Initiate training Journal

The Jedi Code ‘There is no emotion; there is peace’ To feel emotionless would be a truly hapless state. The autonomic nervous system is as much a physical part of us as the arms, legs, fingers and toes. Adrenal and pituitary glands secrete chemicals throughout our bodies all day long in response to every challenge we face. The best example is ‘fight or flight’. In the face of a perceived threat our body prepares us by pumping blood to essential muscles such as the arms, legs and heart ready to fight or run and we ‘feel’ , sadness, anger, fear etc. A little stress is not necessarily a bad thing – it may cause us to ‘raise our game’ in order to achieve the best. However, when the nervous system continues pumping those secretions through our bodies due to continuing stress, anxiety or depression we will respond negatively. Perhaps we become confrontational and prone to irrational outbursts? But the constant drip, drip, drip of those chemical secretions is controllable – we can turn off the tap! It requires a determined physical act and the courage to believe. Within the first few paragraphs of ‘I, Jedi’ the discipline of controlled breathing is used. Then we can move into a focus upon – channelling those chemical responses in our bodies. A second aspect is less tangible, but nonetheless real and that is . Practice and develop the strength and courage to ‘step out in faith’. And this is not a blind faith in things unseen. The Earth is full of evidences for those who would just open up the eyes of their heart! Horatio Spafford wrote the words to my favourite hymn. He was travelling aboard a ship 1-year after his wife and daughter had drowned at sea. They were passing the point where the two had tragically died. It was then that Spafford wrote these words: When peace like a river, attendeth my way When sorrows like sea billows roll Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say It is well; it is well with my

Emotional stability and Peace comes through breathing, meditation, control and Faith.

'There is no Ignorance; there is Knowledge. ' There is a sublime beauty to the Jedi Code in that every tenet is interdependent and follows the other logically. Peace is found in developing your Faith and Faith is based on a knowledge upon which you can trust.

Ignorance is not the absence of knowledge. Ignorance is the selective choice of information that reinforces our preconceived ideas and stereotypes. Anything that threatens that little world causes a defensive action i.e. ‘burying our head in the sand’, as what we cannot see, cannot hurt us or ‘ignore it and it will go away’. At its most extreme stereotyping can bring about nationalism and genocide. The indiscriminate extermination of 6-million Jews! Yet at the Nuremberg trials SS officers tried to claim, “I was only obeying orders.” So there is knowledge, and it can fall into the Light or Dark. The way forward is to, ‘trust in with all your might, and do not rely on your own insight. Seek earnestly to cherish the Light, and your paths will be straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes, but honour the Light and turn away from the dark.’ It is important to be open in our learning, ready to be challenged and humble enough to accept constructive, critical review. However, the simple amassing of information will never be sufficient. Knowledge without understanding is useless. We should crave ‘spiritual milk’ like babies, but in understanding we should be men/women. Understanding is our willingness to learn and change in order to develop. And then we must practice . Wisdom is a gift to us, and it is necessary to trust

1 in the decisions we make based on our understanding. Wisdom is the method by which we can filter good knowledge from dark, and in the actions we take as a result e.g., remain silent, offer words of advice, follow/ignore instructions or issue commands. And there is one more fundamental requirement: Total respect for the master – not fear, but the attitude of a servant.

