At this point, we've all seen the new Star Wars trailer ten times over--or at least I have.

Why are we drawn so effectively to a few images in a thirty second sequence? It's because they represent a promise to deliver something that is revisiting something we love. They promise to return us to a world in which there's an epic battle between good and evil. There are memories, emotions, and feelings connected with this movie.

J.J. Abrams has a lot to live up to. As somebody much more clever than me said, if he fails, he shall forever be known as "Jar Jar Abrams."

As Christians, we can take away important messages from this simple trailer. The two new main characters, Finn and Rey, approach Han Solo: "There are stories about what happened." To which he replies "It's true. All of it."

For Finn and Rey, the implication is that they need to shape their lives around the fact that there is a power greater than them that is real, that there is a real enemy, and that people have gone before them. That the stories they grew up hearing are true.

In the same way, we as Christians are called to put our faith in the fact that the stories are true. That Jesus did actually die on the cross for our sins, and that because of that, our lives ought to be radically different. If we truly believe that the message of the gospel is true, then our lives will look very different.

So, as you go watch this movie with all your different friend groups five different times, think about how the fact that the Star Wars stories we all grew up loving, informs the way that Finn and Rey act. Perhaps they initially abandon their calling. Maybe Han Solo is so freaking awesome they have no choice but to board the Millennium Falcon. And as their actions are informed by the past, so let your knowledge of what Christ actually did all those years ago inform how you live your life today.