The Force is with Me

May is a pretty great month, if you ask me.

It’s when spring really starts to take action, Memorial Day comes along right about when I start to wonder why we haven’t yet had a barbecue, and Hubby’s birthday is at the same time, give or take a day.

But this past weekend was an ultimate combo for the month of May: May the 4th and Cinco de Mayo.

I mean, does it get any better than these two days occurring on Saturday and Sunday?

If you don’t know what these days are, we simply cannot* be friends.

*Not true. We totally can. I will just have to tease you.

Endless Star Wars on TV + Celebrating a historical Mexican victory with margaritas and tacos = a great weekend indeed.

 

I had the pleasure of being introduced to Star Wars as a child. Whenever I meet someone my age who has never watched a Star Wars movie before, I am especially grateful for my dad educating my brothers and me in the ways of the Force.

As I watched Rouge One late on Saturday night, I was reminded of a thought I had in the theater when I saw it on Christmas Eve, 2016. As my nod to May the 4th, I’ll share it with you.

This is a good time to mention that if you haven’t seen Rouge One* you will find spoilers below.

*See above comment about being friends if you haven’t seen the Star Wars movies.

My favorite character in this movie is Chirrut Îmwe, a blind man who, when we first meet him, is protecting the Temple of Kyber. He is not a Jedi, he lacks Force abilities, but is devoutly devoted to the Jedi way. So much so that he has become a fierce warrior, despite his blindness, putting all his trust into the Force.

He is accompanied by Baze Malbus, who does not hold similar beliefs, yet constantly strives to protect Chirrut Îmwe.

Îmwe’s mantra, which we hear him whispering many times before/during a fight, is: I am one with the Force, the Force is with me.

Read it again, okay?

The first time I heard it, I got chills.

Several times, we witness this person, who ordinarily should not be able to fight and survive, enter and exit a battle unscathed while reciting I am one with the Force, the Force is with me. His ‘protector’, Baze Malbus, frantically follows close behind, frustrated at times at the literal blind faith of his friend in the Force.

When he learns the Rebels (the side he is on) need a master switch flipped (which also happens to be in the middle of a major battlefield) in order to receive the Death Star plans, Chirrut Îmwe enters the battle chanting his mantra as he goes to activate the switch. This leads to his ultimate death, but only after he has been successful in his endeavor.

Baze Malbus, watching this unfold before his eyes, grabs his weapon and slowly says again and again, I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me as he enters the battleground after his friend.

While Star Wars is clearly a fantasy we love to get lost in, this idea of the Force is something which anyone who believes in a greater being should be able to connect with.

The first time I heard this phrase, my mind immediately translated it to: I am one with God, God is in me.

Chirrut Îmwe’s actions were of literal walking by faith not by sight. He has such faith in the Force that regardless of what the odds had stacked up against him (blindness, not actually being a Jedi equipped with the Force) he believed the Force would protect him.

Greater still is that in the end his faith rubbed off on his friend, who despite years of hearing it spoken, didn’t put it into action himself until the moment of truth.

I hope that I might be as Chirrut Îmwe, entering the battleground of life with blind faith, softly chanting, I am one with God, and God is with me.