The Jedi Code There is no Passion; there is Serenity. There is a danger of viewing Passion and Serenity as a repeat of Emotion and Peace. As already mentioned these nodes are interconnected, but I see Emotion and Peace as an outward, external discipline. They may arise within us but are directed to those we encounter, whereas Passion and Serenity ask us to direct our look inwards. Passion can mean fervor or zeal. We can be ‘passionate’ in our , albeit the path of a zealot can lead to extreme acts! The zealot will not only recklessly place themselves in harms way but their fellow believers as well, all for ‘the greater good’. And this can deteriorate into justification for any terrible act. We can also take the meaning of ‘passion’ at face value and think in terms of relationship. In this case one should listen carefully for the warning bells. The Apostle Peter said that, for him, celibacy was the preferred choice. But he did not advocate that disciples should refrain from marriage. He only warned that we should control our desires so as not to be distracted from the path of righteousness. In the first chapter of ‘I, Jedi’ the distracting trouble of relationship and wanting a child is highlighted. Desire reflects enticement or temptation. Let us use the acronym DE.SI.RE as an example. DE = Desire or ‘temptation’. This is not wrong, but it is where we need to stop, reflect and meditate. Think for a moment about the story of King David and Bathsheba. David had all the traits of a great Jedi, yet he fell in a moment of distraction. It was the time when Kings go to war, but David remained behind. Restless, we find him wandering the palace at night. And then he saw Bathsheba, great waves of desire burning through his troubled heart. David succumbed to desire and slept with her. Desire, when fully grown leads to the dark side, the S.I of DESIRE, or SITH. This great man fell into manipulation, control, and eventually murder. He had Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband killed to cover his adultery. As a result the many destructive curses of following the dark side fell upon David, and his family imploded in wickedness. So we see that DEsire full grown leads to SIth, and SIth full grown gives birth to death! Even now the door is not completely closed. The way is open for Redemption, the RE of DESIRE. Even Vader could be redeemed, and what hope is there for any of us otherwise? It is not by chance that ‘passion’ and ‘serenity’ have been paired, but by great Jedi wisdom. If we are to train ourselves to resist ‘passion’ then we must have the means for self-acceptance. Low self esteem may lead to any number of conditions. Grace, my daughter has an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and has now developed anorexia. Much of this surrounds the many negative beliefs she has about herself. This draws you into a self-fulfilling . Every little thing said by those around you is turned by your mind into a confirmation of your distorted world. For some the result is illness, for others it may be boredom (as in David’s case), which may well lead to temptation and the way of the Sith. And so we must learn contentment, and to accept ourselves as we are – this is the way of serenity. The serene are not proud or pompous but have the good grace to accept who they are and be a comfort to those around them. Not to debase ourselves to others, but to walk the path of the caring servant. Could you bend down and wash the feet of a fellow brother or sister? I witnessed such an event, on a grand scale: “There had been a large pop festival at Glastonbury. It had rained for the whole event. I was on motorway patrol and stopped at a large service area. The car park and restaurant were packed with folk returning from the festival. Many of

2 them were walking around in underwear – their last remaining bits of clean clothing, as everything had become so muddy at the pop concert. In an attempt to keep the restaurant clean staff had placed buckets of water near all the entrances. It was humbling to see so many folk washing one-another’s feet!” I asked myself, ‘Could I do that?’ Rid yourself of all hot passion and pride and then you can behave serenely. No two people can look at a picture and ‘see’ the same thing. King David looked at his situation and fell into the ways of the Sith. The prophet Nathan also looked at the circumstances serenely confronted his King and offered the way of redemption. Imagine two people sitting underneath a tree. One looks at the tree and sees a wonderful place to climb and hide, the other is a botanist and sees an Oak tree whose bark is covered in deformities caused by a rare fungal disease. Be on the alert. Listen to the Force. Balance and control your emotions. Focus upon Peace. We can have Peace because there is a tangible Faith to be had, based on Knowledge. Faith grows because we develop our knowledge into understanding, and the wisdom to use it. This provides the foundation for a calm and assured manner endowing is with serenity in our bearing, so that we may control passions and do the will of our master.

