The Force will be with you, always.

I didn't set out to write two Obi-Wan Kenobi posts in a row, but I couldn't help but see the similarities between Luke Skywalker's experience of his beloved mentor and Jesus's promises in this week's portion of The Farewell Discourse:

[Jesus said:] "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever.  This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 

"I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.  On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.  They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."

The spirit of truth that lives within Luke Skywalker is The Force.  As Obi-Wan defines it, "It's an energy field created by all living things.  It surrounds us and penetrates us.  It binds the galaxy together."  And his promise to Luke?  "Remember, the Force will be with you, always."  The Advocate that Jesus promises will be with us forever is the Holy Spirit.  It is just as difficult to define or describe, but much like the Force, you know it when you feel it...

Now, Obi-Wan didn't promise not to leave Luke orphaned—but he did it anyway.  Let's face it, by the time Obi-Wan is struck down by Darth Vader (as I discussed in the previous post), Luke has experienced the death of way too many parental figures.  His mother died in child-birth, his father—as far as he knew, anyway—killed by Darth Vader.  He was raised by his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, who were killed by Imperial Stormtroopers masquerading as Sandpeople.  Old "Ben" Kenobi was Luke's last parental figure until he, too, was killed.   But Obi-Wan doesn't leave him orphaned.  His voice comes to Luke in key moments.  In others, Luke experiences Obi-Wan's full-bodied apparition.  He sends Luke to a new teacher—although I have never seen Yoda as a father figure for Luke.  Obi-Wan's ghost and Luke even have an extended heart-to-heart talk!  In fact, that talk feels to me like the first time Luke speaks with one of his elders on an equal footing—as an adult.

Now don't get me wrong, Obi-Wan Kenobi isn't meant to be Jesus any more than Darth Vader is meant to be Herod Antipas or Emperor Palpatine is meant to be Augustus or Titus.  But there are some strong parallels there, don't you think?

The Force will be with you, always.
Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh

The scripture lessons for May 25th—The Sixth Sunday of Easter Year A—are:
Acts 17:22-31—Psalm 66:8-20—1 Peter 3:13-22—John 14:15-21