Navigating Hope Amidst Galactic Empires: A Homily for Star Wars Day
This homily, delivered by Pastor Will Rose on May 4th, 2025, aptly intertwines the profound hope embodied in Jesus Christ with the existential struggles depicted within the expansive narratives of the Star Wars franchise. Pastor Will elucidates how the thematic elements of great and terrifying empires resonate with the contemporary human experience, particularly in the face of adversity and doubt. He draws parallels between the disciples' post-resurrection uncertainty and the journey of characters within the Star Wars saga, emphasizing the enduring message of redemption and transformation. The homily invites listeners to reflect on their own spiritual journeys, encouraging them to embrace the hope offered by Christ amidst life’s formidable challenges. Ultimately, it serves as a reminder that the divine presence is a constant source of strength and guidance, urging us to recognize and cherish that we are never alone in our struggles.
The discourse presented in this episode delves into the profound significance of a post-resurrection encounter between Jesus and His disciples, as recounted in the Gospel of John. This particular narrative captures a moment of vulnerability and uncertainty among the disciples, who, having witnessed the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of their leader, find themselves grappling with feelings of confusion and doubt. In an effort to return to a semblance of normalcy, they revert to their former occupation of fishing, only to experience an unexpected miracle that serves as a poignant reminder of Jesus's enduring presence and guidance. The subsequent invitation to share a meal further underscores the relational aspect of faith, emphasizing the importance of communion not only with Christ but also within the community of believers. Through this exploration, we are invited to reflect on our own journeys of faith, particularly during times of uncertainty, and to recognize the ways in which divine love and grace manifest in our lives, urging us to nurture our relationships and to embrace our calling as stewards of that love in the world.
Takeaways:
- Pastor Will Rose articulates the enduring hope found in Jesus amidst the overwhelming power of formidable empires, drawing parallels to the Star Wars narrative.
- The homily emphasizes the importance of community and context, akin to how scripture speaks to specific times and audiences while conveying timeless truths.
- A significant theme is the continual transformation of disciples, akin to a hero's journey, illustrating how faith evolves through experiences of doubt and revelation.
- The message encourages listeners to embrace their identities as 'geekologists', exploring the intersections of faith and popular culture, particularly through the lens of beloved narratives like Star Wars.
- Through the resurrection narrative, we are reminded that Jesus meets us in our confusion and skepticism, offering companionship and guidance along our spiritual journeys.
- Ultimately, the homily concludes with a powerful affirmation of divine presence, underscoring that the love of God accompanies us always, resonating with the notion of the Force within the Star Wars saga.
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:Thank you for engaging with the homily by Pastor Chill Will from Chapel Hill.
Speaker B:I hope this message encourages you, challenges you and moves you to go deeper in your faith and enrich how you love God and love your neighbor in your day to day life.
Speaker B:Just a reminder.
Speaker B:Like the scriptures and Gospels themselves, this homily was written for a particular community in a particular context, time in history.
Speaker B:And yet, like our sacred texts, I hope that these words hold timeless truths about God's unconditional love and grace.
Speaker B:We hope these words speak to you in a meaningful way.
Speaker A:The Holy Gospel According to John after he appeared to his followers in Jerusalem, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.
Speaker A:And he showed himself in this way.
Speaker A:Gathered there together was Simon Peter, Thomas called the twin Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, two others of his disciples.
Speaker A:Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing.
Speaker A:They said to him, we will go with you.
Speaker A:They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Speaker A:Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach.
Speaker A:But the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Speaker A:Jesus said to them, children, you have no fish, have you?
Speaker A:They answered, no.
Speaker A:He said to them, cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.
Speaker A:So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.
Speaker A:The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, it is the Lord.
Speaker A:Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord.
Speaker A:He put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the boat, jumped into the sea.
Speaker A:But the other disciples came in the boat dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about 100 yards off.
Speaker A:When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it and bread.
Speaker A:Jesus said to them, bring some of the fish that you just caught.
Speaker A:Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore full of large fish, 153 of them.
Speaker A:And though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Speaker A:Jesus said to them, come and have breakfast now.
Speaker A:None of the disciples dared to ask, who are you?
Speaker A:Because they knew it was the Lord.
Speaker A:Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish.
Speaker A:This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Speaker A:When they had finished breakfast, he said to Simon Peter, simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?
Speaker A:Said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
Speaker A:Jesus said to him, feed my lambs.
Speaker A:The second time, he said to him, simon, son of John, do you love me?
Speaker A:He said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
Speaker A:Jesus said to him, tend my sheep.
Speaker A:Said to him the third time, simon, son of John, do you love me?
Speaker A:Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, do you love me?
Speaker A:And he said to him, lord, you know everything.
Speaker A:You know that I love you.
Speaker A:Jesus said to him, feed my sheep.
Speaker A:Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished.
Speaker A:But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.
Speaker A:Said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.
Speaker A:After this, he said to him, follow me.
Speaker A:The gospel of the Lord may be seated in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Speaker A:So we're going to do a quick turn and talk.
Speaker A:We do this from time to time.
Speaker A:I want you to share with your neighbor, whoever you're sitting around, and share.
