One of the concepts about Star Wars that always fascinated me, was the notion of the inward person being expressed outwardly, ie. the dramatic change in appearance that Anakin Skywalker undergoes on his devolution into Darth Vader. Similar metamorphosis was observed with Senator Palpatines’ transformation into Darth Sidious.
It was a gradual change, as Anakin descended from hero to villain, and he transformed from cute little boy to handsome young man to angry dark ugliness. I have seen this play out in real life, and you probably have too.
Some people may recall the tale of Natalee Holloway, who disappeared in Aruba. The main suspect was Joran Van Der Sloot, who ultimately was never charged due to lack of evidence, particularly the body. Joran was a suspect in another young woman’s disappearance, before finally running out of luck when he got caught and convicted of still another murder in Peru. You can see a similar transformation has taken place as this young man descended into a life of darkness.
The Bible (warning: Bible verses ahead) describes this affect as countenance. When Cain’s offering was rejected, he became so affected by it, that it had a profound impact on his appearance:
Genesis 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. Genesis 4:6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Notice how God asked Cain two questions (1 why art thou wroth? That was due to the expression on his face- he was obviously angry. The second question is where the distinction is made- why is thy countenance fallen? Cain had more than an angry face- he was affected by this anger to the point it was obvious in attitude, appearance, and what we call vibes. A negative energy that is expressed and is impactful. The holistic person- body, soul, spirit- is observed through your countenance. And Cains was “fallen”
Just flashing those pearly whites is not enough. The countenance shines through.
Wonderfully, this countenance can go the other way. That is, the whole person can be positively impacted by the thoughts, words and deeds they perform:
Proverbs 27:17- Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Do your friends and family ‘sharpen’ your countenance? Do you ‘sharpen’ theirs? We should involve ourselves with positive people and positive interactions, so that we may all be sharp swords- ready to cut through the darkness- like a lightsaber.
Don’t make that face- it will freeze that way.
You can clearly see the results of a crooked countenance if you look around. The fruits of the labors. A darkness that does not comprehend the light. What is the countenance people behold when you walk in? What will you look like if you continue the path you are on?
Jake Lloyd says being Anakin ruined his life
Remember, who you are will shine through. That is the real deal.
