I’m a huge Star Wars fan. Yes, I’m a nerd, a Star Wars geek.
I’ve seen all the movies. I’ve watched every episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (great series, by the way – the definitive Anakin). Star Wars: Rebels? Yep, I watch that too.
It goes beyond that, though. I also enjoy watching Star Wars theories, back stories, and commentary on YouTube.
Of course, I haven’t read the books, so I’m not that nerdy. Our teenage daughter, though, is. She’s read the books, knows the names of the various Jedi fighting styles, and more. In fact, we can talk about it for hours.
Between the two of us we have quite a bit of knowledge about the Star Wars universe. And when I say “knowledge,” I don’t mean simply being able to recite trivia. I mean delving into the nature and various aspects of the Force (it’s more than light side versus dark side), the meaning of the prophecy, how each character impacts the larger Star Wars universe, and more. By the way, Disney needs to do an Ahsoka Tano movie — greatest character since the original trilogy! But I digress.
I probably lost you. Okay, yeah, I’m a nerd. But follow me for a bit.
Star Wars versus Scripture
The other night, after catching up on Star Wars vids, I started wondering about how this relates to God and the Bible.
There are thousands of books, videos, and articles dedicated to understanding just about everything about Star Wars. People study everything from film making techniques to Star Wars philosophy just to gain a greater understanding of this cultural icon.
People spend hours learning, studying, and even applying the ideas within this fictional fantasy world to their own lives.
So I started wondering: Do I know the Bible as well as I do the Star Wars films? Do I know as much about God as I do about Anakin? Do I talk about Jesus Christ as much as I do Luke Skywalker?
If I’m honest – and this is difficult to admit – the answers are: I hope so, I really hope so, and no.
That last one is most telling.
I’m not alone in this, either. I firmly believe that many, if not most, Christians don’t know God or the Bible as well as they know something else that interests them. Fewer talk about Jesus as much as they talk about other things, be it sports, politics, pop culture, family, or whatever.
Oh, many people know about God. However, few people have a relationship with him.
Most Christians know some Bible trivia or have memorized various passages. Many, though, don’t really understand what the Bible says or teaches beyond the surface.
How do we solve this?
Four Ways to Overcome This Problem
There’s no single answer, and I’ll probably write more about it in a later article. In the meantime, as I sit here thinking and typing, here are a few ideas that may help.
Intentionally spend more time reading the Bible. Make a choice to read the Bible more often.
Read to discover, not to consume. Don’t just read the Bible to get information or get lost in a story. Rather, read it to discover something about God and about yourself.
Pray. Yep, pray. Notice that I didn’t say, “pray more often.” You can pray all day and be no closer to God than you were before. When I say pray, I mean spend time with him. Seek him and honestly share your mind and heart with him.
Read a different translation. By reading a different translation you get a different literary flow which can help you see things in a new, fresh way.
Find opportunities to talk about Jesus. You don’t have to be preachy. And please do not start wearing Jesus on your sleeve and putting on a show. Rather, make Jesus and the gospel part of your regular, natural, daily conversation.
Well, that’s all for now. I hope this article challenged and encouraged you. If so, be sure to like and share it below.