The Jedi Code There is no Death; there is the Force. Death has always been the ‘great enemy’. When tragedy strikes there is a temptation to wallow in despair and submit to its taunting, dark words of ‘finality’. In 1988, Christine and I lost twin boys. Joseph and Nathan died shortly after their birth. After many years of soul searching we still have no answer as to ‘why’ this had to happen? The painful despair led to my fist shaking at . For a long time I was shamelessly given over to bitterness. Death had reached out with its sting, and I let my soul become scarred. But perhaps we had moved without giving healing a chance. It was the two of us who made the final decision for the Dr’s to put Christine into early labour. At the time Christine had developed a fever, and I was more worried that I might lose my wife. Having served as a police officer for 26-years now, I have attended and dealt with many fatal incidents – murder scenes, car crashes, industrial accidents etc. Normally we have a job to do and do not let the gore affect us. But I do remember one fatal crash from 1991. I was first on scene. Two cars had collided head on. On the back seat of one crumpled vehicle was a 9-year-old girl – Hannah. I had to climb in through the boot of the car to reach Hannah. Her limp body lay across the back seat. I could physically see the life draining from her eyes. Almost automatically I started CPR (mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions). It seemed like an eternity before the paramedics arrived. But they asked me to continue with CPR until the Fire & Rescue team could cut the doors off and get Hannah out. Then I was asked to go in the ambulance and continue to assist with CPR. We all knew there was little point, I had watched the life drain from her eyes (this hurts to share with you now). Somehow I felt responsible to the rest of her family. Hannah’s last few moments were in my hands, yet I had failed. Afterward, I could not sleep for over a week. Every time I closed my eyes – there was the smell of blood and vomit, with the whole scenario repeated over, and over in full colour. Arriving home I just hugged and hugged my children – thankful for the time we are allowed to be with them. It was not until Hannah’s remembrance service that my outlook changed. We sang her favourite hymn – ‘I am the Lord of the Dance said He’. Then I had a vision of Hannah wildly dancing through the aisles and I knew in my spirit that she was ok! ‘Where O death is your victory, where O death is your sting?’ Death has been swallowed up. And we can rest assured that, ‘Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil. For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ Ben Kenobi appeared to Luke many times to offer comfort

3 through dark trials, and we too can take comfort as we pass through the “refiner’s fire”. We have A New Hope! For we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The perishable exchanged for the imperishable, the mortal for the immortal. And this is where ‘serenity’ leads into the last tenet. We must have the serenity to accept that which we cannot change. I cannot change what happened to Joseph or Nathan. I cannot change what happened to Hannah – but I can change how I see and believe, and so death’s sting disappears. There will be no more crying there, no more pain. There is a saying, “You cannot see the sky for the clouds’. When the clouds are grey and death comes knocking what do we do? Know this: the Force is still there. The skies are still blue. And we can have Hope and Joy. A little girl came crying to mummy, ‘There is a bee stuck in my blouse!’ Mum calmly removed the bee and said, ‘It’s alright dear, there is nothing to fear, its sting is gone.’

There is no death; there is the Force (continued) The Force ‘is’, a quintessential, unalterable statement of fact. But we may define two paths within the Force, those of light and dark. We can experience the Force; we can be changed by the Force; we can be led by the Force – but the Force still ‘is’. If there are paths then it must logically follow that we have been given ‘free will’. When Abraham wrestled with the ‘spirit’ he was told – ‘I am neither for you nor against you’. And this is the essence of the Force. And then it is our freedom of choice that decides upon the Light or Dark side. Ezekiel prophesied against the King of Tyre and compared him to THE fallen angel: O Tyre, you have said, “I am perfect in beauty.” You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering; carnelian, chrysolite, and moonstone, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald; and worked in gold were your settings and engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. With an anointed cherub as guardian I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until inquity was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God…Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendour…All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.” The Force ‘is’, but we can become corrupted through lack of restraint so that we become seduced by power and infatuated with pride. There is no death, but there is a dreadful end for those seduced by the Dark path. CODA It feels appropriate to take a moment away from the Jedi Doctrinate and explain a little about my motivations and belief’s (before continuing with on the 16 Jedi teachings). I became a Christian on May 22nd 1983. Prior to that I had always believed in God, and had prayed. But never to the point of knowing it is possible to have a ‘personal’ relationship with the Saviour. Now I believe in Christ as my personal Saviour – I have been bought by His precious blood. I believe in the Bible as the living Word of God. I believe in the Holy Spirit. I follow the two sacraments – Communion and Baptism. I hope this will explain the content in many of my journal entries. At no point would I seek to compromise these basic requirements of my Faith. However, let me state now that none of what I say or hold to should be treated as Dogma. I share this as my personal Faith not as a declaration that ALL should do the same or that only ‘I’ hold the keys to absolute truth. I have already been made to feel very welcome by Master’s Xan_Qenadius and Kell Dor TSJ and Scythe. It has been a real privilege to read through Kell Dor’s journal, and to talk with him. Kell Dor, in particular, has offered a very real and

