The crystal is the heart of the blade.
The heart is the crystal of the Jedi.
The Jedi is the crystal of the Force.
The Force is the blade of the heart.
All are intertwined.
The crystal.. the blade.. the Jedi.
You are one.
~Master Luminara, Clone Wars

Jeditee has done an amazing job of analyzing this teaching (found here), and I can highly recommend reading it. This scene in the micro-series has always been my favorite, not simply because it is a lone moment of philosophical instruction, "a deep breath before the plundge" if I may quote Gandalf; but, rather, because we get a real sense for the worth a Jedi gives to their lightsaber. This bit of philosophy gives meaning to the words, "This weapon is your life." A lightsaber, then, does not merely protect oneself and defend the defenseless, but, through ordered use, the structure itself accomplishes what it represents. In other words, a Jedi lives authentically, true to their vocation, only when the lightsaber philosophy is put into action. If a Jedi strays from the philosophy they risk insignificance, or, worse, spiritual death at the hands of the Sith.

The same concept can be applied in our own galaxy, of course. A fleur-de-lis, for example, has greater meaning for the Christian than its just being a type of flower. It not only represents the Holy Trinity, but it has remained a call to action (personal conversion; acts of love, charity, mercy, etc) for well over 1000 years. In a way, the fleur-de-lis demands from Christians what the lightsaber demands from the Jedi, a commitment to living the faith. In addition to this symbol, Thomas Merton suggests another model reserved for the religious life.

We must look deeper into the mystery of faith by which, in the secret recesses of their souls, the monks remain in possession of God no matter what may happen to disturb the surface of their lives. The monastic life burns before the invisible God like a lamp before a tabernacle. The wick of the lamp is faith, the flame is charity, and the oil, by which the flame is fed, is self-sacrifice.
~Thomas Merton, No Man Is An Island

The wick of the lamp is faith
The wick, both literally and figuratively, is only a conduit. Its very purpose is to assist in bringing about the desired end; it cannot achieve it on its own. "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,' but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead," (James 2:14-17). Jesus further admonishes us: "Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket: it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house," (Matthew 5:15).

The flame is charity
The flame is nothing more or less than the attainment of an intended purpose. It may require an ongoing struggle, but, nevertheless, the flame's destiny remains fulfilled simply by staying alive. As the lamp's purpose is to create light, so too is charity the response of faith for Christians and Jedi alike. Is a Jedi truly a Jedi if one agrees with the Jedi Code but does not act on it? Of course not. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force only because the Jedi acts on their beliefs.

The oil is self-sacrifice
The oil gives life to the flame, and self-sacrifice gives life to charity. This is the means to achieve charity. In the Jedi way, this is the actual practicing of the Code: "defend and protect others, never attack; respect life, fully and truly; serve others rather than seek to be served," etc. For the Christian, it is no different: "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me," (Luke 9:22).

Since I was a small child, I always knew the Jedi were something special, but I wasn't always sure why. I'm only now beginning to really understand the reasons for their goodness. It is their hearts inflamed with charity that make them who they are -- and the lightsaber is their life, indeed.