George Lucas' masterpiece... not mine! im just playing about with the characters.. yep whistles innocently D
Just want to mention that i dont know where the idea for this story came from! I hope i dont in any way offend readers, thats definately not my intention! lots of smiles. smiles )
'Finishing your homework, padawan?' Obi wan asked walking into Anakins bedroom. Of course, he was sure the answer wouldn't be yes, knowing that Anakin hardly ever did his homework until the literal last minute before it was to be handed in, but he was reading something, which was an achievement in itself and obi wan wanted to know what it was that had his padawan so quiet and intrigued.
'No, not exactly master.' The young boy said, proving obi wan right. 'I was looking at this data pad I found on ancient religion…' he stopped, noticing the surprised look on his masters face, 'What?'
'Nothing at all, padawan, it's just very unlike you to willingly read anything, let alone do it out of choice.'
'Very funny, master'
'I'm sorry, Anakin, go on and tell me about it… what religion are you looking at?'
'it's an old human faith, Christianity'
'hmmm, I do remember reading about that a while ago… something about a holy book…'
'Yeah, the bible…. that's what its called, I just read about it….. Apparently it held messages and stories of... God…'
'Oh, of course, I do remember. Many religions at that time were focused around the idea of a God.'
'Master, do you think this stuff is true? I mean what it says in this data pad, because some of it just doesn't seem believable'
'Such as what?'
'Well, the prophets…. Messengers of god….. I don't know… and there's no mention of the force…'
Obi wan smiled, 'Anakin, many people didn't believe in the force at that time… many religions regarded it as a,… a sort of dark magic, though now of course we all know better.'
The younger JedI stared up at his master for a moment before fixing his sight back onto the data pad. 'Master, there's also some stuff about… Adam and Eve… it says they were Gods first children….. And there's something about the.. Something of knowledge… I don't understand that bit…something of knowledge…' he broke up, mumbling to himself. Obi wan, knowing what Anakin was talking about, took the opportunity to try and teach his padawan a lesson.
'Anakin… I believe it is the 'tree of knowledge' you are confused about.'
'Yeah, that's it.'
'Right, well, lets see. If I remember correctly, Christians believed their God had a haven in which he lived - well it was called the Garden of Eden, and presumably this is where he created Adam and Eve…'
'Wait! He?' Anakin interrupted.
'Excuse me?'
'You said 'he', it says that in the data pad too. How did they know God was a 'he'?'
'Well, erm… I'm not sure of the answer for that, but I think their God was… genderless… yes that's right, genderless. Referring to God as a male, was simply out of choice.' Obi wan was trying to convince himself just as much as Anakin, he honestly had no clue as to the real answer!
'Oh, ok'
'Anyway, and so he created Adam and Eve…'
'How?' Anakin blinked.
'How what?' he replied, annoyed by another interruption.
'How did he create them? Don't you need two people to create children?' The boy smiled, failing to hide the mischief in his voice.
'Padawan' The older JedI warned, clearly not amused 'I know of your need to ask every possible annoying question you can but I'm not going to sit here and discuss reproduction… again! This is different, I don't fully understand it myself, so you'll just have to accept what I say, without asking ridiculous questions. Is that understood?'
'Yes master, of course.' He smirked, knowing he'd successfully irritated his master.
'Anyway Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, peacefully and happily, free to do as they wished.People of that timebelieved God askedhischildrento do one thing alone, and that was to never eat the fruit from the Tree of knowledge.'
'Why?'
'To test their trust, I believe.'
Anakin looked up at him, confusion in his eyes.
'From what I've heard, their God wanted to be sure his children respected him enough to obey his one and only command.'
'Oh… Let me guess, they took the fruit?'
'Ah, that's the interesting bit. God hadn't always been the only one living in the Garden of Eden. Lucius, a erm… well the stories say he was an angel, though he was Gods brother in some ways. Yes, Lucius became jealous of God and believed he was just as capable of taking his role. Of course, his jealousy was in vain. God learnt of his brothers deception and banished him to a dungeon called hell, thus he became known as the fallen angel.' Obi wan finished, smiling, proud of himself for having remembered so much of the stories he had read so long ago.
'And?' Anakin asked eagerly, 'What does that have to do with anything?'
'Patience, young one. When Lucius realised God had given the Garden of Eden to his children rather than to him, he decided to ruin all that was peaceful and beautiful. He took form as a serpent in the Garden and whispered in Eves ear that God was planning on taking the life of Adam, to make Eve suffer alone for eternity. He told her the only reason they were commanded not to eat the fruit was because it held unimaginable powers, capable of turning even her into a Goddess. Eve, convinced this was the truth, went to the tree of knowledge with Adam, and together they ate the forbidden fruit.'
'So they only took it because they thought they could become gods, in order to save Adam? Not to disrespect their god?
'Yes, but in doing so, they went against his wishes. Of course the fruit didn't give them powers of any sort. Instead, it led to God placing a curse upon them for going against his command.'
'I'm confused, master… what happened to them then.'
'They were placed on a planet… I cant recall the name…. on which they had to find their own food and keep themselves safe from harm. They had to work to protect their own children and face the slow decay of time, resulting in them becoming old and eventually dying.'
Anakin pushed a few buttons on the data pad and then looked back up to face Obi wan. 'All because they ate some fruit… That's stupid'
'Padawan, don't be so quick to dismiss others' beliefs simply because you don't understand them' His master sighed, realising Anakin hadn't took in the true meaning behind the old religious story.
'Of course, I understand, master. God made some people and they ate some fruit and then they died…'
'And what does this story mean to you? Is there any way you could re-interpret it to fit our own beliefs?'
'Erm… don't eat fruit unless your master says you can?'
'Very funny… but no…Anakin, I was really hoping you'd grasp the idea behind this.'
'Master, what are you talking about, what idea?'
Obi wan smiled at him, his padawan wasn't being ignorant, so perhaps he really didn't realise the connections, he could hardly be blamed for that. 'Think of the idea of God as meaning the JedI… and in turn the fallen angel, as the sith…'
'But how does the fruit fit into it?'
'erm…well, ok. The fruit is really a symbol… it represents the capability of disloyalty and betrayal. These things are always presented to us, Anakin, its up to us to trust our bond within the force to make the correct decisions.'
'Oh… and so the snake thing is a symbol of… a sort of outside influence or something?'
'Well interpreted, padawan. Yes, exactly that, a negative external influence.'
The younger JedI placed down the data pad and looked out of the window beside him. 'I never thought of it all that way. It sort of… fits together. How come we don't learn this in lessons, master?'
'ha, well, of course the JedI respect all cultures' beliefs and religions, no matter how old the ideas are… but training curriculum, as you know, doesn't tend to focus on the idea of the force as a religious concept.'
'Maybe it should. It seems a lot like… Christianity.'
Obi wan smiled briefly before standing up to leave. 'Perhaps so Anakin, but there are those who believe all faiths are simply curses disguised as religions…'
please comment and let me know what you make of this piece! im really unsure of what people will think about the idea behind it.
