Written by and posted on behalf of Pastor Alexandre Orion
On this day of Jediism Day, we offer our gratitude to the effort of Industry, Art and Opportunity that brought forth to the public of today that which was slipping into the shadow of the past, unilluminated by the lantern of History. The epic of the Hero's Adventure, that path which every living soul walks between the womb and the tomb, whether one is conscious of it or not. In every epoch, stories have served to illustrate this bold adventure of Life, that momentary canalisation of the Force which is every one of us in all the Times of the Eternal Now, and Star Wars was conceived in that purpose. Should the Force have not inspired the teacher of its artist, many of us here would not have found the path we are on today.
Perhaps you might like to take a moment to reflect on what lead you to the Temple of the Jedi Order, and what you have discovered herein.
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We may view the Hero's Adventure, his call to adventure and the trials that lie beyond the threshold as the mythology of our Lives. We have All, at one moment or another, had to cross the threshold into the unknown, to face the death of the child we were, innocent and naïf, to become the adults we are Today, in this Eternal moment. We have all had to go into the belly of the beast, to confront the dragons of our most profound fears, to confront the Father and seek atonement. These are the “first steps into a larger World” laid before any who choose to follow the will of the Living Force.
And from the trials, the unknown, our deepest fears, our family conflicts – from every danger we face in Life, from these things we have wounds. The injuries that accrue as we progress are multiple. But, in the heroic tradition, we must rise with our challenges, and the scars that form from these wounds become our deliverance and inspiration to others. We are each and All the hero of our own legend. And the Force is with us.
Take another moment to reflect upon the trials encountered along the path, on wounds that are healed, and if any, those which are still quite fresh. It is these which build our character, these which show us we are human, and who we really are. It is these which cultivate the grains of Wisdom sown by the Masters.
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And as we contemplate our paths through Jediism, we must remember all who have contributed to the development of our understanding. Our direct masters and mentors, their masters and mentors, and theirs before them. For what would be our Destiny without them?
Our masters satisfy many rôles in our adventure, many needs we may not wish to admit we have. They provide not only spiritual and philosophic support when we need it – again, often not believing we do – but also the wisdom of their experience.
Our mentors and masters give of themselves – and what they provide is crucial for the trials that are to come. It is our mentors and masters who show us the way across the threshold, how to survive the crossing, for they are often there to protect and guide us during our initial steps into and upon the Adventure. They are there to show us how to walk the path, and sometimes to make us slow down and walk before we try to run. It is our mentors and masters who provide us our arms and instruct us in their skilful employ. Our mentors and masters sharpen our discernment and refine our sense of moral and ethic; they teach us how to “cut away what is corrupt or without utility” from our focus. And it is by this careful training that we may progress.
You might like to now spend a few moments in reflection on the teaching and guidance of all our masters and mentors.
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Yet, for as well as we are taught by our masters and mentors, that relationship must be temporary one. We cannot depend on their protection and guidance throughout all of Life's Journey, throughout the Adventure. With time and teaching, the master/mentor relationship must be felt within. If our training is effective, then we must not rely on our masters indefinitely, for it is in the nature of the Living Force that all things which have beginnings also have endings. We must say our adieux; either when our teachers pass beyond Life's veil into the Force, or simply when they must move forward and teach others who follow closely in our footsteps. What better way of showing our gratitude, unto our masters, unto the Force Itself, than to take up the service of teaching that which we have been so lovingly taught?
And our learners. Those to whom we have the privilege to teach and to guide upon their own mythic journeys, we should give thanks. As they take their first steps along their paths, similar yet not identical, to that which we have followed, are they themselves not in a way our guides also? They remind us of lessons we have forgotten learning, of ourselves at that stage of our adventures, give us the opportunity to live it/learn it again and from this, they refresh us. And since the learner/teacher relationship is a particular one, are they not essential companions in the continuation of all our Lives?
And let us not forget our friends. How short could our paths have been without the aid of our friends, Jedi and non-Jedi alike? They are those who the Force manifests in our Lives for a short or long time, they also accompany us, help us, become part of us – and they also, whether conscious of it or not, are the heroes of their proper legends.
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As we are taught, and as we may feel it, so it has been for all the generations. All these adventures interacting, enriching and driving one another. This is the Human experience, this is the Universe experiencing itself, this is LIFE.
So, for today and forever, let us give thanks for the Jedi path and the Hero's Adventure that we are - and the privilege of the experience of it.
