If we're going to start this, I should probably give you some context.
Many years ago, a man named George Lucas, fascinated with the hero's journey, made a movie called Star Wars. This movie told the tale of galaxy hamstrung by an Empire and the machinations of many disparate individuals striving for freedom in various ways -- political, religious, economic. An absolute terror of a mechanical man named Darth Vader of uncertain background but very certain evil pledged his loyalty to Imperialism and sacrificed all the usual human comforts and niceties to this aspiration of grinding, unshakable order. A big super-weapon called the Death Star was blown up by some of those individuals coming together in a very noble cause.
The first movie did really well culturally and financially. The original film was repackaged Star Wars: A New Hope and a whole franchise was born. Along the way you find out a lot more about Darth Vader's past and his children's future.
An interesting aside about the franchise that has nothing to do with Star Wars as mythology, but is an interesting note on our world today, is that Lucas made two sets of three movies. He made the original Trilogy from 1977-1983 and then a prequel Trilogy from 1999-2005. The original Trilogy is beloved by a certain section of humanity born roughly between the years 1960 and 1985. Star Wars became many things to many people in this broad belt of time-- fodder for collection, inspiration for an expanded universe, cultural touchstone and low-commitment religion. Then with the second set of three movies, the prequel Trilogy, Lucas did the exact same thing he had done previously in making films with questionable dialogue and hokey characters though he did ratchet up the special effects beyond the tastes of most. Lucas didn't change, he wrote a movie for kids in the hopes that they might mythologize and believe. The problem was that the previous set of kids had grown up and were really mad that the movie was not written for them but rather for their children. The first prequel movie was panned (though kids loved it), the second was begrudgingly seen as an improvement (kids still loved it), and the third prequel was acknowledged to be the best of the bunch. The former kids who'd turned into grumpy grown-ups never accepted the prequels. See, they knew better than the creator and felt that they should have been consulted. So in a fit of exasperation, Lucas sold the rights to the whole Star Wars franchise to a mega-company, and new movies were made in a sequel Trilogy. Thus far two have been released and the movies are much more edgy and post-modern with poorly-defined morality and shifty characters that cannot be labeled as protagonist and antagonist. This is supposed to be better but what it really is about is that those original Star Wars kids are getting exactly what they want from the mega-company and so this is better.
For me, I just like Star Wars so I take each movie as it comes and roll with it. But that's not why you called.
Central to the Star Wars universe is an order of protagonists known as the Jedi. They're an amalgamation of those who pray and those who fight. In simplest terms, they are selfless, introspective good people who seek peace in the galaxy and use their skills toward this goal. As with anything, it's more complicated than that and we'll certainly talk about it for the rest of my life.
For your purposes, I want you to know that I don't think it's enough any more for you to just watch Star Wars, invest your two hours and then play pretend light saber duels with your friends. Of course, that's the world I want for you but unfortunately that's not the one you've been dealt. So I encourage to use the Jedi as a starting point for who I want you to be in this world of ours. We need a Jedi order -- an order of individuals with both a firm spine and a forgiving heart. I've known you for a while and I think you'd be good at it.
Precept 1: A practical Jedi thinks of others before self. This can be in a grand manner of altruism or in the simple act of kindness in a shared space. Small acts accumulate toward a better world. And before you get too wrapped up in the sacrifice of selflessness, consider that if a Practical Jedi Order is seeded, nurtured, grows and spreads, then one only has the risk of not prioritizing self, but the benefit of nine billion other individuals prioritizing the one.
It's a good deal. Try it.
Many years ago, a man named George Lucas, fascinated with the hero's journey, made a movie called Star Wars. This movie told the tale of galaxy hamstrung by an Empire and the machinations of many disparate individuals striving for freedom in various ways -- political, religious, economic. An absolute terror of a mechanical man named Darth Vader of uncertain background but very certain evil pledged his loyalty to Imperialism and sacrificed all the usual human comforts and niceties to this aspiration of grinding, unshakable order. A big super-weapon called the Death Star was blown up by some of those individuals coming together in a very noble cause.
The first movie did really well culturally and financially. The original film was repackaged Star Wars: A New Hope and a whole franchise was born. Along the way you find out a lot more about Darth Vader's past and his children's future.
An interesting aside about the franchise that has nothing to do with Star Wars as mythology, but is an interesting note on our world today, is that Lucas made two sets of three movies. He made the original Trilogy from 1977-1983 and then a prequel Trilogy from 1999-2005. The original Trilogy is beloved by a certain section of humanity born roughly between the years 1960 and 1985. Star Wars became many things to many people in this broad belt of time-- fodder for collection, inspiration for an expanded universe, cultural touchstone and low-commitment religion. Then with the second set of three movies, the prequel Trilogy, Lucas did the exact same thing he had done previously in making films with questionable dialogue and hokey characters though he did ratchet up the special effects beyond the tastes of most. Lucas didn't change, he wrote a movie for kids in the hopes that they might mythologize and believe. The problem was that the previous set of kids had grown up and were really mad that the movie was not written for them but rather for their children. The first prequel movie was panned (though kids loved it), the second was begrudgingly seen as an improvement (kids still loved it), and the third prequel was acknowledged to be the best of the bunch. The former kids who'd turned into grumpy grown-ups never accepted the prequels. See, they knew better than the creator and felt that they should have been consulted. So in a fit of exasperation, Lucas sold the rights to the whole Star Wars franchise to a mega-company, and new movies were made in a sequel Trilogy. Thus far two have been released and the movies are much more edgy and post-modern with poorly-defined morality and shifty characters that cannot be labeled as protagonist and antagonist. This is supposed to be better but what it really is about is that those original Star Wars kids are getting exactly what they want from the mega-company and so this is better.
For me, I just like Star Wars so I take each movie as it comes and roll with it. But that's not why you called.
Central to the Star Wars universe is an order of protagonists known as the Jedi. They're an amalgamation of those who pray and those who fight. In simplest terms, they are selfless, introspective good people who seek peace in the galaxy and use their skills toward this goal. As with anything, it's more complicated than that and we'll certainly talk about it for the rest of my life.
For your purposes, I want you to know that I don't think it's enough any more for you to just watch Star Wars, invest your two hours and then play pretend light saber duels with your friends. Of course, that's the world I want for you but unfortunately that's not the one you've been dealt. So I encourage to use the Jedi as a starting point for who I want you to be in this world of ours. We need a Jedi order -- an order of individuals with both a firm spine and a forgiving heart. I've known you for a while and I think you'd be good at it.
Precept 1: A practical Jedi thinks of others before self. This can be in a grand manner of altruism or in the simple act of kindness in a shared space. Small acts accumulate toward a better world. And before you get too wrapped up in the sacrifice of selflessness, consider that if a Practical Jedi Order is seeded, nurtured, grows and spreads, then one only has the risk of not prioritizing self, but the benefit of nine billion other individuals prioritizing the one.
It's a good deal. Try it.