humankind is kicked out of its home.
There was a time when peace reigned throughout the world, and the
blessings of God were abundant and sufficient. But, deceived by the
treacherous serpent, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were exiled from the
Garden of Eden. Paradise was lost. Death found a beachhead into the
world. As with all discipline that is delivered by the Lord, there is a
corrective measure. All curses or disciplines are ultimately for the
correction and eventual blessing of the subject.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
God said to the serpent:<br />
“Because you have done this…<br />
I will put enmity<br />
Between you and the woman,<br />
And between your seed and her Seed;<br />
He shall bruise your head,<br />
And you shall bruise His heel.” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3.14-15%29&version=NKJV">Genesis 3.14-15</a>)</div>
The Woman of the prophecy is a deeper issue that takes some
explaining. At first blush it would seem to refer to Eve, offering
vindication of her dignity. While this is true to some degree, the
greater point is that it is a prophecy looking forward to Mary, the
Mother of Jesus. In the Orthodox Church, we have given her another
title – <a href="https://orthodoxwiki.org/Theotokos">Theotokos</a>,
which means the God-bearer. This Woman, the second Eve, is the bearer
of the fulfillment of the hopes and fears of all the years (see what I
did there to start pointing towards Christmas?). Perhaps any of the
sons of Eve literally crushed the head of that particular vile beast.
However, that would not be enough to unravel all the hell that was
unleashed. The Son of Mary destroyed the perfidious evil overlord
completely. This reversed the curse, and indeed provided for Life to
reopen the gates to Paradise.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_24831" style="width: 284px;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Nativity_Clark008830web__70598.1410478717.500.659.gif?ssl=1"><img class="wp-image-24831 size-medium" data-attachment-id="24831" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Nativity_Clark008830web__70598.1410478717.500.659" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Nativity_Clark008830web__70598.1410478717.500.659.gif?fit=474%2C500&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Nativity_Clark008830web__70598.1410478717.500.659.gif?fit=284%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Nativity_Clark008830web__70598.1410478717.500.659.gif?fit=474%2C500&ssl=1" data-orig-size="474,500" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-jyn-and-the-woman-of-hope/nativity_clark008830web__70598-1410478717-500-659/" height="300" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Nativity_Clark008830web__70598.1410478717.500.659.gif?resize=284%2C300&ssl=1" width="284" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Mary is the subject of this icon.</figcaption></figure></div>
This is the story of Christmas. The Nativity of the Son of God. It
is not possible for a man to become incarnate unless he has a mother.
Through the faithfulness of this Woman, Salvation in the person of Jesus
came into the world. In the carol <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgzgmEJoCSw">The Holly and the Ivy</a>
we will sing “The holly bears a blossom/As white as lily flower/And
Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ/To be our sweet Saviour.” I recommend the
version by the<a href="http://theirishroversmusic.com/"> Irish Rovers</a>.<br />
Mary, the Woman who bore Life, and thereby destroyed death, was a
true rebel. She did not simply endure the outrageous misfortune of the
first curse, but brought about her offspring in order to crush the head
of that serpent. For that we say that she is most holy, most pure, most
blessed and glorious. You can’t add much more to those sobriquets, nor
could Jyn or the rest of us aspire to anything greater.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_24832" style="width: 300px;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Save-the-Rebellion-Shirt.png?ssl=1"><img class="wp-image-24832 size-medium" data-attachment-id="24832" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Save the Rebellion Shirt" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Save-the-Rebellion-Shirt.png?fit=313%2C313&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Save-the-Rebellion-Shirt.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Save-the-Rebellion-Shirt.png?fit=313%2C313&ssl=1" data-orig-size="313,313" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-jyn-and-the-woman-of-hope/save-the-rebellion-shirt/" height="300" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Save-the-Rebellion-Shirt.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1" width="300" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">If you’re giving Christmas gifts, you can send me this shirt.</figcaption></figure></div>
From the time they left the Garden of Paradise, Adam and Eve looked
forward to the day that their child (albeit many generations later)
would destroy the clever beast that stole their joyous homeland. They
dreamt of the day of reconciliation, which found its fulfillment in the
faithful Woman Mary. She saved the Rebellion, gave birth to the Dream
who restored all things.<br />
The joy of contemplating the Christmas story knows no bounds. I am
very thankful that through the Woman, Life is restored to all of the
children of our first mother.Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-76678114557060130562016-11-22T11:01:00.000-08:002017-10-12T12:28:45.629-07:00Forgiving is the Way of the Light SideSome might say that it has been a rough couple of weeks for us here
in the United States. Others will be happy because a contentious season
has passed. Still others may be indifferent to the imposed emotional
frenzy. No matter where we find ourselves on this spectrum, it is
necessary for each of us to live with each with grace and forgiveness.<br />
<br />
Some think the Galactic Empire is being channeled, and some think the
Rebel Alliance has emerged victorious. Honestly, I think the rich are
still getting rich, and I’ll still be in relatively the same place in 4
or 8 years regardless of the larger political world. And that is as it
should be. My life should not be dictated, controlled or overly
influenced by politicians. I still have neighbors and family members by
and through whom I hope to become a better man.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/4-Hoth-Fight-CROPPED.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="4-hoth-fight-cropped" class="aligncenter wp-image-24162" data-attachment-id="24162" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="4-hoth-fight-cropped" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/4-Hoth-Fight-CROPPED.jpg?fit=570%2C285&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/4-Hoth-Fight-CROPPED.jpg?fit=300%2C150&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/4-Hoth-Fight-CROPPED.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1200,600" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-forgiving-is-the-way-of-the-light-side/4-hoth-fight-cropped/" height="164" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/4-Hoth-Fight-CROPPED.jpg?resize=316%2C164&ssl=1" width="316" /></a></div>
Back when I was on a much different career path, we studied the <i>7 Habits of Highly Effective People</i>.
One of the maxims that comes to mind presently is this: “If we can’t
find a mutually beneficial solution, we agree to disagree agreeably
(reference: somewhere in that awesome book).” To disagree agreeably.
The decisions made in the democratic context will necessarily mean that
some points of view (a political party, for example) are given eminence
from time to time. It is how we react in those situations that shows
the mettle of a person.<br />
<br />
In all situations we can only control one person. It is not our
spouse (she told me I can’t). It is not our child (they all refuse to
be civilized). It is not even my dog (or he would share more of my bed
with me). The only person we can cause to react in the entire galaxy is
ourselves. I can only change me. I cannot change you. Therefore, if
there is a disagreement or a resentment, my only positive recourse is to
love and forgiveness. Today, I am going to deal with the concept of
forgiveness.<br />
Let us look at two situations – father and son relationships where forgiveness was being offered.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/han-hand.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="han-hand" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-24160" data-attachment-id="24160" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="han-hand" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/han-hand.jpg?fit=570%2C299&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/han-hand.jpg?fit=300%2C158&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/han-hand.jpg?fit=600%2C315&ssl=1" data-orig-size="600,315" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-forgiving-is-the-way-of-the-light-side/han-hand/" height="158" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/han-hand.jpg?resize=300%2C158&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
Last
year, Han and Leia were looking for reconciliation with their son.
