Confession is a powerful, and important, part of Christian spiritual formation. So today, before you all, I confess… I am a nerd. I don’t mean one of those cutesy, just-socially-awkward-enough-to-be-adorable type of nerds (a la The Big Bang Theory). No, I am at the level of nerdiness where I adore a good Renaissance festival, my “celebrities” are published scholars, and I was right in the middle of the costumed throng at the opening night of all three Lord of the Rings movies (I actually went as Captain Hook to the third movie, just to switch things up). Yes, my nerd-aura radiates from me like a sweetly-scented cologne, and I am unashamed… but wait, there’s more.
All things nerd-like pale before the badge of honor that comes with Star Wars fandom. So it was that I discovered myself, complete with a sleeping bag and food-and-beverage stocked cooler, camping out in the parking lot with a friend the night before Star Wars Episode I tickets went on sale. I was among the first purchasers, and I am fairly certain that I still have the ticket stub around here somewhere. While some people may look to Oprah as their celebrity sage, I appeal to Yoda as my guru of wisdom. His insight is often compact, tightly focused, and phrased in a manner just awkward enough to stick in your memory. Take a walk with me, and let us soak for a moment in the soundbite sensibility of the tiny green Jedi master.
Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. – Yoda, Empire Strikes Back
How often do we judge our capacity to be effective in the Kingdom by our own limited skill sets? I love when Peter and John stand before the Jerusalem Council in Acts 4, and give testimony to who Jesus was and what was done to him… to the very high priests that condemned Jesus to death in the first place. The response? Annas and Caiaphas were shocked, noting that Peter and John were ignorant, uneducated folk, yet spoke with a boldness and clarity that could only have come from their time with Jesus. They were dumbfounded, and Peter and John walked away unscathed. We often forget that it is in our weakness He is made strong, that He chooses to place His Spirit in ‘jars of clay.’ It is precisely because we are small that God is shown to be great. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31
Control, control, you must learn control! – Yoda, to Luke Skywalker
Self-control is a staple sign of the transformation of the inner life. This is why the spiritual disciplines become so important… they train us to develop patterns of holiness during the easy times, so that these become our default behaviors in the difficult times. A central mantra in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is that “you do not rise to the level of your expectations, you fall to the level of your training.” So it is in the spiritual life. “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” – 1 Corinthians 9:27
Great warrior, hmm? Wars not make one great. – Yoda, Empire Strikes Back
It is so easy to become focused on winning, on being right, on coming out the victor. Yet, Yoda reminds us that it is not in conflict that greatness is revealed. Some of the greatest forces of change in history were pacifists – Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., even Jesus Himself. While there are, unfortunately, times where defense becomes the only recourse, the true sign of greatness is in one’s ability to find the other path. “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.’” – Matthew 26:52
[Luke] I don’t believe it! [Yoda] That is why you fail. – Yoda, after lifting the X-Wing from the bog
Faith is the staple of the Christian life. This is not a blind faith, or a faith requiring intellectual abandonment, but it is the capacity to put one’s trust in things unseen. Some things are beyond the range of our senses, and it is in our ability to encounter that “reality beyond the senses” which offers power, hope, and beauty to the human experience. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Truly wonderful the mind of a child is. – Yoda, Attack of the Clones
There is a mystery and splendor which children are so easily able to lay hold of, but that we distance ourselves from as adults. Children still cling to their curiosity, they marvel at things we take for granted, they can see beauty in the mundane, and their simplicity often speaks with a wisdom which pierces through our adult complexity. The ability to adopt the eyes of a child is one of the secrets to reclaiming that sense of splendor and awe in human living. “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’” – Matthew 19:7
Thank you, Yoda. I honor you.
What pieces of wisdom have you picked up from unlikely sources?
Devin Manzullo-Thomas March 28, 2012 at 10:19 am
As a fellow nerd — and Jesus-follower — I can totally relate! Thanks for the great post.
Eric March 28, 2012 at 11:00 am
Excellent post!
