For some reason mowing the lawn or even walking in my yard reminds me of Star Wars. It may seem arbitrary but I have spent many hours listening to Star Wars podcasts while mowing.
Invariably, Star Wars always gets me thinking about my oldest son Isaiah; who will be eight years-old very soon.
I remember several years back looking at cakes in the bakery section of Walmart. Isaiah's curiosity was captured by a cake-topper which featured a man in a black helmet dueling a man with a fair complexion.
The scene on the cake was that of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker dueling in Return of the Jedi.
He asked me, "Daddy, what is this?"
I gave him a little backstory of the duel and told him about the films. I asked him if he wanted to go home and watch the movies. He excitedly agreed. This marked the beginning of his love of Star Wars.
I did not spend my childhood adoring the film franchise; I first watched the films in 1997 during the theatrical release of the special edition versions of the movies. I was, at the time, a high school student.
With this being said, I did not have the same level of wonder as when Isaiah first watched the films. I was not stricken with fear when Darth Vader burst into the Tantive IV in search of the Death Star Plans. I was not frightened to the core when Darth Maul, and his demonic facial features, drove his saber through the abdomen of Qui-Gon Jinn.
I guess one of the reasons I like Star Wars is because it does, in a sense, help me to try to recapture the wonder I have lost growing older. I especially enjoy watching Isaiah and my other boys watch with wide eyes as Anakin makes the horrible turn to evil.
I find it fascinating how much of an emphasis Jesus of Nazareth puts on the nurturing of children. He said it would be better to have a millstone tied around your neck and be cast into the sea than to offend a child.
Jesus said that His Kingdom is made up of children and people of childlike faith.
Does this sound strange to you?
It should not. I have often thought of Jesus as being the patriarch we all need; the One who makes children of us all.
Don't think of Him as a person who makes us feel incapable or weak. Think of Him as One we can look to in our times of need; which is all the time.
I think of Jesus as the One who cares for me more than I care for my own children; and He cares for you as well.
Have you talked to Him lately? He was taken down a rough path while carrying a wooden cross.
His arms were stretched out and nailed to this same cross. There He died as a payment for our sins; our offenses toward God.
When the disciples looked for Him, the tomb was empty.
Jesus lives and because He lives we also shall live.
Simply call out to Him in faith.
For it is by grace we are saved, through faith. This is not of ourselves. It is a gift from God, not of works, so that nobody can boast.
Do you have this faith? It is yours if you want it.
Call out to Him.
Your fellow revolutionary,
Jason Vreeke
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