the good and bad from yoda

If you know any of the quotes from Star Wars' Yoda, these should be familiar.  They're the two that stuck with me the most since I heard them, and I had a negative reaction to both.  Obviously, Yoda's character was not written to align with my personal beliefs and doctrines.  However, after much consideration I was able to conclude that I was wrong about one quote and right about the other in light of my understanding of Scripture.

The Good: Fear, Anger, Hate...

"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."

When I first heard this I kind of wrote it off as standard Eastern philosophy, but there is more Biblical here than I would like to admit.  Even before looking at Scripture, the Fear → Anger → Hate linkage is fairly obvious.  Most acts of hate can be traced back through anger issues to fear.  Looking at Scripture, though, puts this in a new light.

Fear (other than fear of God) is a sign of a lack of trust in God.  Godly love does not coexist with fear.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

- 1 John 4:18

The purpose of Yoda's statement is indeed far different from John's.  Yoda is pointing to the danger he sees in a specific character's future and the political and physical implications of that danger.  In context, John is providing an internal litmus test for whether someone truly has God's love.

The Bad: There is no try

"No, do or do not.  There is no try."

I think this is supposed to make sense in the context of the force, but I have never been sure.  Regardless, this philosophy is a perfectionist's recipe for disaster.  The sort of person who takes, "there is no try," to heart is the sort for whom effort is of no value and only results matter.  That sort of person is a nightmare to appease, and I would suspect is a nightmare to be as well.

An observant person might make the argument that we are to be perfect in the same way that God is (Matt 5:48), and so this idea of results being what matters is right.  Another observant person might point out that God performs the work in us (Phil 1:6), and so the idea that we can try to be better is futile.  I would respond that our path to perfection is one during which we are still imperfect, and that the work in us is incomplete, so the best we can do is live from the level that God has helped us reach.  Beyond that, we try to emulate the examples we are given with God's help and mercy.

"Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you"

- Phil 3:16-17

The Ugly

"When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not "

Ha!

As a final note, it is a little bothersome that the same person who voices Yoda also does Fozzie Bear's voice.  I keep expecting a, "wocka, wocka," after everything Yoda says.  Annoying it can be.