I fully understand your description of nerdiness. I am of the generation of nerds by which nerd is defined. Amused and blessed am I, when ever I see NT’s (nerd tendencies) in my offspring as well, and know that I have been able to use teaching/learning tools such as Yoda’s wisdom to teaching them love for God!
grantimusmax March 28, 2012 at 11:08 am
Yes! So glad you posted this. I had a similar one a few weeks ago actually… Great minds think alike, I suppose. http://nerdcoretheology.com/2012/03/04/lent-day-10-there-is-no-try/
pdhagar March 28, 2012 at 10:19 am
Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. ~ Spock
Great Post
spiritualsavant March 28, 2012 at 11:33 am
Some people say, “Tell it to the hand.” Since Yoda is a puppet, might we say, “Listen to the hand?”
T. E. Hanna March 28, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Lol. Nice.
Holly Michael March 28, 2012 at 11:49 am
Very entertaining post. My greatest lessons in life came from my little sister who had Downs Syndrome. I wouldn’t be who I am if God didn’t send her to me for only six short years.
T. E. Hanna March 28, 2012 at 1:02 pm
Holly, would you be willing to share some of those lessons with us? I would love to publish a guest post from you on that, if you are interested.
Holly Michael March 28, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Sure T.E. I’ll put something together.
T. E. Hanna March 28, 2012 at 1:17 pm
I am going to send you an email, Holly. We can converse through there.
Holly Michael March 28, 2012 at 1:17 pm
thanks
groundedangel March 28, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Well…..I have learned to use Jedi mind tricks in certain sticky situations.
Jessica
terry1954 March 28, 2012 at 12:38 pm
you are not a nerd. you are an interesting person that anyone would love to be around
T. E. Hanna March 28, 2012 at 1:03 pm
I fully embrace my nerd-dom, and wear it as a badge of honor. ;p But thank you, Terry.
terry1954 March 28, 2012 at 1:06 pm
o i hope i didn’t say it wrong and offend u, i meant it as a compliment. i like people who have lots to interesting things to say
T. E. Hanna March 28, 2012 at 1:14 pm
I wasn’t offended at all! I actually very much appreciated the sentiment.
jamesbradfordpate March 28, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Your last point reminded me of something I watched on YouTube earlier this week. Becky Fischer, who was on the movie Jesus Camp, was being interviewed, and she was talking about how children especially are receptive to the voice of God. When she tells the kids who are at her camp to listen to God’s voice, they just listen—-rather than responding with doctrinal reasons that God doesn’t speak anymore. I’m not sure where I stand on this issue, myself, but I found what she said to be thought-provoking.
T. E. Hanna March 28, 2012 at 1:05 pm
I’m not as familiar with Jesus Camp, actually. I have heard some things about the film, but these were typically from audiences generally hostile to Christianity, and were not very flattering. I haven’t looked into the documentary myself, however, so I am not sure where I stand on it.
I do think that God speaks to us, and I believe that we have to learn to be still to better discern that voice.
alwayzhis March 28, 2012 at 2:43 pm
May I say, of all your posts I’ve heard, this one is my favorite. I do understand the “nerd” thing, as I wrote in a post last week~~everything thinks I’m a “nut”. The last paragraph made me smile as I KNOW God does speak to us, if we are still. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3 “And said , Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted , and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”.
Shirley Anne March 28, 2012 at 3:50 pm
They always say that the first thoughts that come to mind are often the truth of the matter. Well maybe you haven’t heard such an idea but I honestly thought that this smacks of idolatry, nerdness notwithstanding. To hold to ones heart such fantasy and ‘fandom’ is in truth idolatry. Whilst I too love everything ‘Star Trecky’ I don’t lose any sleep if I miss an episode or a screening. We should only have a very loose grip on things material.
Shirley Anne xxx
T. E. Hanna March 28, 2012 at 4:17 pm
I think we could apply this argument to many things. Is it idolatry if I enjoy spending a great deal of time with my family? What if I enjoy reading books about history, or fiction? If I spend my free time carving?
What if I spend a great deal of time making sure I have quality blog posts on a daily basis?
Were my life to be based on such things, then probably. But I also find that it is perfectly acceptable to enjoy, and even look forward to, hobbies and other forms of relaxation and enjoyment. The test for “idolatry,” if I am understanding your point correctly, is whether such activities become a barrier in my relationship with God. You are not going to find me elevating Yoda to divine status, or replacing my faith community with Star Wars marathons. You will, however, find me spending time with my equally nerdy friends and family in sometimes very quirky ways.
I hope that helps. I know much of my rhetoric was tongue in cheek, but none of these things do I elevate above God.
