Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you probably already know that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the hottest movie in the world right now. You can’t turn on the TV or walk outside without seeing a commercial, a magazine cover, a toy, or some other shamless display of product placement relating to this cultural phenomenon.
Have you ever wondered why we are so fascinated by this story? It’s simple, really. This is a story of transformation, and transformation is written on the human heart. The Star Wars saga is not about rocket ships, droids, or lightsaber duals. The entire story, from top to bottom, is about the transformation and redemption of Anakin Skywalker.
We are introduced to this anointed, precocoius little boy who carries unlimited potential. But because of compromises and bad choices along the way, we see him slowly turn away from his family and follow his own dark desires until he is tranformed into an instrument of evil.
Does any of this sound familiar? It should. Every day at TLC, we are introduced to men who started out well in life. They had good families, great opportunities, and a blue sky future ahead of them. But bad choices, small compromises, and and obsession with power and selfishness led them down a path of darkness. Before they knew it, they were transformed into someone they never dreamed of.
But here’s the great news about transformation: It works both ways. We can transform from light to dark, but through Christ, we can transform back to the light. This is what happened with Anakin. When confronted with the good he still had inside of him, he came back to the light side. The mask was removed, his heart was clear, reconciliation with his son was complete, and redemption was in full force.
The reason we resonate so deeply with that story is because it’s our story. It’s the story of our students at TLC, and if we’re honest, it’s our story as well. Many of us started out our lives right, fell away because of our own dark desires, and had a transformational experience that brought us back. We may not have had an addiction in our lives, but sin that’s left undealt with leads to death, and that’s where most of us were headed before our encounter with Jesus Christ. The story of transformation has been written on the human heart before we breathed our first breath. That’s why it captures our imagination and makes our pulses quicken. The same can be said about redemption. The greatest stories ever told — the ones that truly capture our hearts — are the ones that have a redemptive theme. God has planted that into our very DNA.
I speak as a member of our Board of Directors, but also as one who has witnessed transformation at a personal level and at a family level. My brother, who started out his life great, was transformed into someone we barely recognized because of his drug addiction. He came to TLC 20 years ago a broken man. But because God’s Word does not return void and because it’s sharper than any two-edged sword (or lightsaber for that matter!) he was confronted with God’s truth and truly transformed when he allowed Christ to become the leader and Savior of his life. That’s transformation. That’s redemption. And there’s nothing like it.
My debt to TLC is being repaid, if you will, as I serve to strengthen the ministry and prepare it for the challenges of the 21st century. The Lord has amassed godly leaders who eat, sleep, and breathe this ministry. I got my brother back. Moms got their sons back. Wives got their husbands back, and kids got their daddies back. Every single day we are reminded that transformation is the most powerful force in the universe. It binds us to our families and to our God.
So, the next time you wonder why movies like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Braveheart, and so many others captivate our thoughts and imaginations, just remember that transformation has been written on the human heart by the Author of life itself. And at TLC, we wouldn’t have it any other way.