They were willing to do anything for him – even turn to the Resistance
upside down for a chance to reconcile him to the light side. As Han
approached him on that railingless catwalk, there were only two ways
that he would be returning. He apologized for his shortcomings as a
father. He offered everything he had to his son. He could not change
the past nor make too many promises for the future, but he offered all
of his heart to his son. Ben, of course, did not wish to be reconciled
to his family. The forgiveness offered by Han was refused – but Han’s
compassion and care were no less diminished. Forgiveness is closely
related to another concept – humility. Humility is to know who you
truly are and behave accordingly. Han was a flawed man, and knew
exactly that. Ben’s acceptance did not change the offering from the
scoundrel’s heart.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Darth-Vader-in-Return-of-the-Jedi-.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="darth-vader-in-return-of-the-jedi" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-24159" data-attachment-id="24159" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="darth-vader-in-return-of-the-jedi" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Darth-Vader-in-Return-of-the-Jedi-.jpg?fit=570%2C253&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Darth-Vader-in-Return-of-the-Jedi-.jpg?fit=300%2C133&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Darth-Vader-in-Return-of-the-Jedi-.jpg?fit=600%2C266&ssl=1" data-orig-size="600,266" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-forgiving-is-the-way-of-the-light-side/darth-vader-in-return-of-the-jedi/" height="133" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Darth-Vader-in-Return-of-the-Jedi-.jpg?resize=300%2C133&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
Many
years earlier, Luke faced off against his own father on the second
Death Star in front of the most malevolent Emperor. Among these three
men, we see two very oppositional dynamics. The Emperor was the
ultimate master of puppets, manipulating Anakin and bending him to his
demented will. Palps controlled those around him, while exalting his
own status. A failure of humility. On the other hand, Luke was willing
to lose his own life to redeem that of his father’s Luke offered
everything he had for his father – not that his actions would ever be
sufficient. They could only call Anakin back to the Light Side, not
compel him.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Luke-rock.jpg?ssl=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="luke-rock" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-24161" data-attachment-id="24161" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="luke-rock" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Luke-rock.jpg?fit=199%2C253&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Luke-rock.jpg?fit=199%2C253&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Luke-rock.jpg?fit=199%2C253&ssl=1" data-orig-size="199,253" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-forgiving-is-the-way-of-the-light-side/luke-rock/" height="253" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Luke-rock.jpg?resize=199%2C253&ssl=1" width="199" /></a></div>
<br />
Luke forgave his father for the damage that was done to
himself. Luke showed Anakin that there was a path to forgiveness for
himself. Only Anakin could make the decision to forgive himself in his
utter pain. This anguish could be seen in his confusion at the height
of the Emperor torturing Luke with the Force Lightening. Years
ago, one of the bishops of my Church related this very prescient story
for our day. As we are looking at an ever-changing social and political
climate, and buffeted about by the uncertainty of our future, we must
make ourselves vessels of forgiveness. Metropolitan Jonah wrote:<br />
<div style="padding-left: 60px;">
“There is a story in the desert fathers
about a young novice who was told by his elder, “Go and yell at the
rock.” So, for half a day, he went and yelled at a rock, insulted,
berated, and cursed it. He went back to his elder, who told him, “Now,
praise and flatter the rock.” So he went back and praised, flattered,
and said nice things to the rock. He went back and his elder asked him,
“How did the rock react when you praised it?” “It didn’t,” he said. “How
did it react when you screamed at it and cursed it?” “It didn’t react,”
he said. “So,” said the elder, “should you also be impervious to praise
or [slander], and react to both in the same way, as did the rock.”</div>
Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-78477265615346715492016-10-22T11:04:00.000-07:002017-10-12T11:04:31.264-07:00Can Jedi Be a Religion?How do you identify yourself? When you meet someone new, what facets
of your life do you mention first as an introduction? For some, it is
relationships, children, employment, favorite <i>Star Wars</i> movie,
hat size. Whatever. One thing we are always shy to ask about is
someone’s religious background and preference. I think this is a newer
phenomenon, actually. Nevertheless, in the new millennium, crazy
answers to all of these questions are offered. Quite often, we get
stories about people listing Jedi as the religion of choice on some form
or another.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span id="more-22525"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Jedi_census_phenomenon_2001.pdf.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="jedi_census_phenomenon_2001-pdf" class="aligncenter wp-image-22528" data-attachment-id="22528" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="jedi_census_phenomenon_2001-pdf" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Jedi_census_phenomenon_2001.pdf.jpg?fit=330%2C427&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Jedi_census_phenomenon_2001.pdf.jpg?fit=232%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Jedi_census_phenomenon_2001.pdf.jpg?fit=330%2C427&ssl=1" data-orig-size="330,427" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-can-jedi-be-a-religion/jedi_census_phenomenon_2001-pdf/" height="204" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Jedi_census_phenomenon_2001.pdf.jpg?resize=266%2C340&ssl=1" width="160" /></a> </div>
I
knew this was a thing, so in preparation for what I want to say today, I
searched out some information. And it is mind boggling. Apparently,
in Australia, there are 70,000 Jedi, with another 390,000 in England and
Wales. Those, as well as other countries, have had to find appropriate
ways to deal with the census responses. You can see their responses on
this Wikipedia page. Yep, I am quoting <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi_census_phenomenon">Wikipedia here</a>.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Crowns.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="crowns" class="aligncenter wp-image-22527" data-attachment-id="22527" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"Copyright \u00a9","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="crowns" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Crowns.jpg?fit=570%2C379&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Crowns.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Crowns.jpg?fit=645%2C429&ssl=1" data-orig-size="645,429" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-can-jedi-be-a-religion/crowns/" height="190" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Crowns.jpg?resize=278%2C190&ssl=1" width="278" /></a> </div>
Now,
many of these are jokesters and trolls; many of them may be sincere. I
don’t know, and it is not my concern here. That someone calls Jedi a
religion is an interesting experiment. What is the point of religion?
Let’s do the smarty-pants thing and look at the word <i>religion</i> itself. Remember SAT Prep? (Preparing for SAT Prep? Here is a freebie for you). <i>Re-</i> is a root meaning again, to do something once more, to return to a place or idea. <i>Ligio-</i>
perhaps comes from the same root as ligament – a thing which connects
two other things. Religion is the process or society that connects two
things together. An important aspect of religion is about connecting
what is below to what is above.<br />
<a href="http://schmemann.org/">Fr Alexander Schmemann</a>, my
favorite theologian of the modern era, who passed away in 1983, talked
about the end of religion. Not the end as if it is over and can be
ignored, but the end for which it is intended; its goal. Religion
points us toward God, may even join our hands together; but that is
merely the beginning, and the end of the purpose of religion. Then,
something truly great happens. A relationship develops.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Qui-Gon.png?ssl=1"><img alt="qui-gon" class="aligncenter wp-image-22529" data-attachment-id="22529" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="qui-gon" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Qui-Gon.png?fit=485%2C750&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Qui-Gon.png?fit=194%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Qui-Gon.png?fit=485%2C750&ssl=1" data-orig-size="485,750" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-can-jedi-be-a-religion/qui-gon-2/" height="287" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Qui-Gon.png?resize=190%2C287&ssl=1" width="190" /></a> </div>
Qui-Gon
found this meaning through communion with the Living Force. He no
longer had any need of the temple authorities, or the ritual practices
(there was no demerit to these things, but only that they had been
transcended). The point of the ancient Jedi Order was to find the
oneness and closeness with the Galaxy. You can look back at my other
blogs to see how infuriating the calcified Jedi Order of the PT has made
me.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/christ-samaritanwomanatwell1.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="christ-samaritanwomanatwell1" class="aligncenter wp-image-22526" data-attachment-id="22526" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="christ-samaritanwomanatwell1" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/christ-samaritanwomanatwell1.jpg?fit=308%2C450&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/christ-samaritanwomanatwell1.jpg?fit=205%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/christ-samaritanwomanatwell1.jpg?fit=308%2C450&ssl=1" data-orig-size="308,450" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-can-jedi-be-a-religion/christ-samaritanwomanatwell1/" height="209" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/christ-samaritanwomanatwell1.jpg?resize=208%2C299&ssl=1" width="146" /></a> </div>
In a similar, though not fictitious way, when Jesus met the <a href="https://oca.org/saints/lives/2001/03/20/100846-martyr-photina-svetlana-the-samaritan-woman-and-her-sons">Samaritan Woman</a>
at the well, she asked about having to go to Jerusalem to worship. She
thought that you had to be in a certain place to worship. That was one
way that Israel found their connection to God. Fr. Alexander notes
that the Samaritan Woman asked Christ a question about ritual, “and in
reply Jesus changed the whole perspective on the matter…Religion is
needed where there is a wall of separation between God and man. But
Christ who is both God and man has broken down the wall…He has
inaugurated a new life, not a new religion.”<span style="color: #0000ee;"> </span>There is
something greater to be had now that the connection between God and man
has been made.<br />
But it has to tie us to something greater. The <i>Star Wars</i>
saga sets us on journeys of discovery that far exceed the simple
enjoyment of entertainment. That is why we are here, that is why,
perhaps, you have given some of your precious time to reading about the
story. In some way, and intentionally so, the Galaxy points us toward <a href="http://i.stack.imgur.com/jA0H0.jpg">something greater</a>, something that is inherently yearned for in the depths of the human soul.<br />
Each of us is called to go out on the hero’s journey; not only to
redeem the bad guy, but to find an identity within a greater community.
