I love movie theatre popcorn. But that's not why I took 6 kids to the midnight premiere of Star Wars III this morning. There's just something about being with all the other Star Wars fans (affectionately known here as "freaks") that makes the midnight show worth the hassle.
My husband secured a bunch of movie tickets for us. We arrived at the theatre a little after 10PM. Yeah, two hours early. I had 6 middle school and high school aged kids with me, and they erupted into cheers when we entered the parking lot! They brought along their light sabres and zeal. Once inside the theatre, we discovered that someone had talked the movie management into showing Star Wars Episode II in one of the theatres while we waited for the midnight hour. What could be better?
It was fun to walk around and talk to complete strangers - many of whom were in costume for this momentous event. What's the big deal? Well, it's the last Star Wars movie ever. For those of us old enough to have seen the original movies back in '77, Star Wars Episode III marks the end of an era. It's a bittersweet thing for us.
It was interesting being in a movie theatre filled with avid fans, most of whom were at least 10 years younger than me. People who would never have taken a second glance at each other were sharing Star Wars stories, favorite episodes, and speculation about how George Lucas was going to pull it all together for Episode III. My older son and his friend were engaged in light sabre duels with strangers in the lobby. My younger son was complimenting many of the people who came in costume. All in all it was a really fun atmosphere. I saw "community" among strangers who shared a common love.
Wouldn't it be great for believers to have this level of community? It's not an impossible dream - I've seen it in some churches. My prayer is that the love of Christ and the love we have for each other will blossom in our little church. They will know we are Christians by our love one for another!
It sounds like you all had a lot of fun!
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