On Earth, as in Star Wars, Perfect Love Casts out Fear

Years ago, my mother-in-law remarked to my grandmother that I “expect everyone to be perfect.”

I disliked her comment at the time, but later realized she was right. I do have a tendency to focus more on my own and others’ past mistakes than on my own and others’ present and future successes. Because I now recognize this in myself, I consistently seek to extend more grace and see beyond surface sins to the heart in myself and other people.

I want to love myself and others through the lens of Christ’s perfect love and redemption. I want to live out my faith knowing that none of us is ever beyond his forgiveness, no matter our past sins and shortcomings. As God told the prophet Samuel, “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 ESV).

My husband and I have a semi-annual tradition of seeing every new Star Wars movie in the theater as a special date night. We love to watch the ongoing, action-packed saga of good versus evil unfold on the big screen with each episode’s release. The latest installment, which wrapped up the Skywalker story, was no exception, and we saw it together on New Year’s Eve.

Spoiler alert: I expected to be entertained and inspired by the newest Star Wars film. I did not expect, however, to be moved to tears by the intense relationship that develops between the two opposing main characters.

Read more at The Glorious Table.