May the 4th be with you

 

May the 4th be with you

Beth Anz 

May 4th, 2025

at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brevard 

 

 

 

May the 4th be with you….or May the force be with you. 

Today is considered “International Star Wars Day” 

because of this fun play on words.

A long time ago, in 1977, we were first introduced 

to a galaxy far far away, when “Star Wars” 

premiered on May 25, 1977.  This movie 

(later referred to as “A New Hope), was written 

by George Lucas as an epic flash gordon style space opera.

Unless you are actually from a galaxy far far away, 

you already know that Star Wars, is

Set in a fictional galaxy under the rule 

of the tyrannical Galactic Empire, the film follows 

a group of freedom fighters known as the Rebel Alliance, 

who aim to destroy the Empire's newest weapon, the Death Star. 

When the Rebel leader Princess Leia is captured 

by the Empire, Luke Skywalker acquires stolen 

architectural plans of the Death Star and sets out 

to rescue her while learning the ways of a 

metaphysical power known as 

"the Force" from the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

Star Wars was a surprise hit and quickly grew to be 

a cultural phenomenon, spawning an original trilogy of movies, 

followed by more movies, 

tv series, specials, books, merchandise, parodies and 

a special effects company. 

And George Lucas had faith in its potential.  

He took a huge gamble by trading some of his movie 

salary to retain his rights to 

all merchandising and subsequent sequels.  

He also created an entire visual effects company 

(industrial light and magic), to invent new techniques 

to bring his space epic to life.  

These leaps of faith revolutionized the entire movie industry.    

And not just the movie industry, It has found its way 

into our political discourse with its stories of political 

upheaval and the fight for democracy. 

And this was intentional by George Lucas.  

It is at its core a story about the power 

of the people over oppression.  From left 

to right and everywhere in between, 

many politicians have claimed to be the rebel alliance, 

fighting the empire. And as May 1st is 

International Workers day, here are some motivational 

Star Wars quotes, for each of our own resistances.

"The day we stop believing democracy can 

work is the day we lose it." - Queen Amidala

“We have hope. Rebellions are built on hope.” — Jyn Erso

“A tyrant can make anything seem to be 

‘the will of the people.’ ” — Senator Leia Organa

“That’s how we’re gonna win. Not fighting what we hate, 

saving what we love.” — Rose Tico

And it is that love that gives us a deeper level of spirituality, 

with the concept of the force that connects us all together.  

Clearly, there is no aspect of our modern world 

Star Wars has not influenced.  

But being a UU Multi Faith service, 

spirituality is what we are going to talk about today.    

So, is Star Wars Religious?  That’s a big question that even

its creator George Lucas was unsure of.  

He has said it is not inherently religious, 

but his concept of “the force” was created to 

awaken a sense of spirituality.  

And while the spirituality of the Star Wars Universe 

is fictionalized, it does draw influences from many sources.  

The Star Wars saga is a classic hero’s journey, 

taking on an epic adventure through many trials and tribulations, 

tests and triumphs. 

It is a journey of self discovery and transformation, 

elements which are found in both 

Star Wars and many mythic and religious texts. 

He was inspired by the work of Joseph Campbell 

in comparative religion and mythology, and drew 

on a number of religions 

in the real world to inspire the Jedi religion.

He has described himself and his influences as 

“Methodist Buddhists.” Some have called it “Zen with lightsabers”.  

Notable influences 

include Taoism, Zen Buddhism, Christianity, Mysticism, 

 and a touch of general new age 

‘spiritual but not religious’ness, as well as a combination 

of different martial arts and 

the code of chivalry, in order to create the Jedi and 

the philosophies behind the Force.  

He is quoted as saying:

(GEORGE LUCAS)  when I was very young, 

I can distinctly remember asking my mother 

“If there is one God, why are there so many religions?” 

And obviously she couldn’t answer that, but 

I think that question has always 

been very relevant to my life, because, obviously, 

if there’s one God, then everybody is 

worshipping the same God, then everybody should be sort of… 

the Word of God, if there is a Word of God, would be the same. 

But if you find there’s hundreds of different 

interpretations of everything which obviously means that - 

in my mind - is not really the Word of God, that’s the word of man. 