Speaker A:What was the first movie you saw in a movie theater?
Speaker A:Movie theater.
Speaker A:Turn and talk.
Speaker A:Okay, I'm going to pull you back in those here and online.
Speaker A:Perhaps online.
Speaker A:You thought of yours as well.
Speaker A:Popcorn for me?
Speaker A:Just what are some of the movies?
Speaker A:Bambi or Bambi over here.
Speaker A:The person I talked to.
Speaker A:Casablanca.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Others?
Speaker A:Wizard of Oz classics.
Speaker A:There's Super Mario.
Speaker A:That was your first.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:From Casablanca to Super Mario, there you go.
Speaker A:Well, believe it or not, mine, star New hope.
Speaker A: As a five year old,: Speaker A:And I've been a fan of that franchise ever since.
Speaker A:And so today I thought about how I could preach a whole sermon on how the titles of the original Star wars trilogy follow the story of Christ.
Speaker A:In the birth and the coming of Christ, we are given a new hope.
Speaker A:And then with his passion and crucifixion, the Empire strikes back.
Speaker A:But on Easter, the saga continues with the return of the rabbi.
Speaker A:I could also do a whole sermon on the prequel trilogy and talk about how the Force, once a mystic force available to everyone, was reduced to biological determinism with meta chlorines and blood tests.
Speaker A:And how the choice around fear and control and power can often lead to the path of the dark side.
Speaker A:Or maybe I could do a whole sermon on the Disney sequel trilogy about how the force does indeed awaken within Any of us with the threat and lust and quest of Imperial power to rule the galaxy.
Speaker A:And when the dark side emerges in our midst, then a force must indeed awaken.
Speaker A:Or I thought about how I could preach about the downfall of the Jedi organized religion when they became too fundamentalist around their denial of attachments and became bedfellows with the Republic and cloning a whole army.
Speaker A:Lose any of y'all.
Speaker A:Yeah, well, have no fear.
Speaker A:Over the next three hours I will unpack all of that and explain the details across 12 Star wars movies.
Speaker A:Well, I guess we do have a lot to do today, right?
Speaker A:Maybe I'll pump the brakes a little bit.
Speaker A:Maybe a little.
Speaker A: heater was Star A New Hope in: Speaker A:It was the first time I remember my imagination being awakened to the possibilities of both science fiction adventures not only in a galaxy far, far away, but maybe this could happen in our solar system too.
Speaker A:Even, maybe even I could be Luke Skywalker.
Speaker A:And I was Luke Skywalker when I played with my Star wars action figures or when I was pretending the naked wrapping paper cardboard tube was a lightsaber.
Speaker A:Part of my infatuation with Star wars was this of tension of being both sci fi technological future styled adventure while also proposing that this was an ancient story that happened a long time ago, incorporating a mystical spirituality.
Speaker A:Lasers and robots and spaceships intermingled with a powerful mystical force that binds all things together.
Speaker A:That's an adventure.
Speaker A:That's something I want to be a part of.
Speaker A:Could I too be force sensitive in case I need to rebel and fight against an oppressive evil empire?
Speaker A:Unapologetically, this is something that I think about almost daily.
Speaker A:One of my favorite scenes in all of Star wars, in the original movie A New Hope is Luke Skywalker is having his first training session with a lightsaber with Obi Wan Kenobi on the Millennium Falcon and things aren't going very well.
Speaker A:Using or being one with the Force evidently has a big learning curve.
Speaker A:In walks agnostic skeptic and pirate scoundrel Han Solo.
Speaker A:He sees what's going on and when Luke doesn't quite get it right, he chuckles to himself.
Speaker A:Luke turns and asks him, you don't believe in the Force, do you?
Speaker A:Han responds, kid, I've flown from one side of the galaxy to the other.
Speaker A:I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe that there's an all powerful force controlling everything.
Speaker A:There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny, but to Obi Wan, he grins almost to communicate.
Speaker A:We'll see.
Speaker A:We'll see.
Speaker A:The scruffy scoundrel Han Solo is, of course has many great scenes and moments throughout Star Wars.
Speaker A:At one point it looks like he's going to be running away from his friends and taking his money reward and just thinking of himself.
Speaker A:But even in the midst of that, he turns to Luke and says, may the Force be with you.
Speaker A:And then later on he comes back in a dramatic way to help his friends defeat and blow up the Death Star.
Speaker A:Later on, in another tension filled scene when it looks like the Empire will win the day, Princess Leia confesses her love to him and the Empire strikes back, she says, I love you.
Speaker A:And he responds, I know.
Speaker A:And as years later in the movie the Force Awakens, when new characters emerge in the story and they've heard all the legends and the stories and the adventures of Luke Skywalker and his small band of rebels and they ask Han, is this true?
Speaker A:Then Han confesses, all true.
Speaker A:All of it.
Speaker A:There seems to be a transformation that happened.
Speaker A:A hero's journey, a redemptive ark.
Speaker A:Over the years I've found ways hard to believe, but it's true, to connect and overlap.
Speaker A:The things that I geek out on and my faith and my vocation as a pastor.
