My husband and I have been Star Wars fans since the beginning. One of our first dates was seeing the first Star Wars movie at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, California. We've seen all the Star Wars movies in the years since, and when our kids were old enough, we showed them the original trilogy, calling it their "cultural education."
Lately there hasn't been much new TV to watch since the COVID-19 pandemic has shut down productions. Since we're staying home to stop the spread and needing entertainment, we've been watching the Star Wars series, this time in the order of the story. (I remember our surprise when Episode 1 came out in 1999 and we learned then that the 1977 movie was actually episode IV.) Watching the later movies first, we've been impressed by the high level of continuity between the later movies and the first three. We're enjoying the stories we remember, and we're seeing new things we'd missed before.
Yesterday we watched Episode VI - The Return of the Jedi (1983), and today the scripture above has me pondering the scene in which Luke fights Darth Vader on the Death Star as Emperor Palpatine watches with devilish glee.
(**Spoiler Alert** . . . if that still matters. Hasn't everyone already seen these movies by now?)
In the previous movie, Empire Strikes Back, we'd had a chuckle at discovering that we all slightly misquote the now famous line, "Luke, I am your father." (Vader actually says, "No, I am your father.") At this point, Luke's hatred of Vader has been growing, and he foolishly rushes into a lightsaber duel with the villain. The duel comes to a halt when Vader cuts off Luke's hand. Then Vader's paternal revelation turns Luke's world upside down, and soon Luke finds himself literally upside down, hanging from some space station scaffolding.
By the time they meet again in Return of the Jedi, Luke has been fitted with a prosthetic hand, and become much more skillful in his use of the force and his lightsaber. Meanwhile, Darth Vader and his evil master Emperor Palpatine have been looking forward to an encounter with Luke so they can turn Luke to the dark side. Emperor Palpatine goads Luke, trying to bring out the hate that still remains from before he learned who Vader really is, and hate would have gained the upper hand if Luke did kill Vader. When they duel, Luke slices off Vader's saber-holding hand and this brings the duel to an end. Luke could have easily killed Vader at this point, but the sight of Vader without his hand flashes us back to the scene in the previous movie in which Luke has his own hand sliced off by Vader and learns who Vader really is. It seems in this moment that the flashback reminds Luke of his mission - to turn Vader back to the good side.
Sparing Vader's life does the job, as Luke has left himself vulnerable to attack by Palpatine and in essence laid down his life for Vader. Love wins.
In the next scene, there's a tender moment as everyone is scrambling to get off the Death Star before it explodes:
Darth Vader: Luke help me take this mask off.
Luke: But you will die.
Darth Vader: Nothing can stop that now. Just for once let me look at you with my own eyes.
[Luke takes mask off] Now go, my son, leave me.
Luke: No, you're coming with me. I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you.
Darth Vader: You already have, Luke. You were right. You were right about me. Tell your sister, you were right.
Luke was right, there was still some good left in Darth Vader, and it was that good that drove Vader to turn on his master, the Emperor Palpatine, and stop Palpatine from killing Luke. Vader is redeemed. Love wins again. Luke lays down his life for Vader. Vader lays down his life for Luke.
There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for another. Jesus did this for us all.
Jesus is the prophesied Messiah and Savior of the world who died to conquer sin and death. In Star Wars, Vader is the messiah of sorts, the one the Jedi prophets said would bring balance to the force. In watching the movies years ago, I had thought the balance came because Vader's children Luke and Leia lived, and Vader and Palpatine died. And I had always wondered why some people like Darth Vader so much. We have a friend whose young daughter often dresses up as Darth Vader and I had wondered at her wanting to emulate an evil character.
But now I get it. The balance does indeed happen in Vader himself. Vader is the one who shows us that no matter how much evil we have done, in the end, love still wins. Vader is redeemed as he lays down his life for Luke.
And we too display the redeeming power of love as we let go of our selfish ways and show concern for one another. During this pandemic, we've seen this as people stay home to stop spreading the virus, as people help each other get through this time, and as doctors, nurses, and first responders expose themselves to the virus to help the sick.
Unfortunately, the voice of Emperor Palpatine also seems to be making a comeback, as people are being encouraged to stand up for themselves and defy the guidelines that have been designed to keep the virus from spreading. Protestors are filling up the streets demanding freedom.
We have a long history in America of fighting for our liberty. When our country was being founded, Patrick Henry declared, "Give me liberty or give me death!" It's important to note, however, that Henry meant his own death. Those who are crying out for liberty today are more likely choosing someone else's death, since those who are young and healthy enough to be out protesting are less likely to die from this virus.
The chaos and arguing that fills the news right now is discouraging and disheartening. Tyranny and selfishness seem to be winning. But we need to hold on to hope.
God is love. Jesus, Emmanuel, God in the flesh, came to show us how to love, by being willing to sacrifice and serve each other.
Life isn't always so black and white as it is in the movies. And though Star Wars is pretty clearly good versus evil, maybe one of the reasons we love these movies and keep rewatching them is that we see characters making tough choices in situations that aren't so clear.
But in the end, love wins. May we remember that this is also true in real life, and may that renew our hope.
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