Ensign: The Phantom Menace

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3

AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS 19 May 2017

Qui-Gon Jinn: Don't center on your anxieties, Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: But Master Yoda says I should be mindful of the future.
Qui-Gon Jinn: But not at the expense of the moment. Be mindful of the living Force, my young Padawan.
A few weeks ago, one of the devotions I read in the morning caught my eye for the pop culture reference it used. It referred to a scene from The Empire Strikes Back, my all-time favorite movie and Episode V of the Star Wars movie saga … but more about that in a few weeks. [If you want to see it, let me know; this is a reprint of part one of a devotional series I wrote in 2009 on the then-six Star Wars films. Haven't worked on The Force Awakens or Rogue One yet.] So you know if you want to get my attention, use a Star Wars reference. I’m sure I drive my wife crazy from time to time calling her “Jedi Master” and our kids have the basic idea of lightsabers down, which is why we took the curtain rods out of Sarah’s room.

When moviegoers and critics first sat [in 1999; today is the eighteenth anniversary of The Phantom Menace's release, so now it can vote!] to watch the chronologically first yet real-time fourth Star Wars film, popular and critical response was mixed, about what the church in Laodicea turned out to be in Revelation, neither cold nor hot. Not really great, but not really bad either. (Though after sixteen years since the last Star Wars film, I question whether grand poobah George Lucas could have written and filmed a story that satisfied everybody.)

But in a way it’s also the quietest film, and that to me is the point of an introduction. Instead of “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” we have publicity posters dominated by a nine-year-old boy as well as this tattooed villain with a double-ended lightsaber. The story ends with the villain’s defeat and the boy going to train to be a Jedi; it sounds pretty clear cut, and that is what the “Menace” of the title would like you to believe. He’s in the film, but he does not make a big to-do of being THE menace.

Satan (the name itself means “adversary”) doesn’t make a big deal out of getting all the credit either. In fact, the almost-joking depiction of this former angel sporting horns and a pointed tail has probably kept more people out of the church – the assembly of believers, not the building – than a full frontal diabolical assault would. It makes you think that heaven and hell abide by a law of conservation of matter and energy as well as Earth.

We can read passages about spiritual warfare in Scripture – Ephesians 6:12 particularly comes to mind – yet we forget to read it in context. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” is important to know, but it’s in the midst of a passage covering verses ten through twenty regarding the armor of God “that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” We need the armor.

Wearing this armor of Godly qualities for defense as well as offense a la “the best defense is a good offense” – truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Holy Spirit – we can be confident God is not going to send us out unarmed, even against (especially against) the menaces in our life that are not so obvious. If we don’t sleep around, do we lie? If we don’t kill, do we steal? No matter what we think of the size of the chink is in our armor, that’s just enough for Satan “seeking whom he may devour [spiritually]” to get into our lives.

It’s enough for us to need God too. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whomsoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And the everlasting life Jesus speaks of in John 3:16 is simply not possible without being saved and believing on him (from verses seventeen and eighteen – remember, it’s important to read in context) because what good is it to live forever if we’re in still-decaying bodies with still-sinful natures? The life more abundantly is given to us when we choose to receive God and not be Him.

Qui-Gon’s defiance I sense in me, David

P.S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch with all of you in my address book, and I hope to be an encourager to action too! If you find that I’m not or you want me to get lost, just let me know – thank you!

Thank You, Lord, that we can come to you in prayer and that You provide for all our needs, even when we don’t know what they are. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence there and around the world.

Thank You, Lord, for everyone in leadership and service, both here and abroad. Thank You for the opportunities we have and the promise of new life through You. I pray that we all seek and have a blessed week! Amen.