If anyone doubted the cultural impact of Star Wars, we only need look at how much 88 seconds of footage influenced popular culture. The Force Awakens trailer spawned numerous spoofs, countless questions and even a Saturday Night Live skit. As much as the trailer moved the needle, though, there is one person who hasn’t even seen it.
In a recent interview George Lucas admitted that he has yet to watch the trailer for The Force Awakens. Lucas isn’t opposed to the trailer but, since it’s not in theaters, he hasn’t gone out of his way to watch it. I admire Lucas’s ability to move on from the saga that has defined his life.
Star Wars has had a tremendous cultural impact and George Lucas was its main architect. After committing most of his life to a galaxy far, far away, it’s hard to believe that Lucas could so easily move on. It seems as though he has, and we can learn something from his example.
It’s too easy to cling to our pasts or focus on what we could have or should have done. We all have missed opportunities that we’d like to have back. We can all remember conversations where we wish we would have said something or done a better job at keeping our mouths shut. If we’re too focused on what we should have done then we’ll miss out on what we could be doing.
George Lucas created one of the most significant cultural phenomena of the past century. Instead of focusing on what he had done and what Disney was doing with Star Wars, he has moved on. He’s got a new animated movie coming out next year and he’s not spending his days combing the Internet for rumors about his brainchild. Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney and really hasn’t looked back since.
So when we’re tempted to live in the past or expend emotional energy on what we should have done, we should try to be like Lucas. We may not like him as a director and a screenwriter, but we can follow his example. He’s not clinging to Star Wars and we shouldn’t cling to our past.
More important than following Lucas’s example, we can also follow Jesus’s example. When Peter was trapped in his past, regretting his betrayal of Jesus, Jesus pushed Peter to move forward. Instead of focusing on his betrayal, Jesus wanted Peter to focus on how he would lead the church.
Jesus comes to each of us much like he came to Peter. Jesus doesn’t want us to be weighed down by our past but he wants us to move forward with his easy yoke. Jesus wants us to move forward because he has plans for our lives; he wants to use us to expand his Father’s kingdom. And if we’re too busy focusing on our pasts, then we won’t be awakened to what God wants to do with our futures.
How do you feel about George Lucas’s attitude toward The Force Awakens trailer?
Sweet spot of nerdiness and faith hit! Great thoughts, Scott.
Thanks, Mike!