A Galactic Explosion of Hope!

R2D2 a Rebel Hero

Bringing Hope to his Galaxy

Mark 13:32 NIV

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

I tiptoed into the dark theater, eased into an empty seat, and leaned forward in anticipation. As a member of the custodial staff, we often sneaked into the end of movies until our third shift hours began.

I had witnessed this climatic conclusion of Star Wars, Episode IV at least thirty times, yet the explosion of the Galactic Empire's Death Star never ceased to amaze me.

Luke Skywalker (Red 5) was about to adjust his computer instruments to make his approach with his friends as they tried to disable the deadly weapon before it destroyed the rebels' outpost.

I kept my eyes on the screen. I was as mesmerized as I had been the first time I had seen it. The squadron of X-wings maneuvered into formation.

The leader commanded: All wings report in. 

The squad sounded off:
          Red 10 standing by. 
         Red 7 standing by.     
        Red 3 standing by.      
       Red 6 standing by. 
      Red 9 standing by. 
     Red 2 standing by.                                
    Red 11 standing by. 
   Red 5 standing by.

There was no trace of fear in their voices as they approached imminent death from the Emperor's forces.

Luke witnessed the squadron face a series of misfortunes, so he resolved to make a last-ditch effort to protect the weakening rebel alliance.

As he raced toward the vulnerability in the Death Star, he was protected as long as possible by his comrades.

Eventually on his own, he warded off Darth Vader while attempting to complete his mission.

As he gazed into his targeting computer, the voice of his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, filled his head, urging him to let go of the computer and trust his instincts. 

Confused, but willing to follow the voice of his familiar guide, he let go of science and trusted the mysterious force that surrounded his universe. 

This act led to his successful destruction of the Death Star with the unexpected assistance of his friend, Han Solo.

The moment the Death Star erupted, my jaw dropped in awe and amazement. I'd never seen such a large explosion on the big screen before.

Good had triumphed over evil. Celebrations sprang forth among the rebel forces.

In the end, Luke received a medal and kiss on the cheek from the lovely Princess Leia, who I later discovered was his twin sister. But that's another story.

The destruction of the world (or a Death Star) has often captured the imagination of Science Fiction (or Science Fantasy) writers since the genre began. 

Currently, my students are obsessed with the movie 2012, which predicts the world as we know it will end at that time.

I'm amazed at how many students allude to 2012 in journal responses to world catastrophes such as flooding in the Midwest, earthquakes around the world, or melting glaciers.

I sigh and write positive messages in the margin of their negative papers.

There are some who make a living predicting the end of the world and then revising their predictions when they're wrong. I just read an article about a man who sold all his possessions in anticipation of the world ending on 21 May 2011.  How sad.

Ever since Christ's death, people have looked for His return. We're promised He will return, but we are also told no one knows the day or time of His return. 

I whole-heartedly wish rather than worrying about the day the world ends, people would do what they could to improve the world we live in.

There is so much work to be done here and now for those trying to live, not die.

As exciting as an explosion of a Death Star might be on a movie screen, it is much more exciting to offer hope to the world.

God's love offers that hope to a dying world. An explosion of hope of Galactic proportions here on Earth--now that would be totally awesome. 

Imagine the reverberations that would be created if the wave of energy caught everyone in its wake!

I'd certainly get out of my chair and onto my feet screaming for an encore!

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Lord, let me offer hope to those around me who are without hope.