Well, after a bit of a hiatus from blogging for the Christmas and New Year's Holidays, I've finally found the time to sit and stretch out my thoughts into an entry. I hope you've all had a great 2008 so far!

As I pondered thoughts of SW over the break, one such thought stayed with me that a minister at our church spoke about during her homily on Christmas Eve. She spoke about having a "tada" moment in your life in which something finally occurs to you that you had not yet realized, or something that shines a light in your thoughts that helps you or others. It's as if pulling a cover off something you have been hiding in front of people and shouting "tada"!

Now I'm not intending to use her sermon as the basis of my entry, but it did help me to put into words a thought I had even before hearing it ... and helped to give me clarity to my thought. And for that I thank her.

And my thought was how a person reacts or realizes something that is life-changing in certain situations, or what I came to think of as an "a-ha" moment. And of course, my thoughts drift to Star Wars and how it might relate! And what I was imagining was the point in which Luke became a Jedi.

In ANH, Luke quickly discovers the powers he holds within himself and how he might use those powers for a good cause. He's new at it and doesn't quite understand all of what he can do, but he's willing to accept it and live his life as a Rebel fighter and from what he knows so far, a Jedi.

In TESB, he learns more about his abilities and what he can truly do to help the galaxy. He also learns about loyalty to his friends and what that means to both himself and the galaxy. And he also learns a certain truth that was hidden from him since his birth. Sure it's a truth that wasn't fully revealed or explained to him until ROTJ, but he learned of it nonetheless. It wasn't really an a-ha moment for him yet as he was more shocked than enlightened, but it still was a guide on his path of life.

In ROTJ we see a Luke who is more composed, who is more aware of his powers and who wields those powers to the best of his newfound ability. But he still seems drifting and unaware of certain things and hasn't yet realized how to tap into the unknown depths of the well of the Force. Something is nagging at him that he must discover.

He finds himself at Yoda's hut where he tells the old Master that he has returned to complete his training. And Yoda tells him that he requires no more training and he has which he needs. So in a linear, or scholastic sense, Luke responds "so I am a Jedi". To which Yoda gives a small laugh and says he is not a Jedi yet ... he must confront Vader again. And of course he has no idea what this means at this point. He knows now that Vader is his father and he must confront him as Yoda instructs, but he can't bring himself to kill his own father, in his own mind. He wants to be a Jedi, but he still hasn't had that a-ha moment that tells him he has now succeeded in his trials ... that he is now a Jedi.

Now Luke finds himself confronting Vader and battling him just as Yoda had instructed ... and in front of the Emperor no less. In his mind he knew he could not kill his father and did not want to. He tried to bring his father back to the Light by pleading to him when he was first brought to him but that did not work. He thought that was his way to Jedi knighthood ... save his father from himself and win at defeating him that way. But the Emperor had other plans as he always does. He goaded Luke into accepting a fight that he knew Luke would not refuse ... by threatening his friends. This was both Luke's failure and salvation. His failure in that he gave into his feelings of anger and hatred for what the Emperor had done to his friends and family (including his father), and his salvation in that it helped Vader to realize his son's ambitions to see good triumph over evil and bring back Anakin to save them all.

But in the fight, Luke's goal of becoming a Jedi was not lost. He fought a good fight and unleashed a fury of determination to overcome the dark lord that had taken over his father. He fought with such bravery and with such focus and with such anger, that he suddenly had his a-ha moment that vaulted him into the status of a full Jedi. He realized he did not want to become Darth Vader. He knew he had to confront Vader in order to become a Jedi and that is exactly what he had done. And what he realized is that didn't mean he had to kill his own father ... he just had to stop himself from becoming him. He stopped himself from giving into the anger that would have led to Vader's death at Luke's lightsabre and joining the Emperor in Vader's place, as surely would have happened. The a-ha moment Luke had made him a Jedi, saved Anakin's soul, and delivered the Emperor to an explosive end.

And I have had a few "a-ha" monents in my life as well, as I'm sure you have also. Suddenly a light goes off and you say "a-ha! Now I know what to do!" They are moments of clarity and vision that when it happens, you know that it is truly meant to be. They are wonderful moments that you need to savour and enjoy and remember ... for they can change your life.

Luke had his a-ha moment when he became a Jedi. And Anakin also had his when he returned to the Jedi. Funny it was at the same time.