By Dr. Barrett Mosbacker, Head of Briarwood Christian School – Part 1
My love for my children and grandchildren runs deep; I wouldn’t hesitate to give my life for them. You would do the same for yours. God has ingrained in all parents a potent instinct to love, nurture, and protect their children. This is good and holy-but we must know what to protect them from.
Bullies, pedophiles, inattentive drivers, incompetent teachers, germs, and the sewer of immorality spewing from the entertainment industry: our children face many outside threats to their well being. But the most prevalent and pernicious threats lurk within our children’s souls and within the warm embrace of their homes.
In anticipation of the new Star Wars film, my family and I re-watched the series. In one of the most poignant scenes, young Luke Skywalker is being mentored by the great Jedi Master, Yoda. Before Luke enters the Dagobah Cave, Yoda warns him of the Dark Side-which resides within him. Describing the cave scene, Dan Zehr writes:
“The use of the cave as a metaphor has long been a powerful symbol of what lies beneath the surface…It is a metaphorical journey into the window of one’s inner self, and just as Luke explores the inner sanctum of the cave on Dagobah, he must also journey within himself to face his biggest fears.. he.. faces inner turmoil through the revelation of what he may become once he sees the visage of his face entombed in the black mask of the behead Dark Lord…When Yoda is asked by Luke what is in the cave, Yoda responds, “Only what you take with you.”
