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Happy Lord’s Day and Happy May the 4th!

(In that order, mind you.)

For those of you who’ve just stopped remembering things after Oct. 30, 2012, “Star Wars” is a virtually impeccable tapestry of space operatic action, melodrama, machismo, heartfelt family dynamics, and — yes — meaningful Biblical themes.

For the rest of us sad saps who are cognizant of what’s happened to “Star Wars” since creator George Lucas sold the franchise to Disney, it can still be all those things — so long as you stick with the original creator’s six movies.

(For the blissfully unaware, Disney’s lack of respect for the source material and insistence on canonizing lesbian witches conceiving babies has brought great — and deserved — scorn on the once-venerable sci-fi franchise.)

In honor of May the 4th, here are some thoughts on the Biblical themes found in Lucas’ original vision.

And yes, we’re going beyond the obvious “good versus evil” conflict at the heart of the “Star Wars” franchise, though that does count.

Episode I: The Phantom Menace

This one is easily the most overt movie of the bunch when it comes to Biblical themes.

Anakin Skywalker, portrayed by a young Jake Lloyd, is the “chosen one” destined to bring balance to the omnipotent Force, and was, effectively, immaculately conceived. His mother Shmi admits as much while speaking to the Jedi in the movie.

It’s a fascinating allegory to chew on, especially for fans of this movie who very much know how the “Duel of the Fates” ends.

Episode II: Attack of the Clones

For this film, I posit, Matthew 26:52: “’Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.'”

That verse highlights how the massive conflict that serves as the crux of this movie — a military “win” for the Jedi — was ultimately a Pyrrhic victory. Violence begets more violence, and that’s a theme that runs from the interactions between Jango and Boba Fett, as well as the greater conflict in which the Jedi find themselves.

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

This film is basically Proverbs 16:18 stretched across nearly two and a half hours: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Through the two preceding movies and this one, the signs had been there for some time that the Jedi had grown a little fat and lazy. Eons of peace had let them believe evil simply couldn’t exist in their world.

Boy, did that come back to bite them in the rear.

(It should also be noted that a recent re-release of this film in theater killed it at the box office.)

Episode IV: A New Hope

Due to the wonky timeline of these releases, “Episode IV” came out in 1977, while “Episode III” came out in 2005, meaning the aforementioned dark ending already had a glimmer of hope due to the original film.

And what is “hope” if not a synonym for “faith,” perhaps the most important thing Christians can cling to during even the darkest of times.

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

With a wonderful Easter having just passed, many of you likely have heard the account of Jesus having risen.

While Luke Skywalker doesn’t quite go through that, the idea of rising again — Skywalker after being cut down and losing his hand — is prevalent in this film.

(As is the aforementioned hubris issue, if you’ll recall Skywalker’s training with Yoda on Dagobah.)

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

And this one’s all about redemption and salvation.

Anakin, the “chosen one” if you recall, has fallen deep into the dark side, even turning his own son, Luke, over to the malevolent emperor. And yet even in that darkest depth, his son is able to reach him in a moment of final redemption.

Seeing Anakin’s spirit smile alongside other fallen Jedi masters as Luke celebrates his win is also a pretty obvious metaphor for salvation.

Despite all the evil he had committed, Anakin was able to repent and find salvation — a message that any downtrodden Christian should hear.

So there you have it. And make no mistake, this is just barely scratching the surface of these original six films when it comes to going through it with a fine theological comb.

Have a wonderful May the 4th, and consider watching a “Star Wars” movie after church today.

(A Lucas one, obviously.)

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