And if you go beyond all the religions - because they’re similar…

I like to think of them as the blind men and the elephant. 

Blind men goes up to the elephant, 

one grabs the leg and says "it’s a tree” the other grabs the ear, he says 

“it’s a leaf” and the other one says “it’s a trunk” and “it’s a snake” 

But they’re all describing the same things. What you do is try to look 

for the unifying factors in all religions….

but if there is only one God, then you realize that the 

religions are the manifestation of man, or woman, humans, 

but the God is still there. 

It’s just we don’t know what it is, how it looks like, what it is, but one thing 

it has constantly done in all religions, is that God is love.

As Unitarian Universalists, with our Multi-Faith traditions, 

we have embraced this concept of “Love” 

at the center of our shared values.  

And there are countless faiths that share the core values of love, 

compassion and care 

for one another.  Whether religious or secular, 

many share the concept of interconnectedness.  

The idea that we exist in a sacred web and we all play our part within it. 

As Obi-Wan Kenobi says of “The Force” -  

It's an energy field created by all living things. 

It surrounds us and penetrates us. 

It binds the galaxy together.

Or as Master Yoda says in “The Empire Strikes Back”

“My ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. 

Life creates it, makes it grow.

Its energy surrounds us and binds us.

Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. 

You must feel the Force around you;

here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes."

Perhaps that is why Star Wars' most well known spiritual concept 

of “The Force” rings true for many of us.  

And in Star Wars, some see it as a 

guiding force like the Jedi, or as a means to power 

like the Sith, Some see it as magic, 

like the nightsisters of Dathomir, 

and some see it like Han Solo, who says to Luke Skywalker:

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match 

for a good blaster at your side, kid."

  

The force is a mysterious metaphysical power in the universe, 

wielded by the Jedi and Sith orders.  Those who are 

deemed “Force Sensitive” 

have the ability through training to have greater 

access and control to these supernatural powers, 

allowing them to move objects and influence 

thoughts, among other things.  

Who among us has not held out their hand and tried 

to move something with “The Force”.  I admit I have, 

and I bet you have too.   

The force itself is not passive, it is a power that speaks and 

has a “will.” It is not only a source of power the 

Jedi can harness but a spiritual essence 

to which they can relate.  In The Phantom Menace, 

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn tells 

Anakin Skywalker, “Midi-chlorians are a microscopic 

lifeform that reside within 

all living cells and communicate with the Force.” 

In other words, the more midi-chlorians 

you possess, the greater your ability to commune with The Force.

The midi-chlorians however, are not The Force itself. 

They are merely a biological entity that acts as 

a connection point with that power. 

Qui-Gon explains further, “Without the midi-chlorians, 

life could not exist, and 

we would have no knowledge of the Force. 

They continually speak to you, telling you 

the will of the Force. When you learn to quiet your mind, 

you will hear them speaking to you.”

Perhaps if we all quiet our minds more often, 

we too can hear the force.  But what will you hear?

But the Force in Star Wars is shown to have two paths, 

the light side and the dark side.

George Lucas is quoted as saying:

He wanted to "awaken a certain kind of spirituality" 

in young audiences, suggesting a belief in God 

without endorsing any specific religion.[2] 

He developed the Force as a nondenominational 

religious concept, "distill[ed from] 

the essence of all religions", premised on the 

existence of God and distinct ideas 

of good and evil.[1] Lucas said there is a conscious 

choice between good and bad, 

and "the world works better if you're on the good side. 

These Jedi “warrior monks” who are modern versions of the 

Shao Lin Monk, the European Knight, and the Samurai 

warrior all mixed together, 

and both the Jedi and Sith orders follow a code and foundational texts 

like many established religions.     

Our Heroes, The Jedi, are a peacekeeping group 

of warrior-monks, largely seeking to "become one 

with the Force", matching their personal wills 

with the will of the Force.  

The Villains of the Saga are the Sith, who try to 

bend the additional abilities gained through the 

 

Force toward their own selfish and destructive desires. 

Characters' actions are often described as either 

helping to bring balance to the Force or, its opposite, 

causing a disturbance in the Force. 

