Rogue One is a ripping yarn. Set in the Star Wars space opera universe, it is the prequel to A New Hope. Any fanboy (or fangirl) should be able to explain that basically the movie is the story of how the Rebel Alliance got hold of the Death Star plans. This of course is only very briefly mentioned in A New Hope, but is quite an important part of the plot. 

The main character in Rogue One is a fence sitter. We are told that her father designed the Death Star and initially she doesn’t really care either way if the Empire or the Rebellion actually wins the intergalactic war. And then her father gets killed and that changes everything. In one particularly dramatic scene, she challenges a rebel spy concerning some of his choices. He then challenges her on the decisions she has made:

“What do you know? We don’t all have the luxury of deciding when and where we want to care about something. Suddenly the Rebellion is real for you? Now that you’ve got a stake in it, and-and- now that you don’t have another life to go back to? Some of us live this Rebellion. I've been in this fight since I was six years old.”

As this year draws to a close, it may be a good time to reflect on what it means to be a Christian. Jesus didn’t come to start a religion, he came to start a movement, a rebellion, if you like, against the ways of the world. He calls people to join with him in the re-establishment of the reign of God in the world.

Anyone who has read about Jesus in the Gospels will know that following Jesus involves radical demands. He does not just want your money or your time. He wants you.

He wants all your hopes, your dreams, your past, your present, and your future. Following Jesus is supposed to be a life-changing decision. How well did we live the rebellion in 2016? What will you do in 2017?

Sources: Freed, Alexander. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. New York: Random House, 2016.

All brickbats, bouquets and banter welcome at info@narrominebaptist.org.au

Pastor Simon Chen, Narromine Baptist Church.