Birth and Rebirth is a central theme in the Star Wars Saga. Whether it be the birth of the Chosen One and his rebirth through the redemption by his son, or the birth of the galaxy's New Hope and the rebirth of peace long lost, it is not difficult to see that this is a major idea Mr. Lucas is trying to get through to us. The Everything In-Between part of this process includes Life and Death, whether the death is actual physical death or is metaphorical in the more spiritual sense, having one's identity/soul die but their physical form not.
For life to happen, there must be birth...but what does this rebirth have to do with anything? I have been thinking about this for a while now, and have realized how much this Star Wars "theme" also resonates in real life. My thoughts on this topic have been fueled in the past week by the season finale of Grey's Anatomy, where a central theme was organ donation and the chance for new life. These thoughts have also been fueled as the result of two young children dying and the families deciding to provide new life, new hope, to others through the "gift" of organ donation. It is always sad when a child dies...all the hopes and dreams of a long healthy life suddenly shattered in a moments notice. Events like these make you stop and think about just how precious life really is. These children were born (Birth), lived, and then died. However, there was a Rebirth of sorts when those organs were donated. Someone who was clinging to life was afforded a second chance...albiet secondary to someone else's tragedy. A part of that precious child will always live on...and I've heard stories of people who had received donated organs not completely feeling like themselves again...like "someone else" had taken over part of their soul. I've also heard families of the donors say that, when they met the recipient (not a requirement), they felt their loved one's presence with that stranger. This always gives me chills thinking about it...but it also gives me comfort knowing that these individuals have found peace in their decision.
I have been part of the organ donation process more than I would like to say...but it always amazes me how much work, how much "heart and soul" goes into this. I'm not going to bore you all with a description of this process, but, believe me, it is amazing. We're not a transplant center, but we do participate in the process by assisting in the donation process and by caring for pre- and post-transplant recipients. I have seen all aspects of this Birth-Life-Death-Rebirth continuum, and it still makes me stop and think just how far things have come in the medical world. New hopes and dreams are formed out of others' tragedies...but the families that provide these hopes typically feel more at peace after making that horrible decision.
Now...to change the focus of this depressing discussion...the Birth-Life-Death-Rebirth continuum in the Star Wars world is, for the most part, much happier. Although there is pain, suffering, and death involved in this process, the Light inevitably overcomes the Dark. Here, I will "translate" this process in terms of the story line:
Anakin was born of the Force and lived his life as a son, slave, Jedi, husband; he "died" at the hands of the Sith and was reborn as Darth Vader, living a life of pain and suffering until his son decided to save him; and then was reborn as Anakin Skywalker. Padme' was born, maybe not of the Force per se but as an Agent of the Force (see my blogs for more on this) and lived her life as a daughter, sister, Queen, Senator, wife; she died as a result of her husband losing his soul, not at the hands of her husband; and was reborn through her children, who in turn lived out her legacy. Luke was born as a result of his parents' love and lived his life as a "son" (nephew to be exact), farmboy, and adventure-seeker; he "died" the day he found out that Vader was his father; and was reborn a Jedi with the goal of saving Anakin and helping to restore peace to the galaxy (I cannot think of much regarding Leia along this continuum, so I'm not including her here). The same can be said about the galaxy: the Old Republic was born after years of war and lived in relative peace until the Sith came to power; it died at the hands of the Sith, was reborn as the First Galactic Empire, and lived under the tyrranical rule of the Sith until the "Son of Skywalker" saved his father, who overthrew the Sith; and was reborn into the New Republic (I'm only looking at the PT - OT, not any EU).
The Star Wars saga contains many parallels to today's world...and the lessons that go along with them. The central theme of Birth and Rebirth resonates so true in so many ways for so many people. Not only is this evident in the medical world (of which I am a part), but also it is evident in the lives of everyday people through revelations that they can change their lives, becoming a better person for it.
May the Force Be With You...Always
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