4 warm face to the Jedi way. This has already confirmed to me the right choice in following the Jedi path. I see no conflict with my Christian Faith and a willingness to be a student within this Temple. The ‘Force’ is very real and evident to me. I believe in a Creator and sustainer, and I also believe in the Force – Not as raw, unrefined energy, but as ‘alive’ and distinct. I hope to learn a great deal on this quest and look forward to hearing from the wisdom of others. Sadly, the Church experience ended with hurt and rejection for me – but I still recognize the need for discipleship and training to learn AND unlearn so that gifting can be developed. There has been many times where I receive Visions, Words of Knowledge and Prophecy. The problem for me is lack of self control, balance and consistency. I look forward to hearing from others in the Temple. Blessings be upon you all – MTFBWY.

16 Basic Teachings of the Jedi 1. As Jedi, we are in touch with the Living Force flowing through and around us, as well as being spiritually aware of the Force. Jedi are trained to become sensitive to the Force's energy, fluctuations, and disturbances.

Jedi are to be living letters and a testament to the Force. If the Jedi were to be silenced then the very rocks and trees would sing out! At times we may be lost for words and it is then that the Force communicates with our spirit in ‘groans’ mortal speech – it may be at these times that you hear the very Earth groan as if in the pains of labour. The first teaching almost seems like an overwhelming subject. So much of it has already been expressed so powerfully in Master Scythe’s ‘Jedi handbook’ and Jedi Karen’s ‘Force users Guide’ thread, found in ‘Force Studies. In the light of the teaching mentioned it feels appropriate to share a couple of personal experiences with the Living Force.

Jedi Karen says that we may encounter the Force as a child, but then forget that experience or fail to understand it and then wait many years before we become open to those experiences again.

I was 9-years old and on my way to play with friends in the park. The journey took me along an overgrown dirt path and past a cemetery. Ahead of me were two boys, much bigger and older than me. I sensed the danger, but was foolhardy enough to think I could walk straight by – but, not a chance! They grabbed my shirt and pushed me against railings outside the cemetery. One of them asked, “Who said you could come down our lane?” The bullying went on for a while, and then one of them produced a lethal looking flick-knife and pressed it against my chest saying, “Like my new knife son?” All I wanted then was my dad. I filled my mind with a picture of him. I could see him in uniform standing by me, sorting these boys out. Dad was in the Fire & Rescue Service. My heart was almost ready to burst out of my chest, so great was the fear. I desperately clung to the image of Dad, in his uniform coming to my rescue. Suddenly, one of the lads exclaimed, “Here, his dad’s a cop!” The other one let me go, quickly put the knife away and said, “Go on, you can go. And don’t say anything about the blade.” Dad wasn’t a cop, he was a fireman. They had most likely seen him going to parade in full uniform and mistaken him for a cop. Looking back I see this instance as a moment where the Force projected that image of my Dad coming to the rescue into the minds of those lads. I didn’t get stabbed and the situation was defused.

The second experience with the Force occurred more recently. There had been a request for urgent assistance from a fellow police officer. He was getting beaten up by a gang of drunks. Our patrol car was the nearest to him. We travelled

5 down the motorway in a Volvo T5 (3 x lane fast road) at 150 miles-per-hour. Suddenly the rear passenger tyre exploded. As the metal wheel dug into the road surface our car started to spin, doing complete 360 degree turns. It circled over all three lanes of the carriageway and thumped hard each time into the central dividing barrier. This carried on for over 860 yards. Each time it hit the barrier more bits would come flying off the car. There was an articulated lorry travelling in the same direction. I remember the headlights of the truck filling my sight. Yet throughout the whole event there was an overwhelming sense of calm. There was nothing I could do, no ejection cord to pull but a real sense of peace and quiet descended within the cockpit. This wasn’t about accepting our fate, but remaining in full control of the emotions and visualising everything turning out alright. The vehicle eventually came to rest. There was not much left of the car as it crashed one final time against the central barrier. However, both I and crewmate were able to climb out of the wreckage completely unharmed, plus no other vehicles had driven into us. The collision investigator sated that we should not be alive let alone walking from the vehicle. This high speed collision was assessed as unsurvivable! I walked away knowing that a protective bubble of the Force had surrounded us during the LONG moments of that crash.

