How Being a Jedi Relates to Being a Christian

I don't consider myself a Star Wars geek, but I would probably have a wider knowledge of the Star Wars world - or galaxy - than the everyday person. I also RP - or Role Play - in a forum board as a Jedi. Yes, lame I know, whatever. And no, this RPG is not one of those fancy games like DOTA. It's basically just a forum board.

But anyways, I've always related being a Jedi - or the Jedi - to being a Christian. I think their ways and their teachings mirror a lot of Christianity. Yes, I know there are facets of Buddhism in it, but I actually honestly see more Christianity than Buddhism.

Let me explain. I think the basic knowledge of a non-SW fan is that there are two sides: the Jedi and the Sith. There are actually some more in between but they're the general sides. These two sides use the Force, an entity that holds the universe together. Trained Jedi and Sith can use the Force to their own bidding. These two sides serve the Light and the Dark Side of the Force, respectively.

The facets of the Light Side are putting others before yourself, having patience, having no fear... sounds familiar, right? As for the Dark, it's - as you guessed it - the complete opposite: anger, fear and hatred.

Both the Jedi and the Sith meditate, train, and use the Force which enables them with their "powers". As you can see in the movies, these guys can jump real high, control stuff by waving their hands, and can block blaster blasts (something like bullets) with their lightsabers. Many people think that the Jedi and Sith's main weapon is the lightsaber. They are wrong. These two factions heavily rely on the Force. Without it, they are just normal people wielding light-up swords.

Now it always seems that the Dark Side is much more powerful. If you've seen the movies, the Sith have the ability of Force Lightning, where the Sith uses his hands to produce lightning. This ability can be used by a Jedi, but it takes training. Plus, the Dark Side offers an easy road. Face it people: being patient and loving is hard. Letting anger, frustration, and hate take over is much easier. Which explains why some Jedi fall to the Dark Side.

However, this is untrue. The Dark may seem powerful since it offers the easier and faster way. In truth, it is the Light that conquers and the Light that is more powerful. Mastre Yoda himself said so (If you don't know who Yoda is, why the heck are you even reading this?).

Anyways, I've always viewed the Light Side of the Force as the Holy Spirit. It's what empowers us "Jedi" to do God's work. It's what enables us with our "powers. It's what drives us in difficult times.

The Dark Side is, of course, evil, the world, and Satan. It's in the world, it's all around us, and it's taking over people's minds. This is also what empowers the "Sith".

As I've said before, anger is a facet of the Sith. However, this can be turned into a facet for the Light. How? Well, in lightsaber fighting, there are officially seven forms. The seventh form is called Vaapad. It requires great skill, focus, mastery of the Force, and mastery of the previous six forms. Why? this form utilizes the anger in its user and makes it a weapon of the Light.

Back in Singapore, I listened to a great sermon entitled "A Leader's State of Mind". The preacher talks about your holy discontentment. Basically, it's this something that irritates you, something you cannot stand any longer, like poverty, apathy, etc. Anyways, the preacher says that God can trun this anger against these things (for him it was the anger against churches just going down and abandoning its people) and use it for His own purpose. He explains how God used Moses' anger, who killed an Egyptian man beating up a Hebrew, and turned it for His own cause and therefore made Moses the man who led the Israelites to freedom. This, my friends, is our Vaapad.

We Christians are the Jedi of this world, and somewhere there are still those who fall to the Dark. Let's use the "Force" to bring them back. Let's use the "Force" to show the world that Light prevails over darkness. Let's use the "Force" to expand God's Kingdom in this world and conquer the Sith and the Dark Side.

May the Force be with us all.