2 minute read
As a lifelong Star Wars fan, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed how The Mandalorian has brought the series back to its roots as a space western. I’ve also continued to enjoy how Star Wars gleans and integrates elements from various world religions into its storytelling. Back in 1977, it was mostly Taoism and Buddhism. This time around it’s Christianity. The first time I heard Din Djarin say the Mandalorian mantra, “This is the way” I chuckled to myself and thought, ‘Well played, Jon Favreau. I wonder what percentage of the audience realizes where you got that from. 2%?’
The earliest Jesus followers didn’t describe themselves as Christians. Instead they identified as followers of The Way or people of The Way. Sound familiar? Moreover, in season one Cara Dune explains, “Mandalorian isn’t a race.” Din immediately clarifies, “It’s a creed.” The Way of Jesus is much the same. It’s not an ethnicity, nationality, language, socio-economic class, or ideology. It’s a commitment to a story and a way of life. Also, that word “creed”? It’s a statement of the shared beliefs of a community, but it’s a distinctly Christian term reflecting a uniquely Christian origin.
The reason for pointing all this out isn’t to Christianize the Star Wars universe. It’s like how Hank Hill once said, “Can’t you see you’re not making Christianity better? You’re just making Rock and Roll worse.” That’s not the vibe here. Instead I’m seeking to use a widely understood pop culture reference as a helpful tool for seeing the ancient faith with fresh eyes. It’s about recovering the original meaning of “The Way” as a holistic lifestyle centered on being Jesus disciples. To employ Pauline language, “For in him we live and move and have our being.” That is The Way of Jesus.
The term “Christian” goes all the way back to Acts and has a lot of historical value, but it has also accumulated a lot of rhetorical baggage. When people hear “Christian,” their minds don’t often go back to the origin story. It seldom triggers thoughts of the poor, brown, little guy named Jesus of Nazareth who was a refugee, pacifist, and rabbi preaching radical love. Sadly, the term often serves as a mirror that reflects the idols of our own making. I use “The Way of Jesus,” then, as a literally pre-“Christian” callback that helps spiritually reset and recenter the conversation.
The original beatniks used the multi-faceted nature of the term “beat” to encapsulate the values of their movement. The Jesus movement does much the same. It’s a creedal revolution of restoration via grace and peace. In and through Jesus we have our restored communion with God, one another, and the natural world. In our individual citizenship in Jesus’ Kingdom we find our collective sense of origin, purpose, community, identity, values, and destiny. Plus we interpret the whole story through the lens of Jesus. Jesus is the ever-present reality. This is The Way.