This concept of light and dark, good and evil is found 

in many religions.  Some religions see this as a rigid concept, 

something as either 

all good or all evil.  In the biblical monotheistic religions, 

we find a duality of good 

and evil, with God and an adversarial influence.  

People in their faith are 

encouraged to turn to what is good (or God) and 

away from evil, which may be an entity such as 

the devil or a separation from God.

For some of the polytheistic or agnostic paths, such 

as Buddhism and pagan traditions, the concept 

is more fluid.  The magic of the “Forces” 

of the universe are themselves neutral, is it our intent, 

our actions, our thoughts that 

influence how they are used.  These may be 

interpreted as “good” or “evil” actions.  

Of course, these are very simplified explanations of complex 

concepts, but the idea of “The Force” in Star Wars is 

that it is a simplistic concept that is easy to relate to.  

So much so that some have brought it from the screen 

to their real religious practices.  

The Temple of the Jedi Order are real people who live 

their lives according to the principles of Jediism: 

the real-life Jedi religion and philosophy. Is it a “real” religion?  

Well what is a “real” religion, and who are we to judge?    

In their Tenants, they state:

We Believe:

In the Force, and in the inherent worth of all life within it.

In the sanctity of the human person. We oppose the use 

of torture and cruel or unusual punishment, 

including the death penalty.

In a society governed by laws grounded in reason 

and compassion, not in fear or prejudice.

In a society that does not discriminate on the basis 

of sexual orientation or circumstances of birth such as 

gender, ethnicity and national origin.

In the ethic of reciprocity, and how moral concepts are 

not absolute but vary by culture, religion, and over time.

In the positive influence of spiritual growth and 

awareness on society.

In the importance of freedom of conscience and 

self-determination 

within religious, political and other structures.

In the separation of religion and government 

and the freedoms of speech, association, 

and expression.

That whole statement of belief sounds similar to the 

stated Values of Unitarian Universalism, 

with love at the center, and our values of Justice, 

Equity, Transformation, Pluralism, Interdependence and Generosity. 

There is a universal feeling of the principles of the Jedi Order, 

that rings true for both religious and secular beliefs.  

The concept of the golden rule, 

"do unto others as you would have them do unto you." 

Of loving your neighbor, 

caring for one another. Basically, be a decent person.  

Feel the force.

And many in the Star Wars universe “feel” the force.  

And they follow the values of this interconnected force, 

even if they have not learned 

to wield it.  For example,  The Guardians of the Whills, 

seen in Rogue One, 

were guardians of sacred Jedi sites, who believed 

in the Force and attempted to sense its will, 

despite not necessarily being able to use it (like a Jedi).  

We learn that the force is a part of us, even 

if we do not study and harness its power.  

In Ashoka, she explains to her apprentice 

Sabine the power of the force is in everyone.

Sabine: “I can’t use the force. I don’t feel it. Not like you do.”  

Ashoka: “The Force resides in all living things. Even you.”  

Sabine: “If that’s true, then why doesn’t everyone use it?”  

Ashoka: “Talent is a factor. But training 

and focus are what truly defines someone’s success. 

Not everyone can handle the type of discipline 

it takes to master the ways of the Force.”

While Ashoka’s words are not wholly 

inconsistent with how Obi-Wan Kenobi 

taught Luke Skywalker in the original film, 

there is a different emphasis. Then, 

it was about “reaching out” to something “beyond.” 

In Ashoka, at least in this scene, it is about 

“reaching within” to something “inside.” 

Gone is the exclusivity of the Force or strength 

of family bloodlines. Everyone has access 

to the Force inside themselves. Anyone can be 

a Jedi if they find the power within.

Anyone can be a Jedi, if they find the power within.

So can we be a Jedi? Is the force real? Perhaps

And we can embrace just being together in this sacred web.  

Together.  For as we have learned, today, 

there is more that unites us than divides us.

Take a deep breath, …… and just feel the force around us, 

connecting us all.  

(pause)

(Breathe in) "I am one with the Force, 

(Breathe Out) and the Force is with me." 

(repeat as needed)

Be one with the Force

‘Do, or do not. There is no try.’ 

and "May the Force (and 4th), be with you, always"