A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... (introduction)

I'm a huge Star Wars fan. Have been for years. Yeah, I know that seems like a rather off-topic confession for a spiritual/political blog, but the release of the most recent movie has me marveling at how fantasy can comment on reality and really hit home. I've seen it six times so far (why, yes, I am an uber geek, thank you for asking!) and it still hits me hard in the gut every time.

Of all six movies in the Star Wars saga, Episode III, Revenge of the Sith is by far the darkest, even more so than the somewhat melancholy Empire Strikes Back. The only one to receive a PG-13 rating instead of PG, Sith is all about falling into darkness. Not just Anakin Skywalker's long-awaited fall to the dark side of the Force and transformation into Darth Vader, but the crumbling of a democratic Republic into a tyrannical Empire and the destruction of an entire spiritual order and school of thought. All three are profound in the comments they make on the personal, political, and spiritual realities of life. Over the next three entries, I will explore each of these individually. There will be spoilers a-plenty from the new movie, so if you haven't seen it and don't want to be spoiled, skip the next three posts.