Brandon Steenbock,  Star Wars

Called by Name

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Star Wars Episode IX spoilers ahead

My name is Ben. It’s the name my father gave me.

Named for a man who was mentor and friend to my uncle, my mother, and my grandfather. Named for a man who held onto the light and to truth and honor even when it cost him a friend. Named for a man who sacrificed his own life to save my family.

A name I gave up. It sounded like weakness and failure. Where’s the power in a name like “Ben?”

It wasn’t strong enough to call me back. On the bridge, when my father called out to me. Reached out to me. Ben was dead. Only Kylo was left. Any part of Ben that remained was killed that day. I chose Kylo for his strength. His ferocity. The power of his rage.

But it turned out Kylo wasn’t strong enough. The power to bring life cannot be found in the man I made for myself. Kylo failed. All his efforts came to nothing. He was beaten. Destroyed. Dead.

And Ben was called back to life. A renewed person. Made whole again, not by my own power and effort, but by the love of another.

And then I saw my Father standing there. He called to me. He called me by name, my true name. The name he gave me. He called me home. (Isaiah 43:1)

Brandon serves as Young Adult Minister at St. Mark Lutheran Church, De Pere/Green Bay, WI. He's married to Nikki, and together they have two sons. Passions include talking about Jesus, literature, and coffee.

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