Still Alive

I kind of vapor-locked when I read the Gospel Lesson for Sunday—at least concerning this post!  All too frequently the stories at the center of the geeky things I love, whether they be in film, television, books, graphic novels, comic books, table-top role playing games, video games, have violent resolutions.  Even Portal, which I partially love because it's a first person shooter without all the killing, has a violent resolution.  One of the reasons the song "Still Alive" is so funny is because when GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System) sings "...you broke my heart. / And killed me. / And tore me to pieces. / And threw every piece into a fire," she's not exaggerating!

So when Jesus tells us:

You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer.  But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.  Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.  

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...

How in the world do I relate that to being a geek?  So much of what we love is an act of imagining that we're more powerful than we are—that we're powerful enough to violently oppose the people, institutions, snarky psychotic artificial intelligences, or what-have-you that seek to oppress us.

It's a seductive thing, power.  Vengeance.  I'll always remember coming back to my dorm room one day in college to find that my roommate had popped in my copy of The Crow.  "I'm conflicted," he admitted, "I don't like violent movies and I'm opposed to vengeance.  But I find myself cheering him on after what those people did..."

Then it hit me.  I couldn't believe it had taken so long to think of it!  The answer lay in the beginnings of my geeky tendencies, in a story where the hero does not kill the antagonist that has haunted him through three films, but rather chooses to believe that there is good in the antagonist.  A hero that wins by tossing his weapon aside and letting himself be completely defenseless:  Luke Skywalker.

I will always remember the sound of Emperor Palpatine laughing, praising Luke for literally disarming Darth Vader (a common tactic for both Jedi and Sith, it would appear!) saying, "Good!  Your hate has made you powerful.  Now, fulfill your destiny and take your father's place at my side!"  I will always remember the look on Luke's face as he stares at his own prosthetic hand, then at the place where Vader's hand used to be.  A look that turns to weary determination.  And... victory?  His answer and the sound of his lightsaber switching off are simlutanious—and they mean the same thing.  "Never." Luke tosses aside his weapon.  "I'll never turn to the Dark Side.  You've failed, your highness.  I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

Did Luke nearly die immediately afterword?  Yes.  But even if he had, he would have died a Jedi—not a slave to the Dark Side.  And Luke didn't die right then and there because his actions gained him an ally and redeemed the soul of his father!

I wish there were more stories like this one, stories that teach us that what violence does best is create more violence.  Stories where you win by powering down your weapons and tossing them aside.  Stories that show the power of loving your enemies...

May the Force be with you,
Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
021814

The scripture lessons for February 23rd—The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany Year A—are:
Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18—Psalm 119:33-40—1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23—Matthew 5:38-48