Star Wars, Story time, and Character Formation

Star Wars, Story time, and Character Formation

When I was a kid, my grandma had a series of books called “Help Me Be Good.”  They were full of 1970s cartoon art, and had titles like, Let’s Talk About Lying and Let’s Talk About Being A Bad Sport.  I think my grandma meant well in having these books around the house, but honestly, I dreaded them.  They felt preach-y, dry, and just … legalistic.  In her defense, my grandma had tons of really lovely, inspiring books for her grandkids to read, too.  But in my opinion, these books missed the mark. 

As Pastor Ben has been preaching through our “Formed” series, I’ve been reflecting on how in addition to the stories of the Bible, the stories that I have taken in with my children (both in movie and book form) have helped us to have some of our most fruitful conversations about virtues.  It is much more natural and enjoyable to talk to my kids about how, in Star Wars, Luke Skywalker went from being a whiny, self-focused teenager to a courageous risk-taker for a cause greater than himself than it is to say, “Stop being so selfish!” We can see how Anakin’s desire amass power and to avoid pain and suffering led to his downfall and transformation into Darth Vader, allowing it to remind us of the importance of persevering through difficult times.  We can talk about how a minor character, Saw Gerrera, is on the “right” side but uses cruel methods to get things done, and remind ourselves that how we behave is as important as what we stand for.  

This is just one of countless movies and books that have allowed our family to talk about virtues like integrity, honesty, and kindness in a natural way.   We have talked about how Zuko from Avatar learned that honor is about doing the right thing, and not just about getting people to approve of you.  We can discuss how Bucky in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier learned to be honest about his past mistakes so that he could move forward.  We can talk about how Elsa in Frozen learned to use the gifts she was given to be a blessing to others instead of hiding them away.  

As we think about helping our kids to grow in virtue and character we know that Scripture, especially that which tells us about Jesus, is our guide.  However, other stories can also be valuable tools for connecting with and discipling our children.  When we watch movies or read stories together, we not only connect and make memories, but we also have some common language and experiences to draw from, that allow us to imagine what virtues might look like when played out on a grand scale.  As our families reflect on the lives of fictional heroes, maybe we will be able to envision ourselves embodying their virtues, and in the process, become a little more virtuous ourselves.