To call Jedi a religion, as a simple thought experiment, is to begin to
make that connection. To bind ourselves to something greater and
beneficial is the call of human life. Hopefully, it leads to truth, and
not just self-satisfaction and selfishness.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Younglings.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="younglings" class="aligncenter wp-image-22530 " data-attachment-id="22530" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="younglings" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Younglings.jpg?fit=570%2C321&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Younglings.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Younglings.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1280,720" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-can-jedi-be-a-religion/younglings/" height="198" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Younglings.jpg?resize=341%2C198&ssl=1" width="341" /></a> </div>
Religion
is a category of thought, walled from all others. Other possible
categories are aesthetics, ethics, ontology, and so on. Yep, I am
digging way back to freshman year Philosophy class now. But the point
is that, through our maturation and growth as human beings, we are
searching for something greater than knowledge of one particular field.
Religion is a field. <i>Star Wars</i> is a field of study. If they are introduced properly and grasped completely, they point us toward the greater.<br />
Religion is a means, not an end in itself. True communion with God
is the beginning, means, end and joy for which we were created in the
first place.Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-47989067011247921612016-06-22T11:06:00.000-07:002017-10-12T11:06:52.891-07:00My D'Qar D'ietAlmost a year ago, I was at a convention and had to have my picture
taken for a directory, which I resisted for 6 years. It could be put
off no longer. A few of my buddies and I got in line and had a ton of
fun trying to look professional. A week or so later, the picture came
back and I was confronted with something that I had already known: I had
let myself get way too big. Jabba big. Pergill big. I should be Han
average, but it seemed that I had taken Malakili as my patron saint.
Something had to be done about it.
<br />
<a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Jabba-Eating.jpg?ssl=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jabba Eating" class="aligncenter wp-image-18965" data-attachment-id="18965" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Jabba Eating" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Jabba-Eating.jpg?fit=570%2C240&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Jabba-Eating.jpg?fit=300%2C126&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Jabba-Eating.jpg?fit=1280%2C539&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1280,539" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-my-dqar-diet/jabba-eating/" height="157" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Jabba-Eating-300x126.jpg?resize=355%2C157&ssl=1" width="355" /></a></div>
That day, I jumped off the couch and went for a walk. I was
incredibly pleased to be able to go an entire mile. That was the first
step in a long journey of trying to live a little better each day. Over
the past few months, I have been thinking of this as my D’Qar D’iet.
Clever, right?<br />
<span id="more-18960"></span><br />
<br />
We first saw D’Qar in <i>The Force Awakens</i>
as the base of the Resistance. This is the place that shelters our
heroes and where they planned the devastating hit on the First Order.
Finn had to survive long enough to get to D’Qar so that he could redeem
himself from his former life. Rey found what she was truly looking for
in the Resistance – camaraderie and community. So, in a manner of
speaking, D’Qar is the goal that I have set for myself. There are
nefarious forces attacking me – sugar, laziness, soda, snacking,
overindulgence.<br />
What a bunch of lies I had fallen for.<br />
<b>The Longing</b><br />
So how did Finn and Rey reach the safe haven of the Resistance base?
On Jakku, Finn refused to engage in the destruction of Lor San Tekka’s
village. He saw the error in his ways. He boldly kept his blaster
silent. Rey, several miles away, was lonely in her struggles, keeping
her turmoil and longing tucked away in her heart. She ate alone, not
sharing a meal with family or friends. Finn and Rey’s lives change when
they connect. Now Rey can have a companion for dinner, and Finn has
something to live for. Holding her hand might be detrimental to his
health, so he has to find other ways to connect.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rey-on-DQar.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="Rey on DQar" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-18962" data-attachment-id="18962" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Rey on DQar" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rey-on-DQar.jpg?fit=570%2C222&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rey-on-DQar.jpg?fit=300%2C117&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rey-on-DQar.jpg?fit=1000%2C389&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1000,389" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-my-dqar-diet/rey-on-dqar/" height="117" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rey-on-DQar.jpg?resize=300%2C117&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
They
end up on Takodana. “I didn’t know this was this much green in the
whole galaxy,” Rey marveled. As for me, my lifestyle and diet had to
change. Or else my time above dirt would have been short. Greens were
one of the first steps in this process. I began to eat better. For me,
that meant tracking my food intake with an app on my phone. It turns
out I was treating myself a lot, so over a month or so I took my caloric
intake down to a responsible amount for gradual weight loss. I added
more fruits and vegetables into my diet, and found the gumption to avoid
the tempting bits – chocolate, soda and fried things.<br />
<b>The Method</b><br />
I was willing to try anything and take a chance. Finn took a chance
on honesty, and was willing to be exiled as a deckhand for Captain
Ithano and Quiggold. Could I eat less? Could I cut it down to only
three meals a day, ignoring even Elevensies? It was a mighty test of
the will, and I fell down a few times as well. The most important thing
about falling down is the forgiveness and the rising afterwards.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rey-Running.gif?ssl=1"><img alt="Rey Running" class="aligncenter wp-image-18961" data-attachment-id="18961" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Rey Running" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rey-Running.gif?fit=500%2C200&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rey-Running.gif?fit=300%2C120&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rey-Running.gif?fit=500%2C200&ssl=1" data-orig-size="500,200" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-my-dqar-diet/rey-running/" height="99" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rey-Running.gif?resize=362%2C153&ssl=1" width="235" /></a> </div>
For
fear of the dark side, I began to run. As Rey ran through the forest
to escape Kylo Ren, I ran to escape my multitude of tasty
transgressions. At first I walked a mile. Then it was two. After a
month I could do 2 miles on the treadmill (Did I mention I was letting a
gym extort me for a few bucks each month for 2 years before my decision
to get fit?). After 3 months I took up the Couch to 5K challenge. The
first workout was to run for 90 seconds. After that, my lungs and legs
went on strike and weren’t seen for a few days. But eventually they
came back and I finished the program in 8 weeks. By the end of it, I
could indeed finish a 5K. However, this was supported by eating right
and being consistent. Last week I ran in a local road race for the
first time in 21 years. I didn’t not break any records, but I finished
the race.<br />
While on Takodana, Chewbacca was fine tuning the <i>Millennium Falcon</i>.