Shirley Anne March 28, 2012 at 6:38 pm
I understand what you are saying but I would like to explore this a little more if you will allow. While it is fine that we have outlets for relaxation and as you indicate they can be varied and appear harmless as long as they do not infringe on our relationship with God, I do believe that they can still get in the way of that relationship. Is it not preferable to be spending our ‘spare’ time in the pursuit of building our relationship with God? Many of the things we do are really frivolous to our existence and the things we should be concentrating on we tend to neglect. Is it not better to spend our free time, that is the time we are not spending with loved ones or in our career and other necessary commitments, with Gods requirements of us? I am not preaching here for I too am guilty of seeking my own pleasures in life before seeking what God would perhaps suggest I should be doing. I could say that I wait upon His instruction but that would mean failing to recognise my own shortcomings. What I mean is I could spend more time doing Gods will than I presently do.
It is fortunate for us that God forgives our shortcomings, our weaknesses. As Paul said, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
Shirley Anne x
T. E. Hanna March 28, 2012 at 8:34 pm
You may absolutely explore this with me. I’m open to discussion, accountability, and insight. Let me ask, tho… What does “pursuing our relationship with God” look like?
Shirley Anne March 29, 2012 at 5:41 am
Oh that could be many things. Perhaps being involved in outreach, helping the poor and underprivileged, the homeless. Perhaps getting our own house in order, trying more and more to refrain from doing things we know we shouldn’t be doing, keeping promises we make and showing more of Gods love to those we meet. Taking more time to read Scripture and more time in prayer………being open to The Spirit’s leading in whatever capacity. It will be different for each of us and remains personal to us.
Shirley Anne xxx
Pieter Stok March 28, 2012 at 5:08 pm
… or just maybe they plagiarized this wisdom from another source …mmmm
irishsignora March 28, 2012 at 9:55 pm
This was terrific! I’ve been criticized by Christian friends because we watch My Little Pony and read Tinkerbell stories — but I have to say that they’re utterly awesome avenues for discussing what the Lord wants for us with preschoolers. Maybe I’ll pitch a Star Wars movie marathon to our parish moms’ group!
momentumofjoy March 28, 2012 at 10:12 pm
2 comments –
1 I have been trying to find your blog address so I could send an award to you but there is no tehanna.wordpress.com (as you know!). Argh! And now I must hope for another award so I can share it with you and Cindy French. Your approach to spirituality is so palpable for anyone. I think that it is a gift.
2 I can’t believe you wrote about yoda! I was thinking about the whole there is no try line today although ironically that isn’t in your post. That’s probably my post for tomorrow. I love your style T.E.!!!
T. E. Hanna March 28, 2012 at 10:15 pm
The blog address is http://www.OfDustAndKings.com. I’ve been considering picking up a TEHanna domain which reroutes to here, though, in preparation for a book manuscript Im currently working on.
momentumofjoy March 28, 2012 at 10:18 pm
Let me be the first to second that idea. Can’t wait to read the manuscript. You have such talent. I love reading your entries. Fun and smart – fantastic combination!
Scott Couey March 28, 2012 at 11:49 pm
Great post! Thanks for sharing.
Emily McFarlan Miller March 29, 2012 at 12:17 am
Thank you for liking my latest post about contributing to Start Marriage Right.
Evidently, I’ve arrived at the perfect time… I am a HUGE nerdy nerd. My friends and I totally made costumes and waited in line for all the Star Wars prequels! And your words on “size matters not” were just what I needed to hear today!
T. E. Hanna March 29, 2012 at 12:20 am
Im glad you enjoyed it! And congrats on your wedding!
Lynn March 29, 2012 at 9:06 am
I loved reading your post, i love the insights of Master Yoda. I also like to learn the lessons that some movies teach, for instance, in Lord of the Rings, the creature golum guided Frodo to reach his destiny. And as Gandalf foresaw, I have learnt that even the most undesirable people and situations in our lives have a role to play towards our destiny.
Chris Jordan March 29, 2012 at 9:17 am
Thanks for the great post, from one nerd and Star Wars fan to another… love it!
Cristal March 29, 2012 at 1:26 pm
You had me laughing! I am not familiar with Star Wars, but this was great!! And, I think you might, indeed, be a nerd (but it takes one to know one!).
perceptionoverjudgment March 29, 2012 at 7:36 pm
I am a huge sci-fi fan. Your post is brilliant…and fun!!