Speaker A:As someone who I feel is called to be a shepherd to the geeks.
Speaker A:We've had God Loves geeks, book clubs and hangouts.
Speaker A:I've done panels and discussions at Comic Cons on how our faith and what we geek out on share similar questions and themes and redemption arcs.
Speaker A:And I'm currently helping curate and moderate a podcast called Systematic Geekology.
Speaker A:We are the priest to the geeks, helping moderate and curate those things we geek out on, wanting to go deeper into the questions of our faith and life.
Speaker A:We are geekologists.
Speaker A:Think of it as being similar to an archaeologist or a geologist, studying and learning and going beneath the surface to discover deeper questions and themes.
Speaker A:We all do it.
Speaker A:We all of us are geekologists.
Speaker A:From the books we read to the TV shows we watch, or maybe it's food or stoplights or Disney or comic book superheroes, we all geek out on something and we have deep meaning and resonance with those things we geek out on.
Speaker A:Perhaps because they are tapping into a larger story arc, a divine story that has a redemption arc that we are all a part of.
Speaker A:Geek culture, pop culture often ask similar big philosophical and theological questions, even if they aren't fully aware of it.
Speaker A:They explore a deeper, larger story within our own stories.
Speaker A:What we long for, what we hope for.
Speaker A:And I'll also confess that just like religion and any institutions that humans are a part of, there is still the problem of toxic fandom and fundamentalism within those things we geek out on.
Speaker A:We call it fandimentalism.
Speaker A:Humans are going to human no matter what they are a part of and no matter what they are a fan of or geek out on.
Speaker A:But like with things like faith and science and justice issues and how we do community together, there is a way, this is the way to have healthy, deep conversations within these things that resonate with us and that mean so much to us as we process what it means to be humans created in the image of God.
Speaker A:So let's shift over and be geekologists with our gospel story for today.
Speaker A:This is a post resurrection story.
Speaker A:At the end of John's Gospel, the disciples are still grieving and confused and skeptical and agnostic about what has happened after Jesus resurrection.
Speaker A:They have been one side of Israel and Galilee to the next and they've seen a lot of strange stuff.
Speaker A:But they aren't sure sure if there is any strange mystical force helping guide their destiny.
Speaker A:So what do they do?
Speaker A:They go back to what they think.
Speaker A:They know what they do best.
Speaker A:They go back to fishing and they're still not very good at it.
Speaker A:And guess who shows up?
Speaker A:Maybe Jesus has a force.
Speaker A:Ghost.
Speaker A:No, he actually eats with them and proves that he's not some disembodied spirit.
Speaker A:He's with them in the flesh, bodily form.
Speaker A:And then there's this other miracle of catching fish to remind the disciples who is meeting with them on the beach, meeting them wherever they are.
Speaker A:And then there is another meal with bread and fish.
Speaker A:Of course, it's with those objects and with what's going on in that practice that they remember again who their rabbi is and what he has done, what he is doing, what he promises to do.
Speaker A:There's an ongoing transformation happening.
Speaker A:There's an ongoing hero's journey taking place.
Speaker A:There's an ongoing redemption arc.
Speaker A:And if that's not clear, the risen Christ pulls Peter aside and asks him some important question.
Speaker A:Jesus asked him three times, mirroring the three times Peter denied Jesus, do you love me?
Speaker A:And it's not just I know, it's Lord, you know.
Speaker A:Yes, indeed he does.
Speaker A:But it's in this articulation of, of luring and helping and challenging Peter to articulate and confess out loud his love for Jesus that it moves him from fish, sheep, from going fishing, shepherding a community that is shaped by a crucified and risen Christ.
Speaker A:Peter had his hero's journey and redemption ark.
Speaker A:And we will, too, no matter what seashore we find ourselves on, no matter what skepticism or questions or agnosticism we wrestle with.
Speaker A:So may the Force be with you.
Speaker A:And you have permission to be geekologists, not just on Sunday, but every day of the week.
Speaker A:Yesterday, a friend reminded me or pointed out to me something that I hadn't noticed before.
Speaker A:And so, even as an elder and experienced geekologist, I'm still learning new things about Star wars and other things.
Speaker A:He said, notice that before the Jedi crosses over to be one with the Force, they say, may the Force be with you.
Speaker A:Acknowledging that there's still kind of this element of uncertainty, like, maybe it'll happen, maybe it won't.
Speaker A:We'll see.
Speaker A:But when they cross over to be one with a Force, they have this calling.
Speaker A:To those who are still in their pilgrimage.
Speaker A:They say, and remember, the Force is with you always.
Speaker A:Yes, that's the promise.
Speaker A:As we continue to remember the Christ, as we gather around this table to remember his body and blood given and shed for you, the risen Christ meets us wherever we are and says, remember, I am with you.
Speaker A:I love you.
Speaker A:Your redemption ark will come to completion always.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker B:Thank you for listening.
Speaker B:If there is anything that stood out.
Speaker A:For you, or if you have a question or.
Speaker B:Or you just want to have a conversation, you are always free to reach out and contact us.
Speaker B:And remember you are not alone and that you are loved with a love stronger than death.