He was fixing the technology so that he would be able to get out of
tight spots in the future. Technology has also been a great assistant
in my journey. I use an app to measure my calories, another to track my
exercise, and another to remind me to keep active throughout the day.
If you want, I would be glad to share the multitude of apps I have
tried. I have probably been through 100 to find what works for me.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Apps.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="Apps" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-18968" data-attachment-id="18968" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Apps" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Apps.jpg?fit=354%2C178&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Apps.jpg?fit=300%2C151&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Apps.jpg?fit=354%2C178&ssl=1" data-orig-size="354,178" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-my-dqar-diet/apps/" height="151" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Apps.jpg?resize=300%2C151&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
When
the heroes gather back on D’Qar and become a mighty force. Finn and
Rey, Han and Poe. Everyone is now ready to take on the First Order. My
whole family has changed their lives as well. We are doing this
together. It is incredibly reassuring to know that we are all
supporting each other. Instead of hitting the ice cream store, we go
for a bike ride or a hike. These people I live with are pretty amazing,
and we can spend a lot more time talking about it when we are active
together.<br />
<b>The Victory</b><br />
As a parish priest, I have coffee or meals with parishioners and
friends multiple times a week. This is an opportunity to stuff my face
or teach myself a little bit of restraint. I approach each situation
thinking about my goals. As Han approached Maz Kanata’s Castle, he was
entering a feasting hall that offered a good time and the opportunity to
gorge on sumptuous foods. Han knew what he was sitting down for and
stuck to his plan. He didn’t hit the buffet line three times, but gave
his attention to his diminutive host. Community gatherings ought to be
about the human interactions. I give all of my attention to my
companion, and not to the menu. In any situation, there are
temptations; each one can be handled, one small step and moment at a
time.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_18963" style="width: 300px;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Me-Running.jpg?ssl=1"><img alt="Me Running" class="wp-image-18963 size-medium" data-attachment-id="18963" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Me Running" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Me-Running.jpg?fit=570%2C428&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Me-Running.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Me-Running.jpg?fit=960%2C720&ssl=1" data-orig-size="960,720" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-my-dqar-diet/me-running/" height="225" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Me-Running.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1" width="300" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Rebel Orange, of course.</figcaption></figure></div>
So there you go. I am down 70 pounds and feeling terrific. There is
still a long way to go. According to the government’s charts, I am
only 7 pounds from being only overweight. Several chronic conditions
have disappeared from my life, and my blood pressure was 120/80
recently. Crazy, right? At least three of my friends have come on
board and are working hard, as well as my family at home. Together we
are all hoping to be big losers, but living to fight another day.Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-31532478135363898742016-04-22T11:08:00.000-07:002017-10-12T11:08:47.572-07:00Boshek returns from the Far Off Land<div style="text-align: center;">
I once was lost, but now am found,<br />
Was blind, but now I see…<br />
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,<br />
And grace will lead me home. – Amazing Grace</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
We saw an amazing example of this in the <em>Star Wars</em> community a short while back.<br />
<span id="more-17574"></span><br />
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 285px;"><img height="300" src="https://i0.wp.com/ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTY5NTcyNDYwN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTMwNDUwODE@._V1__SX1100_SY583_.jpg?resize=285%2C300" width="285" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Definitely him. Definitely awesome.</figcaption></figure>
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 <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Basil_Tomlin">Frances Alfred Basil Tomlin </a>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.<br />
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 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwYX52BP2Sk">Time </a>by Pink Floyd. The song opens up with this chillingly clear diagnosis of our human condition.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day<br />
Fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way…<br />
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way…<br />
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.<br />
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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 <em>Star Wars</em>
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.<br />
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 327px;"><img height="180" src="https://i0.wp.com/orthodoxwiki.org/images/2/21/Parable_of_the_Prodigal_Son.JPG?resize=327%2C180" width="327" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Telling the whole story in one panel.</figcaption></figure>
We can look at the <a href="http://orthodoxwiki.org/Sunday_of_the_Prodigal_Son">Prodigal Son </a>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.<br />
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 300px;"><img height="300" src="https://i1.wp.com/billyjensen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Bo-shek.jpg?resize=300%2C300" width="300" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">If he had just taken the job!</figcaption></figure>
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 <a href="http://billyjensen.com/finding-boshek/">that fan’s journey </a>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. <em>Star Wars</em> 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.<br />
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).<br />
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 300px;"><img height="300" src="https://iconreader.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/modern1-e1329068773290.jpg?w=300&h=300&resize=300%2C300" width="300" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">The friend forgives out of unwavering love.</figcaption></figure>
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.Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-4168097368642958422016-03-22T11:11:00.000-07:002017-10-12T11:11:24.647-07:00The Power of Silence: An Easter ReflectionOver the last few weeks, I have been a little sick. For me, that
means that I will lose my voice. The smokey tones of Marge Simpson will
emerge for a while, giving way to the honk of an imprisoned swan,
leaving me finally with utter silence.
<br />
I pause now for my wife to rejoice. It is a bit rough in my line of
work – It is hard to preach, lead the prayers or to talk with someone
who is having a rough day. So this was an eye-opening experience as I
moved through the community observing how other people communicated.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R6BIoscOX0" rel="attachment wp-att-16734"><img alt="simpsons-sing-the-blues" class="aligncenter wp-image-16734" data-attachment-id="16734" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="simpsons-sing-the-blues" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/simpsons-sing-the-blues.jpg?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/simpsons-sing-the-blues.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/simpsons-sing-the-blues.jpg?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1" data-orig-size="500,500" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-power-of-silence-an-easter-reflection/simpsons-sing-the-blues/" height="300" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/simpsons-sing-the-blues.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
What
I learned was that there is a great value in silence, and we trade it
in for cheaply filled prattling noisiness. Silence is not a time of
laziness or unproductivity, but the most valuable moments when the world
can be contemplated, adored and understood. Unfortunately, this is not
what the secular world is teaching. Be busy, be loud, be heard, be
number one in everything at the expense of the uselessly beautiful.<br />
For all of the long game that the Sith perpetrated for 1000 years,
their frenetic activity and vapid words are a sign of the sort of noise
about which I am speaking. They manipulate through their words. They
spend their time gaining power to satisfy the base lust of power. Their
lives and teaching are full of action without value. The power they seek
is ultimately elusive, for they spend no time communing with the Force,
but working to bend it to their individual wills. This is destructive.<br />
The proper teaching of the Jedi way is quite the opposite.
