You are right where you're supposed to be
The Ahsoka finale, letting go of your plans and trusting the Force
About that ‘Ahsoka’ Finale
I’ve heard from more than a few friends and fellow Star Wars fans that the finale of Ahsoka’s first season left a lot to be desired. It’s unclear what is next for each character in the story, namely Ahsoka, who is now sidelined from the main conflict and stranded in another galaxy with Sabine. Ahsoka and Thrawn traded places. The chief villain (Thrawn), is now back in the New Republic’s midst and ready to wreak havoc with his Imperial remnant.
Ahsoka is calm and cool. Serene. Sabine, on the other hand, is distressed by their situation. She wonders if their friend, Ezra Bridger, made it home in one piece. She wonders how they can be useful in the great galactic struggle while stuck at a hermit-crab encampment on a desolate foreign world far, far away. Plans, plans, plans. They had plans.
“Ezra is where he needs to be,” says Ahsoka to Sabine, “And so are we.”
SAID NO ONE EVER, when marooned on an island with no way home.
The Heart of Star Wars
In this moment though, lies one of the many hearts of Star Wars. Trust in the Force. Do you believe it has a Will? Do you believe the power of the Force is greater than your own power? Do you truly believe yourself a servant of the living Force, or a master of it?
These are important questions for a Jedi. A Dark Lord of the Sith sees themselves as a master of the Force. They bend it to their will. They have plans and the Force is a tool they wield to enact their vision on the world around them. A Jedi takes their cues from the Force.
Remember Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan when they were stuck on Tatooine in Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace? Jinn believed it was the Will of the Force that they found Anakin. That Trade Federation canon fire hit their Naboo starcruiser and damaged the hyperdrive because the Force wished it so. They had to land for repairs on Tatooine, the most convenient world in reach of their ship, because the Force was moving to get Anakin Skywalker out of slavery and onto the playing field.
Destiny. This was meant to be.
Some see a conflict between the concepts of predestination and free will. I do not. There may be a bigger plan than you or I can see, one laid out by a God of the universe, and I may be part of it. But I have a choice in how I conduct myself over the course of realizing that destiny.
Will I be dragged there kicking and screaming? Or will I let go and trust in Him. In this case, let go and let the Force.
In my faith, I’ve been taught to see God’s plan as a winding freeway in the forest with lots of rocky side paths and tempting shortcuts with shoddy signage. You’re free to choose your route. You can get lost on those so-called shortcuts for 20 years and then be dropped back out on the main road at the end of your misadventure. The road remains. It doesn’t go away because of where you choose to wander off to.
Such was the case for Anakin, The Chosen One, who would bring Balance to the Force. Were Anakin’s 20 years of suffering inside the suit of Darth Vader a chosen misadventure in his ultimate destiny to bring Balance to the Force when he killed Emperor Palpatine and sacrificed his life in the process? Or was it always meant to be this way? Fans can debate it until the end of time. We don't really know.
Close Your Eyes, So You Can See
In my book, How The Force Can Fix The World, I lay out Star Wars’ guiding virtue of Humility. It’s an idea constantly reemerging in numerous Star Wars stories. Are you willing to let go and trust in this thing (the Force) that you cannot see?
Luke Skywalker needed a dose of it in his training with Obi-Wan in the original film. Both with his Lightsaber training while blinded, and then later in his famous trench run against the Death Star (without his targeting computer activated).
That’s what Star Wars is all about. Belief. Ahsoka never stopped believing in the Force, but she was moving from one mission or goal to another. Never pausing to reflect and meditate on where she might be called to go instead.
Are you a person of faith?
If so, you might have prayed about a big life decision, a new job offer, or an exciting opportunity. You might also know of a few times when you prayed but it was a box-checking exercise. You intended to take that job. The prayer was performative. I know I’ve done that a million times.
The first time I didn’t do this and I actually prayed, waited, and listened for a feeling from God, I avoided a job that would have been a potential catastrophe for my family. On my first day of work to report-in at this company linked above, I felt strongly called to walk away and keep looking.
That’s a miracle y’all.
You see this taking hold of Ahsoka after her spiritual encounter with Anakin. She has killed her need for control of everything that happens. This instinct comes from one’s fears.
Only then can Ahsoka connect with a Star Whale (Purrgil) and entice it to let her fly inside its mouth to another galaxy. Only then is she able to relax and trust that the Purrgil is even taking her to the right place.
What was holding back Sabine Wren in her Jedi training for the entire first season of Ahsoka? Her Mandalorian battle savvy. Her trust in her blaster. Her ability to use other means to save the day besides trusting in the Force. Her strength as a warrior made her a lousy Jedi, not a great one.
In the end, she finally is able to move the lightsaber toward her and launch Ezra Bridger out over a chasm to board Thrawn’s Star Destroyer. This is no different than Yoda and the lesson of the X-Wing waterlogged in the Dagobah swamp, or how Rey got off Luke’s island in Star Wars: Episode IX.
When Yoda lifts the X-Wing from the water, Luke Skywalker says “I don’t believe it.” To which Yoda says, “That is why you fail.”
How to “Walk The Way”
I’ll give you another one.
The Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series. Kenobi is isolated on Tatooine and wasting away in exile. He’s reaching out through the Force to his lost master, Qui-Gon Jinn, and no one is answering him. His prayers, if you will. What does he read on a wall later in the show, inside a hideaway for Jedi on the run?
“Only when the eyes are closed can you truly see.”
This is called “The Way”. Obi-Wan in the show is blinded by his guilt, his second-guessing, and his shame. What happens when he dispenses with the guilt and moves on…
Qui-Gon appears to him. “Took you long enough,” Qui-Gon says.
Indeed. Qui-Gon could not appear to Obi-Wan until his “eyes” were closed. Until he truly trusted once more in the Will of the Force, and himself.
Let’s wrap this up
A Jedi can lift a tiny pebble or pull a Star Destroyer from the sky, it’s literally all the same to the Force. It’s only different to you, the believer, and in these cases…the doubter.
You have a human mind. You understand limits. Constraints are your reality.
But that’s not the Force’s reality. That’s not God’s reality. You have to overcome your need to be in control. Only then will destiny begin to present itself to you. When you’re authentically open to it.
You’re right where you need to be.
That’s Ahsoka’s message to Sabine and it is Star Wars’ message to you.
Are you listening?
A Free Resource For You
Last year I helped write a discussion booklet with Dad Saves America for parents to talk about Star Wars’ deeper messages with their children. The first section is on this very topic of letting go.
I think you’ll really love this resource as a way to connect with the kid in your life who loves Star Wars. They understand Star Wars is telling them something deeper about being a human being than the average blockbuster.
Great comments here Stephen! I absolutely loved the finale and the messaging you rightly articulate above. Let go. Trust in the Force. :)