Why would Luke say this? We heard it in the trailer, and the movie teaches us the lesson Luke learns the hard way. (Spoilers below.) If we grow beyond the mistakes of Jedi Masters, we’ll find a balance in our lives — and our politics — that is needed for the galaxy far away and the one we live in.
If you’ve seen Wonder Woman and loved it, ask yourself, “Why?” True, it has witty dialogue, like-able characters, and impressive action sequences, but most importantly, its message speaks to our hearts. The film retells key themes from the Greatest Story Ever Told, the Good News of Jesus. Don’t believe me? I’ll let the movie speak for itself, providing Wonder Woman quotes with minimal commentary.
Although Doctor Who typically presents a secular worldview, Biblical spirituality often surfaces. The episode, “Gridlock”, which happens to by my favorite, contains the clearest presentation of the Gospel message. It challenges the notion that “religion is the opium of the people”, reveals our society’s true addiction, and points to Jesus as savior.
As some of my readers know, my first son was born this past year. I have learned much from the example of God the Father, but why talk about that? Instead, I’ll share what I’ve learned from my favorite father in fiction: Darth Vader. (Warning: Some serious, some facetious, many spoilers.)
Recently my husband and I had the privilege of visiting Oxford. Ever since I read C.S. Lewis’s account of his memorable walk with his friends JRR Tolkien and Hugo Dyson, I wanted to visit Addison’s walk myself. Walking where two of my favorite authors discussed faith and myth made a dream come true. Continue reading Addison’s Walk
In giving his life for Luke and appearing after death, Obi-Wan Kenobi clearly fits the role of a Christ figure. But, let’s dive deeper than that and learn from Obi-Wan’s 19 years on Tatooine. While minimizing spoilers from Star Wars Comic #7 and Star Wars Rebels: “Twin Suns”, we can see how his—dare I say—temptation in the desert enables him to give his life so easily. At the same time, this does not help him discover a critical fallacy in his Jedi faith. Continue reading Obi-Wan and Jesus, Alike but Not
Beauty and the Beast is a story of repentance. The Beast’s sin of pride and selfishness brought the curse upon himself and his whole household. He must repent and learn to love and to be loved before the last rose petal falls, or he will remain cursed forever.
Continue reading Repentance and Sacrifice in Beauty and the Beast
On Christmas Eve of 1914, the unthinkable happened. Soldiers from opposing armies defeated warfare itself to celebrate the birth of Christ. While using fictional characters, Joyeux Noel depicts the historical events of World War I that actually occurred in multiple places along the front. But when the commanding officers learn what happened, we see a clash of religions, of two very different versions of “Christianity”: Biblical spirituality and civil religion. This clash continues today, and we need to identify this false faith in order to overcome it, especially in the current controversy regarding refugees.
Continue reading A Christmas Truce, Civil Religion, and Refugees
Who are the heroes of Star Wars? Luke Skywalker? Leia Organa? Han Solo? Yes, but Rogue One (contains spoilers) shows us that there are more heroes than we could imagine—some named and most unnamed—who play critical roles in the successful recovery of the Death Star plans and, consequently, its destruction. As they press on with no guarantee of success or survival, they model for us how we can persevere in hope, faith, and love.