Contemplation and care for the other are the foundation of the authority
with which they have been entrusted. Indeed, they know that their
sensitivity to the Force is a gift that must be matured and cultivated
if it is to achieve the potential that lies within. They do this through
meditation and listening more than speaking. Their cognates in the real
world are the monastics of the various religious traditions: they
meditate and pray, they work for the communal good and are obedient to
the superior of a community. Simply look to Qui-Gon’s meditative poses
in his fateful duel with Darth Maul to see the value of meditation in
even the most horrendous situations.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+19&version=NKJV" rel="attachment wp-att-16736" target="_blank"><img alt="christ_pilate" class="aligncenter wp-image-16736" data-attachment-id="16736" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="christ_pilate" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/christ_pilate.jpg?fit=427%2C306&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/christ_pilate.jpg?fit=300%2C215&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/christ_pilate.jpg?fit=427%2C306&ssl=1" data-orig-size="427,306" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-power-of-silence-an-easter-reflection/christ_pilate/" height="153" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/christ_pilate.jpg?resize=300%2C218&ssl=1" width="210" /></a> </div>
The
great example of silence in the face of outrageous oppression is the
trial of Jesus Christ in front of Pontius Pilate. You see, Jesus was an
affront to several different societies around him. He was not a constant
stream of words, but a perfect life of preaching, teaching, healing,
praying and seeking solitude. All of these make the complete man; out of
whack, and the life becomes imbalanced. Christ’s trial before Pontius
Pilate, who was the appointed Roman governor, has a moment of amazing
silence. After Pilate hears the accusation made against Jesus by the
priests, “he said to Jesus, ‘Where are You from?’ But Jesus gave him no
answer. Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Are You not speaking to me? Do You not
know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?’”<br />
In the very moment when he could have saved his own life, he remained
silent. Had he said he was from Galilee, he would have been sent to
Herod again. Had he said the other side of the Jordan, he would have
been deported. But in the moment when he could have filled the air with a
defense, Christ remained silent. The true God, who through his own will
spoke creation to come into being, knew that his power would be
completely made known in his silence and weakness. Pilate did not
comprehend the profound statement made in the silence from Jesus.
Instead, he leveled a threat, hoping to scare out a confession.
Thereafter, “Jesus answered, ‘You could have no power at all against Me
unless it had been given you from above.’” Christ is perfect in his
weakness and silence, because even he knows that all power and authority
is not from within the weak vessels of the humans, but coming down from
Heaven itself.<br />
Where Anakin ran into aggressive negotiations with his lightsaber
drawn, and the Jedi Council sought to subdue the demonic Palpatine
through demonic actions, Luke stands in divine contemplation on Death
Star II, choosing to cast away the weapon of violence for silent love.
His victory that saved the galaxy from Sith domination was done in
silence, through a compassionate look to his father, and the enduring of
Sith lightning. Instead of justifying himself and displaying his
immense power through the blade, Luke rebuffs the emperor through small
words and large actions. He says “I’ll never turn to the Dark Side.
You’ve failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”
With that, he returns to the silence, waiting for the evil one to throw
all of his efforts against an immovable wall. In his silence and
suffering, Luke wins. Goodness wins when the battling is no longer done
merely to scar the opponent, but to aid the brother or sister (or
father) in their journey toward everlasting light. In one of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezc4HdLGxg4" target="_blank">latest songs </a>from
Pink Floyd, the profound statement is made: “The beat of our hearts is
louder than words…this thing they call soul/Is there with a pulse louder
than words.”<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/On-DSII.jpeg?ssl=1" rel="attachment wp-att-16738"><img alt="On DSII" class="aligncenter wp-image-16738" data-attachment-id="16738" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="On DSII" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/On-DSII.jpeg?fit=570%2C285&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/On-DSII.jpeg?fit=300%2C150&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/On-DSII.jpeg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1200,600" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-power-of-silence-an-easter-reflection/on-dsii/" height="238" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/On-DSII.jpeg?resize=458%2C238&ssl=1" width="458" /></a> </div>
So
for those of you who are celebrating Easter (the Resurrection of Jesus
Christ, or commonly called Pascha in my Orthodox Christian tradition)
this coming weekend on the <a href="http://orthodoxwiki.org/Gregorian_calendar" target="_blank">Gregorian calendar</a>,
the lesson before us is one of profound silence. Silently listening for
the still small voice of the Creator to call us ever closer to himself.
When we drown out that voice, when we turn away from the ultimate good,
we set ourselves up as the empty idol to which we pay homage. But,
should we recognize our frailty and deep existential needfulness, we
just might become a lump of clay that can be transfigured into something
transcendent.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://orthodoxwiki.org/Pascha" rel="attachment wp-att-16742" target="_blank"><img alt="Pascha Icon" class="aligncenter wp-image-16742" data-attachment-id="16742" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Pascha Icon" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Pascha-Icon.jpg?fit=320%2C241&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Pascha-Icon.jpg?fit=300%2C226&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Pascha-Icon.jpg?fit=320%2C241&ssl=1" data-orig-size="320,241" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-the-power-of-silence-an-easter-reflection/pascha-icon/" height="150" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Pascha-Icon.jpg?resize=393%2C300&ssl=1" width="197" /></a> </div>
For me, after the feast of Pascha has been celebrated in the Orthodox Church (on May 1 on the <a href="http://orthodoxwiki.org/Julian_calendar" target="_blank">Julian calendar</a>),
when life returns to the normal and mundane, I hope to carry within
myself the same lessons. At all times, it is no longer I who has to be
the master of all things, but humble in knowing that my help comes from
above, and I am only built to listen and respond with all of my life to
the call to silence and compassion. It is my hope and prayer that these
lessons might remain with you as well.Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-37511444856907536602016-01-22T11:11:00.000-08:002017-10-12T12:29:50.782-07:00What Lies Beneath the Masks<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">Perhaps
it was Billy Joel or Kierkegaard who once said: “We share so many
secrets, there are some we never tell. Why were you so surprised that
you never saw the stranger? Did you ever let your lover see the
stranger in yourself.” Sometimes the stranger we are looking at is in
our own mirror. We are afraid to get to know the face that looks back
at us because the challenge will be too burdensome to bear. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"> </span>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">It
was indeed Billy Joel; on the cover of that album he is peacefully
reclined, looking into the eyes of a mask. Is it his? Is it his
lover’s? We will never know, but the donning of masks is a ubiquitous
act that divides us and instills fear in the other. Think about it.
Kids on Halloween may be cute, but if you want to make Fozzy Bear
creepy, make his face out of molded plastic, poke two eyeholes in it and
affix that useless elastic strap around the back. And let’s not even
bring clowns into this.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="298" src="https://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/2/28/VadersRemorse.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20060315174451" width="238" /> </span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">Masks
are a way of hiding from the truth, or concealing a truth that one
wants to hold as a secret or repress. The opposite of wearing a mask is
embracing humility, understood as the honest knowledge of who one truly
is in relation to the world and eternal truth. Usually that means
often failing and being selfish, but this knowledge can be helpful in
correcting what ails us. Hopefully you have seen <i>Star Wars: The Force Awakens</i>
by now. If not, I won’t be offended if you put down this idle
scribbling and head to the theater immediately. Then come as we discuss
the two masked figures depicted, and how that ought to scare the devil
out of us. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">There
goes your opportunity to avoid being spoiled. The mask of Darth Vader
is a shroud that inters Anakin in a grave that is guarded by the
contrived Darth Vader. Vader is a construct, a façade to repress the
true self. As the mask was lowered over the remaining shell of Anakin,
there was absolute terror in his eyes. A yearning for what he had lost,
an abandonment to the fear of what is to come. He created a
superficial reality that was fronted by the hard and fearsome lines of
his new countenance. But this is not the truth of who Anakin Skywalker
is, in much the same way that every other environment of the Empire is
contrived and artificial, from its sanitary hallways to its recycled
air. As long as he kept his mask on, he could perpetrate the lie
without fear of confronting the truth. He is fearsome to all who
encounter him because the mask terrifies through its inhuman anonymity.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><img alt="A view of Kylo Ren on display as part of a Star Wars themed holiday window at Bloomingdale's 59th Street Store on November 26, 2015 in New York City." class="aligncenter" height="200" src="https://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/kylo-ren-mask-michael-kaplan.jpg?quality=75&strip=color&w=594&resize=297%2C200" width="297" /> </span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">In
the era currently being explored, Kylo Ren is the new masked villain.
