Last night, Iliana and I were on our way back from dinner and a trip to Wal-Mart.  While we were at Wal-Mart, Iliana spotted a toy that she wanted.  It was a mermaid Dora.  She said that she really wanted it.  I told her that if she was good, then she might be able to get it for her birthday.  Well, she thought about it for most of the way home.

Well, we were almost to the house and something got her thinking about Christmas.  Then she said, “Maybe I can get the Dora mermaid for Christmas.”

So I said, “Well, your birthday comes before Christmas.  Maybe you can get it then.”

Then I decided to take this opportunity to include “baby sister.”

me:  Iliana, when the your baby sister is born, are you going to teach her about Christmas?

her:  Yeah.

me:  You are?  What is Christmas about?

her:  It’s about Jesus and love.

me:  That’s right, sweetie!  It’s about love and Jesus.  What is it about Jesus that Christmas is about?

her:  It’s Jesus’s birthday.

me:  That’s right, sweetie!  It’s Jesus’s birthday!  We celebrate the gift that God gave us in Jesus.

her:  Like Easter.

me:  Yeah, sweetie.  What does Easter mean?

her:  It means love.

me:  (Okay, I’m almost crying at this point.)  That’s right!  Easter is about love.  The love that Jesus had for us.

her:  That’s when Jesus died on the cross.

(Okay, I am crying at this point)

It’s amazing what they pick up on.

Yoda was wrong.  Yeah, I said it.  Don’t get me wrong; I still love the guy, but he was wrong.  In one of his more famous quotes he said, “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”  Implying that suffering is equivalent to the dark side.  I read something today that proves that he is not quite as all knowing as we would want to believe.

“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”  -Romans 5: 2-5

So, suffering does not equal the dark side.  It leads to hope.  I think the Apostle Paul trumps Yoda.  Did Yoda ever meet Christ on the road to Damascus?  I think not.  Did Yoda, single-handedly ever carry and extend the banner of a religion to the world?  Well, maybe not single-handedly, but he helped promote Jedi-ism or whatever it’s called  (Are you a Jedi?).  But did Yoda ever die for his actions in preserving that religion?  No.  Yoda died like a chump in a hut in a swamp.  Paul loudly proclaimed the saving grace of Christ even as his executioners drew near.

Yoda may have had a really cool light saber, but Paul “put on the full armor of God.” – Advantage:  Paul

Yoda may have used the Force, but Paul was a force to be reckoned with.  You know, writing God’s Word and all. – Advantage:  Paul

Okay, they both had really cool robes.  – Advantage: tie

Yoda did nothing but sit up in that Jedi temple all day.  Yeah, he taught some classes.  But it was the equivalent of those easy Freshmen Seminar classes everyone has to take in college.  Paul was not only the greatest missionary in history, he also made tents to support his ministry. No way he was gonna sit up there and live off the backs of other.  – Advantage: Paul

Paul didn’t have a cushy desk job and tenure in the Jedi Academy.  He risked his life to spread the Gospel and be burdened with that thorn in his side.  What did Yoda have to do?  Hide out in a swamp hut on Degobah?  When he was getting too old to teach anymore?  Granted, it’s not where I would want to retire, but it was far from suffering.  – Advantage:  Paul

Also, let’s look at eloquence.  Granted, I certainly can’t stand in judgment, but Yoda couldn’t even piece together a complete thought without sounding like someone who just learned to speak English 5 minutes ago. “Ready are you? What know you of ready?”  “Never his mind on where he was.”  “Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”  But Paul…Paul has a great resume when it comes to eloquence.  You may have heard of it or read some of it.  It’s called the New Testament.  Of the 27 books in the New Testament, Paul wrote 13 of them. – Advantage:  Paul

Yeah, Yoda could perform the best Rope-a-Dope.  Suckering Sith in to a fight and whip out that amazing Jedi/Light saber Kung-Fu.  But Paul…Paul, he could….  Okay, Yoda wins that one. -Advantage:  Yoda

I’m sure there are more things that Paul totally dominated Yoda in.  Please leave a comment and let me know your arguments.  Pro-Yoda or Pro-Paul.  Doesn’t matter, just bring it.

(This is what happens when my men’s Bible study does the book of Romans.)

setting:  Iliana’s bedroom.  Putting lotion on after bath.

Iliana:  Daddy.

Me:  Yeah, sweetie.

Iliana:  (points to scratch on her knee)  My boo-boo is really red, but it’s getting better.

Me:  Really?  Well, good.

Iliana:  It’s because Jesus is healing it.  He’s God.  He can stand on the clouds but we can’t.  Only Mary Poppins and He can walk in the clouds.  But only her can when she has her umbrella.  Only when her umbrella is open.  We can’t walk on the clouds.

Me:  (scratching head and thinking) er…that’s right sweetie.  (okay.  I’m a little conflicted.  I’m super excited that my daughter knows that Jesus is God.  But I think I need to put in a little more time helping her distinguish between God and Disney.)

Kids…they say the funniest things.

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