The Power of Silence: An Easter Reflection

Over 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.
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.

What Lies Beneath the Masks

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. 
 
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.

Growing with the Saga, Childhood In Tact

Like many of you, on Thursday I went with my two boys to the theater. What a glorious evening! I was too young to see A New Hope in 1977, but I have vivid memories of seeing Return of the Jedi. I saw Phantom Menace with my new wife and uncle in 1999. Now, I took my own offspring to see this glory of a film.
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.

The Force Awakens Review for Younglings

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.  

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.  Together, we watch a lot of Star Wars movies and cartoons because it is a good story with interesting characters and exciting battles.

            The new movie is just as exciting.  There are lots of new characters and aliens that make it really fun.  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.  She doesn’t complain about how harsh it is to live there, but she hopes for the day when she will be rescued.

Jedi Lessons from Skellig Michael

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 Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 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.

Book Review: May the Faith be With You: 180 Devotions That Are Out of This World

For many years, the Star Wars franchise has been involved in the publishing industry, giving kids and adults alike the chance to use their minds to create fabulous foreign lands.  Those writings have saturated our society, and I am thankful for that.  Now, the venerable Zonderkids, longtime purveyors of excellent materials for the development of Christian youth, has produced a lovely little book that explores the life of a student of the force.

            May the Faith Be with You is a devotional book that takes the biblical story of salvation and brings it alive for the young reader.  It is a book of beautiful simplicity.  The captivating cover calls us to attention, letting us know that the celestial story of our Lord can become one of our own.

Anakin’s Full Repentence

Years ago, there was an amazing English teacher in my high school that treated us students a bit differently – like people who could think analytically and judge the merits of ideas and experiences. I think I did some of my best academic work for him, and quite often, Mr Wentworth comes to mind when I am contemplating Anakin’s ultimate end (for now) on the Second Death Star. Mr Wentworth questioned how redemption was offered and possible for Anakin at the end of his life since most of his life had been in the service of darkness and evil. It is indeed a tough question. Does it give us the possibility of living a terribly immoral life and stealing a space in Heaven through a few words? If so, then where is the motivation for goodness in this world? I think the answer is much deeper and existential.