In a break with the usual masked villain, he has no problem taking off
his helmet and revealing the soft visage beneath. Adam Driver has
become known to us in the past several years with a dark and defining
goatee. That doubled the shock when he, as Kylo Ren, dared to lay his
unaided eyes upon his quarry. This was pure intimidation. This was the
revelation of the most terrifying dark side practitioner to ever come
along. Vader and Sidious were predictable in their motivation, evil and
designs. Kylo Ren is unhinged. The mask that he wears is no longer
the simple dark element covering his face, but a stain on his soul
smashing the good image within. He has embraced the stranger and
allowed his soul to be pillaged by the way within himself between the
darkness and the light. There is indeed a war within Kylo Ren for his
soul, and he has tipped the deck in favor of the dark side through
unswerving devotion. By unmasking himself, he is not just revealing his
face, but reveals the fact that he has shrouded his soul so completely
with the evil that he feels destined to complete. Taking off the mask
makes him the most terrifying villain. It is his aim to complete through
his deeds and person what was lacking in Vader’s vacillations. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><a class="image" href="https://i0.wp.com/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kierkegaard.jpg?ssl=1" title="A head-and-shoulders portrait sketch of a young man in his twenties that emphasizes his face, full hair, open and forward-looking eyes and a hint of a smile. He wears a formal necktie and lapel."><img alt="A head-and-shoulders portrait sketch of a young man in his twenties that emphasizes his face, full hair, open and forward-looking eyes and a hint of a smile. He wears a formal necktie and lapel." class="aligncenter" height="297" src="https://i0.wp.com/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Kierkegaard.jpg/220px-Kierkegaard.jpg?resize=204%2C297&ssl=1" width="204" /></a> </span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">The
great Danish existential philosopher Kierkegaard had quite a bit to say
about the masks we put on. Sounds really pretentious right? Perhaps,
but the dude is good. He once said, and I paraphrase from distant
memories from my prequel era college classes, “I will never be a
Christian, but I will always be becoming a Christian.” To totally be
something is an end, while the spiritual life is a journey and a
struggle that continues even after spiritual heights are achieved. But
to achieve great spiritual heights, and to come to terms with the masks
we wear, we must understand the difference between fear and love.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"> <a class="image" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sacrifice_of_Isaac-Caravaggio_(c._1603).jpg"><img alt="Sacrifice of Isaac-Caravaggio (c. 1603).jpg" class="aligncenter" height="206" src="https://i0.wp.com/upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Sacrifice_of_Isaac-Caravaggio_%28c._1603%29.jpg/300px-Sacrifice_of_Isaac-Caravaggio_%28c._1603%29.jpg?resize=300%2C206&ssl=1" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">True
fear is choosing a life apart from God and the love of our neighbors in
order to embrace that which needs to be examined and purged. We live
in the fear of God, from one point of view, as we choose ourselves over
the sacrificial life for the world around us. Fear leads the embattled
one to embrace the failings in light of the evidence of truth. When
Kierkegaard was examining the idea of fear, as we are discussing here,
he used the story of Isaac and Abraham – a father sacrificing his son,
but receiving a reprieve, even though he would have carried out the
sacrifice. Faced with such a terrible command as sacrificing his son
the righteous Abraham followed orders out of some devotion that is alien
to every day thinking. Did he behave out of fear, hoping that God
would not be angry? Was he obedient hoping against hope that his
sacrificial action would be ineffective? Faith replaced fear. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">Kierkegaard
wrote in Fear and Trembling: “Faith is the highest passion in a person.
There perhaps are many in every generation who do not come to faith,
but no one goes further. Whether there are also many in our day who do
not find it, I do not decide… But life has tasks enough also for the
person who does not come to faith, and if he loves these honestly, his
life will not be wasted.” Kierkegaard only knows that Abraham did as he
was instructed because something unexpected would happen, whether
material or ethereal, that would validate his loving faithfulness to
God. Faith, and by extension love, are what awaits us as we work
through and banish the fearful masks of self-deception. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">The
stranger we see in the mirror, artfully crafted into a mask, is the
physical manifestation of our fear of revealing the truth about our
souls. But that fear needs to be crushed by the heel of love for the
other, for the beloved and for God. The venerable St Anthony the Great
of ancient days succeeded in humbling himself and separating himself
from a life lived in fear. He said “I no longer fear the Lord, but love
him.” That is a successful life story, and the one to emulate. </span>Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-84493458956747630282015-12-22T11:15:00.000-08:002017-10-12T11:23:18.021-07:00Growing with the Saga, Childhood In TactLike many of you, on Thursday I went with my two boys to the theater. What a glorious evening! I was too young to see<i> A New Hope</i> in 1977, but I have vivid memories of seeing <i>Return of the Jedi</i>. I saw<i> Phantom Menace </i>with my new wife and uncle in 1999. Now, I took my own offspring to see this glory of a film.
<br />
At first, I was a little kid, stolen away to a movie by my doting
aunt. For the second trilogy premiere I was a young man beginning my
adult life just a few days after my wedding. Now as a grown man, I share
the joys with the ones I am trying, with varying degrees of success, to
raise.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Dad-and-Eli.jpg?ssl=1" rel="attachment wp-att-14836"><img alt="Dad and Eli" class="aligncenter wp-image-14836" data-attachment-id="14836" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Dad and Eli" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Dad-and-Eli.jpg?fit=570%2C428&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Dad-and-Eli.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Dad-and-Eli.jpg?fit=960%2C720&ssl=1" data-orig-size="960,720" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-growing-with-the-saga-childhood-in-tact/dad-and-eli/" height="228" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Dad-and-Eli-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C228&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
While contemplating the new mysteries of <i>The Force Awakens</i>,
at no point was my childhood attacked or stolen. At no time were the
challenges of my 20s negated. As a man closing in on 40, this new movie
does not change who I was. You know what I am getting at. We all have
that friend, or may have been that one, who complains about one director
or another stealing our childhood. It seems to me those people are
still working hard to maintain their childishness.<br />
We experience movies through the lens of whatever circumstances may
be happening in our real lives at the time. My parents divorced in the
mid 90s, so the Prequel Trilogy offered some challenging motifs for me
in terms of what a marriage should look like. One of the dynamics set up
in the recent release has great bearing on my life as a father, and
perhaps I can write about that in another month or two after the spoiler
embargo has lifted.<br />
I want to challenge you. I want to challenge you to examine the
things that we each add to the movies, and see if we are our own
oppressors. We add ourselves, and forget that we come to each movie in a
new way at every stage of our personal development.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/himym-ewok-line.png?ssl=1" rel="attachment wp-att-14837"><img alt="himym ewok line" class="aligncenter wp-image-14837" data-attachment-id="14837" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="himym ewok line" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/himym-ewok-line.png?fit=570%2C317&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/himym-ewok-line.png?fit=300%2C167&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/himym-ewok-line.png?fit=1280%2C712&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1280,712" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-growing-with-the-saga-childhood-in-tact/himym-ewok-line/" height="172" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/himym-ewok-line.png?resize=300%2C172&ssl=1" width="300" /></a> </div>
At
no point should we be stuck in the past, beholden to a time that is no
longer. What is the value of nostalgia? If it offers a joyous memory or a
warning from a previous point in our lives, there is value. But when we
try to relive the past glories, or to go back to a time that has faded
into the mists, we will always be subjected to disappointment. The
Original Trilogy is right where we left it, though our lives have moved
on. Think about it: have you changed your feelings about the Ewoks? For
some, they were cute teddy bears that morphed into fierce tiny warriors
as we aged. Funny how that happens. We changed, and yet the frames of
