Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.
Princess Leia’s hope was that General Kenobi would aid the Rebel Alliance in their struggle against the Empire.
When Luke saw the message his hope was to save the princess and maybe win her heart.
Ben Kenobi’s hope was that in Luke he would find someone to whom he could pass his knowledge of the force.
Hope pushed the princess to make a desperate plea. Hope pushed young Skywalker to leave his home. And hope pushed old Obi-Wan to invest in a headstrong farmer.
Hope also pushed Israel’s prophets to look for the coming Messiah. Hope pushed them to wait for God’s anointed who would come and make things right. And hope pushed them to write down their prophecies about the one who was to come.
The first week of Advent looks at hope. It looks at the hope the prophets and nation of Israel had for the coming Messiah. It also looks at the hope we have in waiting for Jesus’ return.
The hope we have, though, and the hope upon which we reflect at Advent, isn’t just for some day “out there”. The hope of Jesus Christ isn’t that he’ll just rework and remake things upon his return. The hope we celebrate is alive and active today. The hope of Advent reminds us that Christ wants to rework and remake this world now, including our lives.
Hope is an amazing thing. It pushed Luke to leave Tatooine, it pushed a nation to long for a savior and it can push us to expect transformation in our lives. We shouldn’t just hope for Christ’s eventual return but we should hope for him to work in our lives today. And if we’re willing to step out in faith and hope like Luke, Leia and Obi-Wan, then there’s a good chance we’ll see Christ working in our lives.
How does hope influence your life?
I was once chided for "holding onto hope," in regards to a difficult situation in my life. But without hope, what is there? I could fall into despair or become disillusioned. Hope makes many people uncomfortable because the thought of grasping onto an intangible is unsettling. Most ask, "why should I hold onto something that isn't a sure thing?" But hope should serve as an underlying driver in our lives.
I have found that hope is more for my own sake than those of others, even though I find myself saying, "I hope things are okay for him," or "I hope she understands." Yet, hope is essential to my own well-being and understanding, especially in trying times.
By the way, EXCELLENT intersection of Advent and Star Wars.
Thanks.
Hope has a lot to do with where we're placing it. We can place our hope in ourselves, our futures or some unknown outcome. Placing our hope in Christ gives us a solid foundation from which to live.