If the phrase “May The Fourth Be With You” means nothing to your ears… let me explain the joy that is known to fans as “Star Wars Day.”
If you’ve watched any Star Wars movie, you know what “the force” is… maybe not a full understanding because let’s face it, the Star Wars universe is full of magical, mystical stuff that only the creator George Lucas himself truly understands… but as fans, we recognize “the force” as the mysterious energy that exists within the galaxy that binds it together. The phrase “May the force be with you” is often used in the movies and other incarnations of the franchise to wish an individual or group good luck or safe travel… kind of like saying “Godspeed.”
With that lengthy explanation out of the way, the date May 4th was chosen as Star Wars Day for the pun on the catchphrase “May the force be with you” as “May the Fourth be with you”. Even though the holiday was not created or declared by Lucasfilm, many Star Wars fans across the world have chosen to celebrate the holiday. However, the franchise recognizes it and has sent us a “message of hope” in these trying times of dealing with COVID-19… Check out the video below that was released today in honor of the holiday.
This montage of clips taken from both Star Wars movies and TV shows serves as a powerful message to fans in 2020 about standing together and holding on to hope.
I came across an interesting excerpt from an article published today on CNN’s website suggesting that we are “living Star Wars” right now… and if you think metaphorically, it’s easy to make the connection. Take a look at these similarities from that article:
- The Ordinary World (think pre-coronavirus)
- The Call to Adventure (a challenge that impinges on our ordinary world)
- Refusal of the Call (unwillingness to change, usually caused by fear)
- Meeting the Mentor (a source of experience and wisdom to help us face the challenge)
- Crossing the Threshold (confronting the challenge)
- Tests, Allies, Enemies (learning the rules of the new reality, getting help, smaller challenges within the larger one)
- Approach to the Inmost Cave (facing greater challenges)
- The Ordeal (surviving at the edge of failure)
- Reward (on the other side of the challenge)
- The Road Back (returning to the ordinary world)
- The Resurrection (how the experience has changed us)
- Return with the Elixir (what we get to keep from the journey, including wisdom or love, that will heal us)