the movie did not. But we have invested so much of ourselves into the
saga that the expectations and hoes may have calcified, and we feel a
dark call to regress as well. This type of nostalgia is harmful; and
when we are harmed, the pain is deflected back to the source, like a
laser bolt deflected from a lightsaber.<br />
After Thanksgiving, I visited the grave of my grandparents with my
wife and kids. I do this a few times a year, but this time it was
connected to a holiday. My youngest asked questions about their lives,
seeing the dates on the marker. They asked about my relationship with
them. But in the end, we had to move on and leave that place. We cannot
sit in the graveyard until our own demise comes. We call to remembrance
the good things of the past, and honor them only by advancing our own
lives, and perhaps only because we stand as successors of such a great
cloud of witnesses.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/shmi-skywalker-funeral.jpeg?ssl=1" rel="attachment wp-att-14838"><img alt="shmi-skywalker-funeral" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14838" data-attachment-id="14838" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="shmi-skywalker-funeral" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/shmi-skywalker-funeral.jpeg?fit=570%2C321&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/shmi-skywalker-funeral.jpeg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/shmi-skywalker-funeral.jpeg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1280,720" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-growing-with-the-saga-childhood-in-tact/shmi-skywalker-funeral/" height="169" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/shmi-skywalker-funeral.jpeg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1" width="300" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Anakin returned to the Tatooine of his youth, and lost a bit of the
soul when he could not reconcile the new state of affairs there.</li>
<li>Obi-Wan saw the horrific demise of his master, but vowed to carry on with Qui-Gon’s work.</li>
<li>Princess Leia saw the destruction of her entire homeworld, and lead the Rebellion to great heights.</li>
<li>Han and Luke… we shall save any of those observations for another time! </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We can call to remembrance the good times of our past, but we cannot
recover them, nor bring them back to life. Time recedes into the
cobwebby places of our minds, though remaining fresh in our hearts. The
memories can be guides and companions in a healthy heart, or they can
become oppressive taskmasters when they become the habitation of the
soul.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Star-Wars-7-Trailer-3-Rey-Workshop.jpg?ssl=1" rel="attachment wp-att-14839"><img alt="Star-Wars-7-Trailer-3-Rey-Workshop" class="aligncenter wp-image-14839" data-attachment-id="14839" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Star-Wars-7-Trailer-3-Rey-Workshop" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Star-Wars-7-Trailer-3-Rey-Workshop.jpg?fit=570%2C240&ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Star-Wars-7-Trailer-3-Rey-Workshop.jpg?fit=300%2C126&ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Star-Wars-7-Trailer-3-Rey-Workshop.jpg?fit=1900%2C800&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1900,800" data-permalink="https://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/force-and-faith-growing-with-the-saga-childhood-in-tact/star-wars-7-trailer-3-rey-workshop/" height="170" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Star-Wars-7-Trailer-3-Rey-Workshop.jpg?resize=388%2C170&ssl=1" width="388" /></a> </div>
As we move into the new era of the <i>Star Wars</i>
saga, it is my hope that the story spurs personal and spiritual growth.
I hope that the lessons of the new generation of heroes inspires
maturity in real relationships that honors the mythos that has always
tried to call the hero within us to leave our small dusty hovels and
change the galaxy in profound ways.Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-38400870664884207422015-12-18T08:57:00.001-08:002015-12-18T10:06:41.907-08:00The Force Awakens Review for Younglings<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xyaZB83PuMY/VnQ6L-mW-TI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/d3T1t91fG4w/s1600/star-wars-force-awakens-official-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xyaZB83PuMY/VnQ6L-mW-TI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/d3T1t91fG4w/s320/star-wars-force-awakens-official-poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is a letter that was written to a family with younglings that are quite interested in whether The Force Awakens is appropriate for them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was very happy to be able to see
the new movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens last night with my two boys who are
ages 10 and 14.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Together, we watch a lot
of Star Wars movies and cartoons because it is a good story with interesting
characters and exciting battles.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
new movie is just as exciting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
lots of new characters and aliens that make it really fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rey, the young lady who seems to be the
center of the movie, is a clever person that has lived on her own in the desert
for many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She doesn’t complain
about how harsh it is to live there, but she hopes for the day when she will be
rescued.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KmULj8H2Jws/VnQ6bvcfyFI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/1dtAWHkaeQw/s1600/Star-Wars-7-Character-Guide-Finn-Rey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KmULj8H2Jws/VnQ6bvcfyFI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/1dtAWHkaeQw/s320/Star-Wars-7-Character-Guide-Finn-Rey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
other leading character is a guy named Finn who stops being a stormtrooper
because he doesn’t want to do evil things, like he is asked to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>H finds in his heart that fighting for what
is good is how we ought to live our lives.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The bad
guy, Kylo Ren, is ruthless and determined to have his way, even if it means
hurting other people. But he is not as strong as Darth Vader.His importance to
the story cannot be understated, and you will be verybsurprised. At least twice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
is a good movie, but you must remember that it is about war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a movie about the struggle of good
versus evil, in a galaxy where fighting major battles decides who will come out
on top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the actions of the heroes
are honorable, there are many battle scenes when stormtroopers and other
fighters are shot and die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the air,
the TIE Fighters and X-Wings shoot each other out of the sky quite often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People are thrown around like ragdolls when
the blasts start to come. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
exciting element of the movie is the connections that it has to the movies that
came out when I was a little kid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke
Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo and Chewbacca are back, and you will learn
about the consequences of their actions these many years after Return of the
Jedi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
excellent film is very entertaining, and tells the continuing story of the
Skywalkers and the fight to rid the galaxy of evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it is up to the parental units to
decide if lightsaber battles, soldiers being shot and one minor monster attack
are appropriate for you younger folks yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My 10 year old was OK and did not have bad dreams over it, but someone
younger just might.</span></div>
<br />Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8543602671065228095.post-32008118588731222492015-10-22T09:13:00.000-07:002017-10-12T12:30:39.720-07:00Jedi Lessons from Skellig Michael<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jpIullthmHs/VikKyyylEiI/AAAAAAAAA5I/Vbr3OzIC0ic/s1600/Skellig%2BMichael%2BGraves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jpIullthmHs/VikKyyylEiI/AAAAAAAAA5I/Vbr3OzIC0ic/s1600/Skellig%2BMichael%2BGraves.jpg" /></a></div>
The last time we saw our Jedi Master, he was in triumphant
celebration of the destruction of Death Star II. He was also in mourning
for his newly-reclaimed father. His journey as a Jedi and as a man was
headed in a unique direction after these events. In the poster for <i>Star Wars: The Force Awakens</i>,
Luke is conspicuously absent. We do not know why, but speculation
abounds. We do know that Mark Hamill was seen filming at a remote
location in Ireland. This location will become part of our enduring
fandom consciousness, just as the desert of Tunisia, the glaciers of
Norway or the redwoods of Northern California have. We are talking about
Skellig Michael, an ancient island in Ireland that was once home to
Christian monastics.
