Engage

Little Vader, The Superbowl, and The Force

I’m a big fan of Superbowl ads, especially when my team (ehem, the Giants) doesn’t get to play.

But even before Superbowl Sunday, a particular ad had me frozen to my laptop like Han Solo in carbonite, which follows a little kid in a Darth Vader costume. He walks down a narrow hallway, black cape billowing behind him, until he reaches an exercise bike. His hands shoot invisible force-rays to bring it to life.

Then…nothing.

I’m a big fan of Superbowl ads, especially when my team (ehem, the Giants) doesn’t get to play.

But even before Superbowl Sunday, a particular ad had me frozen to my laptop like Han Solo in carbonite, which follows a little kid in a Darth Vader costume. He walks down a narrow hallway, black cape billowing behind him, until he reaches an exercise bike. His hands shoot invisible force-rays to bring it to life.

Then…nothing.

He takes his invisible-force-hands to the family dog to raise it from its repose, and…nothing. Washers, dryers, dolls, peanut butter sandwiches – nothing responds to Little Vader’s force. Just when he becomes despondent, his dad comes home. Little Vader runs out to meet not his dad, but his dad’s car. As he shrugs off his dad’s attempt to hug him, he concentrates on using his force-power to animate the sedan. And then…it starts! It starts! He’s amazed at his own power!

Cut to dad watching son from a kitchen window, car key with an automatic ignition in hand, watching the delight of his son.

What endears me to this commercial is not just my love of Star Wars and German engineering, but also the message that hits me in the heart: I am constantly striving to exert my own force in my environment.

Ah, striving to obtain control by force in order to quell my anxiety. I don’t need a mask and a black cape to go around desperately waving my hands at the things and people that ought to bow to my will; my husband, my child, my bank account, my wardrobe, my weight, my friends, my enemies, the dude in front of me on the highway, the woman that ran over my foot with her grocery cart in Central Market while she was texting (hmm, was that too specific?).

And when I wave my hands, some times things happen. I break stuff. I hurt people. Or worse, I get my way.

Jesus spoke to this frantic force that challenges us. Matthew 6:25-34 describes the opposite of force; yielding the future to the Father. (Scroll over the passage to read it – believe me, it applies to all of us, right now, wherever we are.) Verse 27 nails me right between my anxious eyes: “And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?” Um, I can? No, not so much.

On the other hand, I have a Father who delights in making marvels before my eyes every day, not because I wave my hands, but because He moves; He speaks; He acts, and He allows me to witness this greatness. In Matthew 6, Jesus doesn’t use extravagant examples to illustrate the Father’s provision; He points to birds of the sky and field flowers and grasses. And today that could well be the washer/dryer (thank God for electricity, clean water, and spin cycles!), or peanut butter sandwiches (daily bread and then some). If our Father cares enough to give us the every-day sustenance that is here today and gone tomorrow, how much more care will He put into helping us sustain our relationships, pull us through tough financial times, and help us endure trials with patience and perseverance (James 1:2-4, anyone?)?

My God is the Force that I can yield to – not in the “the force is in the tree and the flower and the mango and in you and me” sense. No. My God is the force in the sense of being the Alpha and Omega who created the world with a Word and therefore has mastery over it like a dad with remote ignition control.

And yeah, this Force is with me. I can yield to that.

Sharifa Stevens is a Manhattan-born, Bronx-raised child of the King, born to Jamaican immigrants, and currently living in Dallas. Sharifa's been singing since she was born. Her passion is to serve God's kingdom by leading His people in worship through music, speaking and writing, and relationships with people. Her heart is also unity, inspired by John. Sharifa hates exercise but likes Chipotle, bagels with a schmeer and lox, salmon sushi, chicken tikka, curried goat (yeah, it's good) with rice and peas, and chocolate lava cakes. She's been happily married to Jonathan since 2006...and he buys her Chipotle.

2 Comments