The crowd answered Jesus, "We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. Then how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" Jesus said to them, "The light will be among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of the light."

Good will fight evil. The statement is true even in another galaxy different from ours, with technology many times more advanced and in a world where space travel is as common as a stroll in the park. The evil Imperial forces in the movie “Star Wars” were into power. Not only did they want to control everyone in the galaxy, but they felt the desire, even the necessity to crush anyone who spoke against them. But, just as evil is present in every age, so is the force of good. Every age will have a Darth Vader, but every age will likewise have an Obi-Wan Kenobi. There will always be the light of good to fight the darkness of evil.  

Jesus knew about darkness. At the same time, he knew that he was the light, the good that had to fight that darkness. He urges his disciples to “walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you.” Jesus realized only too well that even though he was the light, the darkness was very strong, often seeming to overpower any good. The light is always present to humankind, but so is darkness, and often the people of the world choose the darkness.

The first “Star Wars Trilogy” of director George Lucas begins the presentation of good and evil in the setting of a galaxy far away from us. It is a classic tale of light and darkness, aimed at teaching “hope” even in the midst of intense persecution. The story teaches us to expect the evil because of the selfishness, but it tells us to fight it and never give up fighting no matter how bleak things look.

There is evil all around us, not in the form of Imperial forces about to destroy the world as we know it, but much more personal. The evils we meet every day demand a true and real understanding of the light of Jesus Christ along with the real acceptance of the guidelines he taught. The first “Star Wars Trilogy” and here, the beginning of the movie “Star Wars” gives us a chance to reflect not only on the evil, but especially on the grace to overcome it.    

THOUGHT
 
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we live in a world that in many ways has chosen darkness over what you offer us. Too often we choose the darkness because we want only what we want and therefore forget about anything else. Help us identify the darkness in our lives, and give us the grace to want to do something about it. Be with us, we pray.

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America