What appears to have started out as pun shared by Star Wars fans has become a full-fledged Star Wars holiday each May 4th.
Star Wars Day, as it has become known, is a special annual celebration of the galaxy far, far away.
According to StarWars.com, “One of the earliest known records of “May the 4th” used in popular culture is in 1979.”
Community Connection
For those within the Star Wars community, “May the 4th be with you” makes sense. It’s a clear play on the phrase “May the Force be with you.”
That phrase has been in all the Star Wars movies and is easily one of a handful of phrases that only Star Wars fans will get.
Connecting with a community is key.
We all have a need to be connected. In Genesis 2:18 “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.'”
In the Garden, Adam had all the animals to hang out with. Adam also had a relationship with the LORD God Himself.
Yet there was still a need for another person in Adam’s life.
The Need For Connection
Recently I received an email from a reader that said in part “I have not gotten into your site yet but just knowing I am not alone is got me in tears.”
She was being criticized by friends and family for wanting to use pop culture to preach God’s word to others.
What a sad thing to be criticized for.
Jesus used parables and stories to connect with His audience, should we do any less? I think not.
Find out what you can use in order to connect with people.
We should never water down the Gospel if we did it would be no Gospel at all. But we don’t need to open the full floodgates of the Gospel all at once.
We need to connect with where people are and bring them to a place that they can learn more about Jesus. We are told in the Great Commission that “as you go, make disciples (aka learners).”
To make disciples, you need to connect and present a clear message.
A Key To Building A Community
In building a community, we need to avoid using insider language and phrases that people can misconstrue or misunderstand.
One of my favorite stories of using “Christian-ize” with a non-Christian is a story that involves my wife. Yes, I have her permission to share this story.
She is self-employed as a math tutor. Years ago she was asked if she reported her income from doing the tutoring. She told the person “Yes, I was convicted to do so.”
The person was shocked and couldn’t believe my wife had been convicted of a crime. My wife laughed and said she was convicted by the Holy Spirit to do so, not in a court of law.
While this is a funny story, it goes to show how easily we Christians use terminology that non-Christians do not understand.
We need to be mindful that the world needs to hear the unadulterated Gospel but we might need to use stories, like Star Wars, that they understand and then bring Biblical stories and parables into the conversation.
May The 4th Be With You
I wish you all the best this day and every day.
If you wish to join me in using Star Wars to share the faith, please consider joining The Christian Jedi Academy.
I love this!
Absolutely true and correct—use storytelling for almost everything. To bring the gospel. To make difficult topics easier and less intimidating. In school. We even use it more and more in medicine. Although it’s been used for centureis—we’re more rediscovering its power.
Let’s tell more stories (with truth) imbued in them.
And, I appreciate your final wish: “I wish you all the best this day and every day.”
Thank you.
And to you too!
Thanks, Danie. Story helps connect us. Once we are able to connect, we are able to share.