Initially, when I saw the cover to Timothy Paul Jones' spiritual exploration of the Star Wars phenomena, FINDING GOD IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY, I thought this would be just a trite Christian attempt to connect the Bible to a popular mainstream forum. In other words, connect the Bible to the Star Wars franchise and Christian thought rides its wave of popularity.
Like Jesus needs any help in the P.R. department.
Has anyone out there every heard the old phrase, 'Don't judge a book by its cover.'?
I was sooooooo wrong, sooo far out in left field, sooo lost in my own galaxy far, far away. FINDING GOD IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY is far, far away from any such banal treatment of the Star Wars mythology and the pervading Christian relevance within its tale. On the contrary, this book attaches significance to the six films by bringing out themes inherent within the Christian Scriptures.
A good example can be found in chapter seven where Jones uses Yoda's answer to Luke Skywalker from Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back for how to know the good side from the bad. Luke will know when he is calm, at peace.
He adds to this Jesus' words in the Gospel of John: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you... Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
Jones then places the quote from the film in context, as he starts out every chapter, replaying the scene from the film and then extrapolating on the subject matter, utilizing additional Scriptural references, pertinent quotes from known individuals, and a defining of the topic.
He approaches each chapter's topic from every possible angle.
And if what I have already mentioned isn't enough for the true Star Wars fan seeking out the Originator of "the Force", there are spiritual exercises for the serious padawan (i.e. Jedi-in-training): "Be Mindful of the True Force" and "Meditate on the True Force."
Returning to chapter seven's discourse on peace, after Yoda espouses on the essential need for peace as a quality in every Jedi Knight, Jones lays out a clear case for God being a God of peace; man experiencing difficulty with attaining that peace due to the shadows he deals with in his life (as Luke faced his own personal shadows in the cave Yoda sent him); and learning to lay down the weapons we use to fight these shadows (rage, anger, guilt, etc.). Yoda told Luke he would need not his lightsaber when he walked into the cave, where he felt cold and death.
Luke carried it with him anyway -- as any of us would.
If you're searching for a superficial treatment of the Star Wars trilogies, this ain't gonna be it.
If you are looking for some deep theological/philosophical exploration where you wade through multi-syllibic words that take half a minute to pronounce and a college degree to understand, this ain't it either.
If you would like to read something that just might resonate as parallel to the parables Jesus used to communicate the essence of His message 2000 years ago (something He may have used to enlighten a 21st century audience), FINDING GOD IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY is definitely for you. At 160 pages, it doesn't take long to read, and with Timothy Paul Jones' conversational style of writing, it is an enjoyable read anyone who has been to see even just one of the six Star Wars films could get something significant from.
Then, after reading it through once, you can search out other serious padawans, go through the study guide included at the end of the book, and perhaps be on your way to becoming a Jedi Knight -- or at least a better person, with a better understanding of the true Force uniting the universe.
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