2. Jedi live and focus on the present; we must neither dwell on the past nor be overly concerned about the future. As the mind wanders, focusing on the present is a task not easily attained, for the mind is not content with the eternal present moment. As Jedi, we must release our stress and ease our minds.

A friend had called to speak with me and my wife. This friend was suffering from a high level of anxiety, so much so that it prevented her from functioning at what we would expect to be normal day to day levels. Whilst she talked with my wife, I took to meditating in a separate room, and was not privy to much of the conversation. Suddenly I was faced with a striking vision of a bedroom; there was a bedside table with a lamp switched on, and also a large hand held torch. Then I heard the words 'Scared of the Dark'. I then saw a picture of this girl with a bright light emanating out of her body, it was like the radiance of the Sun’s glory. I went back to the friend who was still talking with my wife. I asked, “Are you scared of the dark?” At first she was stunned, how could I possibly know this? Then she answered, “Yes, I keep a torch by my bed.” I explained that O had ‘seen’ the torch, but then went on to talk about the bright light in her body. Over the next few weeks she was able to meditate on that light within her and counter her paralysing fear of the dark. Her fears had all stemmed from the horror films she used to watch. By focusing on the eternal moment of now our friend was able to concentrate on the ‘light’ within and counter distracting, debilitating fears and memories. Iron Maiden wrote these lyrics, from a song called ‘fear of the Dark’ – ‘Watching horror films the night before, Debating witches and folklore, The unknown troubles on your mind, Maybe your mind is playing tricks, You sense and suddenly eyes fix, On dancing shadows from behind.’

What a beautiful phrase – the eternal moment of now? We can fill our heads full of lies and become subject to paralysing memories or we can live with our bags packed and ready to travel light! This means laying aside the weights that would otherwise burden each of us individually. Sadly, we often insist on dragging trash along with us.

It was summertime and holiday traffic was crowding the roads. I was on motorway patrol, when I suddenly caught site of a problem occurring on the opposite carriageway. Darting between three lanes of heavy traffic were a male, female and two children. It transpired the luggage stowed on the roof of their

6 vehicle had come loose, and fallen into the carriageway. They ere frantically running between cars and Lorries trying to rescue everything, but what was the value of a few clothes compared to their lives? Insistence on dragging old burdens through life will affect our health and lives.

Dwelling on those paralysing fears, on the worry of reaping what you sow, on old wives tales, on curses etc is a very self-centred past time. It is an inward view, which ends in ‘blurred vision’. When you stand in the ‘river of life’ which way do you face? To ‘look back’ for historical purposes and what that teaches us now is always going to be necessary, but we do not look back in anger. This is an act of the will, not passive but a decisive move on our part -there are precious few other paths leading the way to revelation and conceptual breakthrough. We remember the blood of those who died to purchase our freedom, lest it be in vain, lest we forget freedoms great cost. Lord Tennyson wrote a poem called ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’, which commemorates the infamous moment at the Battle of Balaclava: ‘When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wonder’d. Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred.’

My daughter has an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which has led to a fear of social interaction, suicide attempts and more recently anorexia. I have had to learn that constantly looking back to see what we did wrong as parents is actually a selfish way of feeding my guilt trip, and serves to reinforce negativity. The correct approach is to dwell on the now – not on what I could have done, or should have done. But what is it, exactly, that we focus upon? How will we release stress and ease our minds? In my role as project manager I will often leave senior management meetings having picked up a major piece of work, then I’ll think, ‘How on earth to I sort this one out?’ I will rely on lessons learned from previous projects and will need to prepare a plan for the current work stream. This will involve ‘tools’ such as a Gantt chart – which then reveals (if I’m lucky) the shortest route to the target, or ‘critical path’. Yet before all of this I will put the project in my ‘to do’ basket’ and focus elsewhere. This will not involve meditating on the problem, but clearing my mind, mentally ripping up the ‘to do list’ and focusing. More recently I have used the technique described by master Scythe and Jedi Karen i.e. holding out the hand and focusing upon an energy ball. This has resulted in a tingling feeling in my hand, together with warmth. Whilst I have in no way perfected this technique it does calm the mental processes, slows the pulse and prepares me for the tasks ahead.

