May The 12 Steps Be With You

I recently saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens and it got me to thinking about the two sides of the The Force and how they could be used as an analogy for a Higher Power (the Light Side|) and its opposite (the Dark Side). It seems to me that before a Jedi completely dedicates himself to the Dark Side he is in a state of turmoil. It’s during this stage of turmoil that the 12 Steps could be used to bring the individual back to the Light Side.

Let’s take a look at the Dark Side. It seems to be similar to one’s addiction. Be it alcohol, drugs, sex, etc. it has some type of attraction for the lost soul. And as any good Star Wars fan would know, the Jedi trudge a long road before they are able to fully embrace the light side of The Force (AKA: have a spiritual awakening). During this journey the easier softer way of the Dark Side can lure an individual off the righteous path and into disaster. If the Jedi Master, training the pigeon, notices his student is being lured away then the 12 Steps could be used to bring the person back into the Light Side’s fold.

1.      We were powerless over the Dark Side and our lives had become unmanageable.

2.      Came to believe that the Light Side could restore us to sanity.

3.      Turned our will and our lives over to the Light Side of The Force as we understood it.

4.      Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5.      Admitted to the Force, ourselves and our Jedi Master the true nature of our wrongs.

6.      Were entirely ready to have The Force remover our defects of character.

7.      Humbly used The Force to remove our shortcomings.

8.      Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

9.      Made direct amends to such people, wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10.  Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.

11.  Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with the Light Side of The Force, praying only for its knowledge and the power to carry that out.

12.  Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other Jedi and practice these principles in all our affairs.

By following these Steps, under the direction of a Jedi Master, a fledgling Jedi will be able to resist the attraction the Dark Side offers thus safeguarding the galaxy for all sentient beings yet to come.

Wishing you a prosperous and spiritual 2016 and, of course, may The Force be with you.

Dave the Dude