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Aerial.jpg"><img alt="Skellig Michael, Co. Kerry, Ireland Monastic Island" class=" wp-image-12986 aligncenter" height="288" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Aerial.jpg?resize=429,288" width="429" /></a> </div>
I’ve
never been to Ireland, though it certainly is on my short list of
things to do when I am able. My family left there in 1839, and has never
been back. But there is a bit of a yearning to see the ancestral land,
to see where I came from. Perhaps some of my grandparents’ witticisms
would make more sense in the right context. However, I have found a
suitable tutor for the things that Irish lands teach inherently. Within
my Church, and especially during my years at seminary, I developed a
healthy admiration for the monastic lifestyle. I did not become a
monastic, nor did I ever fantasize about it, but I was enlightened by
its way of looking at the world, untainted by material cares and the
avarice of our modern society. I developed a love for its simplicity and
desire to know God in His creation. These are some of the things that
my family sacrificed as they escaped starvation and looked to the New
World.<br />
<br />
With filming of <i>The Force Awakens</i> being done on Skellig
Michael, we have an amazing opportunity to center down and contemplate
the lives that were lived over there.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Wisdim-of-the-Celtic-Saints-book-cover.jpg"><img alt="Wisdim of the Celtic Saints book cover" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-12990" height="300" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Wisdim-of-the-Celtic-Saints-book-cover.jpg?resize=210,300" width="210" /></a> </div>
In a nice little book entitled <i>Wisdom of the Celtic Saints</i>
by Edward Sellner, the author enlightens the worldview of those who
settled Skellig Michael. I offer these, not to convince you of their
truth, but to give it an opportunity to compare to what we know about
the Jedi. Celtic Christian spirituality has a love and respect for the
physical environment. There is a deep love of learning (see <i>How the Irish Saved Civilization</i>).
The land led them to an innate yearning to explore the unknown. While
being a generally gregarious and joyous people, they have a love of
silence and solitude. There is the feeling that time is a sacred
reality, created and redeemed by God. In fact, there is an Irish saying
that “When God made time, He made plenty of it.” This spirituality has
an appreciation of ordinary life. There is a great value placed on
kinship relationships. For them, life is about communing with and
preparing souls for the world to come.<br />
<br />
For reasons to be revealed (maybe) in a few weeks, Luke Skywalker has
fled to this remote location. We do not know why, nor even where the
land is in the galaxy (though there was a huuuuuge hint in one of the YA
novels released on Force Friday). Perhaps in the story, it is not even
an island, though I can’t imagine why the producers would go to such
extremes, were they not to use the natural beauty of this ancient
settlement.<br />
<br />
Skellig Michael is a crag that is situated 12 kilometers off of the
Irish mainland, perched on the edge of the European landmass. With
dramatic heights of stone and forbidding eddies of water, there were no
inhabitants here until several monks sought refuge from the world in its
clefts. Sometime between the 6<sup>th</sup> and 8<sup>th</sup>
centuries, they took up residence here and coaxed the environment to
support their aesthetic endeavors. This small community, never numbering
more than a dozen, lasted until the thirteenth century. It continued to
be venerated as holy ground for many years afterward, since the mortal
remains of so many holy men are buried there, awaiting the resurrection.<br />
<br />
The seclusion of the monastery was no surety from attacks from the
outside world. At least once, in 823, the island was plundered by the
fierce Vikings. The sacred implements were carried off, and one monk was
kidnapped in order to be plied for information about greater treasures.
This brave monk named Etgal maintained his silence unto his own death,
protecting his brothers with his very life.<br />
Normally, monastics live on a vegetarian diet. This is still true in
my particular Church’s devotion – I do not know about other traditions.
This palate could not be maintained in such a harsh environment. The
monastic brotherhood of Skellig Michael lived off of some amount of
gardening, which was hard-won, as well as the fish, birds and eggs that
were laid on the island.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Beehive-Huts.jpg"><img alt="Beehive Huts" class="aligncenter wp-image-12987" height="218" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Beehive-Huts.jpg?resize=321,218" width="321" /></a> </div>
As
the island was tamed, three terraces emerged through the labor of the
residents. On one were the gardens. Imagine the wind whipping their
robes as they tilled unwilling soil and as sea spray seemed to come from
all directions. To be a monastic is a heroic effort. Further up, there
was a terrace that housed the oratories (monastic chapels) and beehive
shaped huts for living. More secluded hermetic living spaces were
established even higher on the two peaks of the island. From here, the
monks could both physically and spiritually leave the bounds of the
earth and strive toward the God above. From here, they could also
provide protection from invasion, since they had a view of the sea for
miles around. One monk, contemplating the storms surrounding his cell
penned these lines in the 9<sup>th</sup> century.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The wind is rough tonight<br />
tossing the white combed ocean.<br />
I need not dread fierce Vikings<br />
crossing the Irish Sea.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/lukeforceawakens.jpg"><img alt="lukeforceawakens" class="aligncenter wp-image-12988" height="200" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/lukeforceawakens.jpg?resize=464,200" width="464" /></a> </div>
We
cannot be sure at this time if the history of the island enlightens the
story of Luke Skywalker. For years, the Jedi have been likened to monks
and a religious order that contemplates and communes with the
otherworldly. From time to time, they have lived in community at the
Jedi Temple. Occasionally, they lived in solitude to touch the Force
more deeply in their lives. In all things, they are concerned with
spiritual fulfillment and the spread of the knowledge of truth. In times
past, the Jedi were more in touch with the galaxy. It was Sidious’
machinations that led to their involvement in galactic politics and
their service as generals in the Clone War. He brought them out from
their cells and contemplative life and laid waste to them as they
abandoned millennia-old traditions and teachings. For the monks of
Skellig Michael, they believed themselves to be fleeing just as
destructive a power – the world.<br />
<br />
To say that monastics flee the world is not inaccurate. In Christian
monasticism, those men and women leave every day society and the
comforts of modern convenience to live as the angels do – in the
undistracted presence of God and away from all earthly cares. There is
no desire to gain wealth, power or prestige. They desire to simply live
in perfect love with God.<br />
<br />
None of this is to say that they hate the world. Far from it. Some
have said that monastics spend their time apart for the life of the
world. They see the beauty of this creation. When we think about Skellig
Michael, and other dramatic landscapes, we can see the inherent beauty
and grandeur of great and small things. The high promontories of the
island, down to the delicateness of the grasses that find purchase in
the clefts, each are imbued with beauty. In this, the monks saw God’s
hand in creating that beauty.<br />
<br />
In the literature of <i>Star Wars</i>, we hear about the beauty and
culture of Alderaan, and the care that the Wookiees have for the trees
of Kashyyyk. We see the contrast in the sterile halls and bleak
landscapes of the Empire, destroying beauty for the sake of power and
domination. We can be sympathetic to the Rebels here, and see that the
same love of beauty is available in our own lives.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Visitors.jpg"><img alt="Visitors" class="aligncenter wp-image-12989" height="239" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.coffeewithkenobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Visitors.jpg?resize=324,239" width="324" /></a> </div>
Today,
Skellig Michael still draws tourists and pilgrims to its rocky shores.
It can be visited for a few months out of the year, though tours do not
run when the weather is excessively cold or windy. I imagine that is a
lot of the time on this ocean refuge. Still, it is possible to visit and
see the place where men toiled for 700 years and where our Jedi Master
sought his own refuge.<br />
<br />
A division of the UN, UNESCO has designated the island as a World
Heritage Site. They say that “heritage is our legacy from the past, what
we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our
cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and
inspiration.” This provides protection for the monastic settlement and
recognizes the enduring value of the community. May we treat this site
with care and respect in the years to come, while also contemplating
what lessons it may offer to us in our personal lives.Clyde Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04261319262791867030noreply@blogger.com0