Today’s Scripture Readings (May 21,
2013): Ecclesiastes 12
I admit that
I am a big Star Wars fan (and for those Trekkies that might be reading, I am
one of the weird ones that really likes both franchises.) But I still remember
with amazement the first time I saw Star Wars Episode IV. For those who are
younger and have become used to all of the special effects that goes into
making a movie (or even a T.V. show) today, you probably can’t imagine what a
breakthrough the first Star Wars really was. The special effects were great in
the movie, but it also had a great story line about a young immature warrior
and the gifted knight that had been set over him to teach him and guide him in
ways that were right. It was an ancient story of the battle between good and
evil, and of the threats that evil holds for those who would be good. Of
course, the young warrior was Luke Skywalker and the gifted knight was Obi-wan
Kenobi.
I still
remember the very first time that I watched the scene where Darth Vader kills
Obi-wan. I think the expression on my face was about the same as Luke’s as he
watched the battle – this realization that the things we were seeing just
couldn’t be. Of course, we also know that something of Obi-wan Kenobi lived on
– and the wisdom that he had taught the young warrior shaped Luke Skywalker
through all that was to come.
In this
closing section of Ecclesiastes, the Teacher wants the the reader to understand
clearly that the wisdom contained within these pages did not come from a human
authority. In the Hebrew Bible, the idea of the one shepherd is always God –
and these teachings are a wisdom that comes only from God. These assertions
that we have read are not there to depress us, but rather they are goads that
are designed to push us on to what is substantial in life. They are
encouragements reminding us that it is precisely because everything is wind
that there resides within us the ability to try. If we fail, our failure will just
pass away leaving the path open for us to try again. So there is nothing in
life to stop us from making the effort.
In a very
real sense it is the God role in our life that is illustrated by Obi-wan Kenobi
in Star Wars. It is the presence of a wisdom that is beyond us that stretches
us; causing us to do things that we may not have attempted in our own power.
All of us have this decision to either trust in ourselves and live within our
own limitations, or to trust in the God of Wisdom that is pressing us toward
different things. For Luke Skywalker, success was found in listening to the
voice inside of his head and trusting the “force” as he made his run toward the
Death Star. We have a run against the Death Star to make as well, one that we
will be successful in only to the extent that we are willing to listen to the
wisdom of the one Shepherd who still desires to speak into our lives.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Kings
12
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