Star Wars, the movie, will be released this weekend! The only way you might not know that is if you do not have a TV, computer/phone/internet, or read a newspaper. It is the most anticipated movie in decades, said the Today show, and will likely gross several billion dollars. And that isn’t counting the merchandise that is already hot off the shelves because Star Wars has millions of rabid followers, and collectors of memorabilia. I’m a fan as well, although I would never camp out in front of the theater for a week as some people are! (Do these people not have jobs or school?). It is amazing and the movie theaters will be packed this weekend. Of course, it is being released at this week before Christmas on purpose. Next week all the schools will be out for break and the sales of tickets will go through the roof.
In our world today, I just kind of shake my head sadly at how out of balance we’ve become. It’s a movie. Ok, a great movie, super special effects, incredible characters and plot. It will be a great distraction from life for a couple hours. But it is a movie. In the same way, million dollar lottery tickets and super sports stars making hundreds of millions of dollars is hard to take in sometimes. If you take any superstar athlete, actor or entertainer and just peel off a million dollars from their trust fund (which they would never notice) just think what a difference we could make in this world for the poor and the lost.
In the chaos of this world today, with all that is going on in our personal and professional lives, we look toward the manger. The most anticipated birth happened and it was a block buster. Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25) were “camped out” in the temple waiting on the Messiah. The Wise Men saw the star and followed. And we are still in Advent, the season of waiting. We need not get caught up in the anxiety and worry and fuss of this season. Let is unfold as it will. Slow down. Anticipate. It happened once and it will happen again, be born anew in us O Lord, and bring us the release we really need. The freedom from sin, the forgiveness, the love, hope, joy and peace. Man, I’m anticipating that more than a movie, aren’t you?
Doug Givan
Staff Chaplain
St. Vincent Clay (Brazil)
St. Vincent Seton Specialty (Indianapolis)
dgivan@stvincent.org (email)
Eric is our current Webmaster and works on the NLS Communications Team. Raised in Judaism, he found Christ and the New Testament at age 16 in a Southern Baptist Church. He searched many denominations for the real church, only to find the Holy Spirit is present in all of them. He's worked for One for Israel, a group of native Israeli believers who are sharing the gospel in the holy land in Hebrew and is part of the only Hebrew speaking seminary in Israel.
