Thirty years ago, the words “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” appeared on movie screens worldwide. For most of us, our lives haven’t been quite the same since Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke, Padme, and Darth Vader entered our collective consciousness through the Star Wars series. But underneath the science fiction and special effects lies a spiritual world rich with depth and texture. For Caleb Grimes, this spiritual world is a gateway to understanding the Christian faith, a topic he explores in his book Star Wars Jesus (you can find my review of it here). I recently spoke with him and asked about this and all things Star Wars:
JAS: Why Star Wars Jesus? Why not Stargate SG-1 Jesus or Star Trek Jesus?
CG: I have two ideas about this. One: I don’t feel there is as much myth in other Sci-Fi stories. George Lucas definitely put myth elements in Star Wars, offering spiritual connections to timeless truths. Second: Certain movies and shows mean certain things to certain people. You must ask where Jesus is revealed to you. The example that comes to mind is when Jesus was talking to his disciples on the road to Emmaus and the disciples didn’t know who he really was. That night the revelation became, “Christ, you were with us the whole time!” For me, Star Wars is where I’ve seen Jesus more clearly compared to other shows/films.
JAS: What was your motivation for writing Star Wars Jesus? Did the 30th anniversary have anything to do with it?
CG: Actually, I didn’t realize this year was the 30th anniversary until I was finished writing and was working on the bio. It was something I had to do; I wrote an article for Hollywood Jesus in 2001 about Star Wars, but I wasn’t satisfied because I needed to get more out. So it was more for joy instead of marketability.
JAS: If you could play the role of any character in the film series, who would you play?
CG: Well, I’m a big fan of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and in saying that I mean the old Obi-Wan from A New Hope (Episode 4). To me, he’s just an old codger and wise man along the lines of Tolkien or C.S. Lewis.
JAS: You mentioned in Star Wars Jesus that you see Jesus in a number of characters, not just one in particular. Why is that?
CG: The simple answer for this is that whatever you do to the least of these, you do to Christ. For example, there are a number of self-sacrificial acts performed by the Jedi knights in the films. In these, the key to the acts is love. When we do something of this nature, Jesus is shown through us.
JAS: Why do the films relate so much to our society today?
CG: First of all: because they’re just good. What I mean by that is a combination of good technology, a good story, and good meaning. Second, Star Wars is a myth. Not all stories have to be a myth or have mythic elements in order to relate to them. But because we live in world so full of science and technology, our world tends to have this idea that everything is either known, about to be known, or can be known. Myth flies in the face of this and whispers of something greater, something we don’t necessarily know, of God who is greater and more infinite than we can ever know (though it is good to try). Along with myth pointing to things greater and higher, myths are often very moral. George Lucas created Star Wars when there was a void of morality in society. In it, he incorporated the moral aspects that he thought people were hungry for. Based on how popular Star Wars has been, I’d say he was right.
JAS: What is it that makes myths so successful, both from a literary and cinematic viewpoint?
CG: I do not know why they are, but I have faith that myths point out elements of our everyday life that are true. Joseph Campbell said that myths represent truth. Apologetics seeks to come to God and know more about him through the use of reason. It is about what can be logically deduced. The resonance of truth in myth seeks to come to God and know more about him through the use of faith. It is about what can be logically believed. It’s kind of like Luke being able to “hear” or “sense” the Force in the films. His hearing or sensing is an act of faith that something (we would say someone) is calling to us, beckoning to us, and there is a mythic longing for the eternal that is undeniable in these kinds of stories.
JAS: Which of the six movies was your favorite?
CG: It would have to be The Empire Strikes Back (Episode 5). I really like the scenes on Dagobah where Yoda is training Luke. My absolute favorite scene is when Yoda tells Luke, “Lumious beings are we, not this crude matter.” But we’re both. The Spirit is larger than our actual bodies, in a glowing, metaphysical sense.
JAS: Our generation has seen the films beginning with Episode 4 (A New Hope), but due to Lucas’ desire for more technology to tell the first stories, the upcoming generation will likely see the movies beginning with Episode 1 (The Phantom Menace). How do you think this viewing enhances or changes the story?
CG: I have a test case to find out about this, but haven’t been able to set it up yet. The “correct” order (1-6) isn’t focused as much about the Force and thus seems more gimmicky (an example of this involves the whole concept of Midichlorians, adding a more scientific focus to the story). But it could also be due to our generation starting their viewing at Episode 4 and having that sequence ingrained in our minds.
JAS: One of the things I got from Star Wars Jesus is that the Christian faith, even through nontraditional means (such as film), can be readily seen if the individual knows how to look for it. Where has Christian storytelling gone right (or wrong) since the abolition of the Hays Code in 1963? What qualities does (or would) it take to effectively bridge the gap that exists between secular and sacred?
CG: I don’t believe in a “Christian” market per se, because I don’t see it as a positive influence on our world. What such a market does is takes us away from the world and thus damages our spirituality and witness, kind of like putting Jesus on pencils. There are a number of books already on the market about Star Wars and Jesus that have had an overtly evangelical focus. In my opinion, that focus does not allow for loving Star Wars as we need to, being encouraged by Star Wars as we would like to, and meeting our culture where they are as we are commanded to. Ironically, I think their evangelical motive suffers because of it.
For me, the key to all of this is truth. A person who acknowledges Jesus Christ wants to celebrate him in the world they have been placed. Here is how I apply this to my world and my work: For me as a primarily fiction writer I believe stories don’t have to be nice, but they have to be true. It’s like trying to force a character to be good, to come to Christ because they “should.” That does not show love to the character, does not allow them freedom, and ultimately shows itself as poor workmanship, poor creativity on my part. In this, I think being true is very important because it’s a way we show love to our creations, to ourselves and to our audience. I hope quality work bears itself out over time. And I believe that it often does.
