Resisting the Dark Side

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a bit of a Star Wars nerd.

Not a full costume at the midnight premiere level, but enough to know that today, May the 4th, the galaxy far, far away shows up in every social media feed, coffee shop chalkboard, and text message chain on the planet. "May the fourth be with you." Ha, ha! It gets me every time!

But behind all the puns, the Yoda memes, and the lightsaber sound effects, there's a concept in Star Wars that ought to make every Christian sit up a little straighter in their seat. In George Lucas's world, the greatest danger a Jedi faces isn't the enemy in front of him. It's the Dark Side within him. And the gateway to that darkness? Anger. Fear. Aggression.

Hmm. That sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it?

Because if I flip over to my Bible, specifically to Galatians 5, I find a list that reads a lot like a Dark Side recruitment brochure:

Dana Rongione 02/11/2022 Dana Rongione 02/11/2022

Is the Fruit of the Spirit M.I.A.?

Some days, I honestly struggle to find the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, and so on. They have to be there because I know I’m saved. The Spirit of God lives within me; therefore, the fruit of the Spirit must also be there. But most days, I just don’t see it.

When the calendar is overbooked and the bills are overdue, peace is the last thing on my mind. When my body is tired and my back is aching, I struggle to muscle up any joy. And when that person has gotten on your last nerve for the fifth time in a day, love and patience are nowhere to be found.