3. Jedi must maintain a clear mind; this is achieved through meditation and contemplation. Our minds can become cluttered and infected by forces and attitudes that we encounter every day, and must be purged of these unnecessary elements on a daily basis.

We focus so that we can have clarity of thought, and clarity comes through maintaining objectivity and this is achieved through meditation and contemplation. At first glance it may appear that meditation and contemplation are one and the same. However, they are not listed for the sake of repetition as the former is ‘The ACT’ and the latter is ‘The PROCESS’. This teaching is essential for us not to become blinded so that we cannot see the light. said to Luke, “Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter (poking him in the chest).”

Our headlights arced across the High School spots field like twin spotlights probing a dark and brooding theatrical stage devoid of props and actors. Stop! What was that? Captured in the beam of our lights were three hooded figures. In a moment these three interlopers froze solid. Time flowed like treacle, no one

7 daring to move or breath. Snapping out of our dreamy hypnotic state, we gunned the engine of the Police Range Rover and charged towards the motionless intruders. But why weren’t they running? With the rasping sound as if from a giant sheet of sandpaper and the ‘spang’ of metal scaffold reverberating through the patrol car the answer came too late. The burglars were caught in the act, but we were caught in a trap. The snare was a set of cricket nets standing in the open field and now trickily wrapped around the Range Rover, and effectively entombing us! Distracted by the single thought of capturing the intruders this set of ‘transparent’ nets had passed unseen in the sweep of our lights, waiting like a deadly spider-web until we were hopelessly trapped and thoroughly paralysed. Blinded by pride we didn’t request the assistance of a local officer with sufficient knowledge of the location, whose guidance would have revealed a perimeter road! No, we allowed ourselves to be lured off the track and were soon caught in the sticky strands of deceit.

Luke said to Yoda, “I don’t believe it…” to which the Jedi Master replied, “That is why you fail.” Deception, defiance and doubt lead to defeat. But integrity, humility and endurance lead to hope. Where there is no clarity to our vision, or focus then we will get caught up in the subjectivity of the moment and become ensnared.

Whilst in police training we had opportunity to partake in several caving expeditions, visiting both old tin mines and naturally formed cave systems. Dressed in wet suits, hard hats and lamps our quest would commence. Access to these secret kingdoms was often via a ladder suspended in a waterfall. Down into the depths of the earth we slithered, squeezing through partially water filled tunnels, battling claustrophobia and fear of the unknown, then diving into freezing, inky black sumps (completely water filled tunnels) to enter hidden caverns. After some instruction our guide gave each of us freedom to lead the way, which invariably came to a dead end. No fault of the teacher, more a case of failure to listen and understand. Sadly, some caverns were littered with rubbish. In an old mine we discovered a pool of engine oil as its centrepiece. Disposed of above ground the oil gradually seeped into the cave, waiting like a dark sticky secret to be uncovered. At another cave entrance our guide issued a dismal warning to avoid the broken glass and syringes deposited by unwanted visitors.

Our daily pilgrimage has many similarities to these cave systems. A pilgrimage that includes tight, difficult to negotiate spots, littered with dead ends and areas where rubbish has been allowed to accumulate. More disturbing will be the mistakes and wrings we have done, collecting as hidden pools of black oil, marring the scenery of our lives like sticky black tar, infecting our ability to think objectively and leaving our minds in total disorder.

And so we have an act of meditation and a process of contemplation that we may shun or purge the bad and take hold of the good. Effort put into tunnelling through flinty rock will also produce wonderful golden nuggets of wisdom. As we lay bare the roots of these mountains we find sapphires, silver, gold, copper, bronze, rubies, topaz – all the precious minerals and gems of the Jedi pilgrimage, and so we guard against colouring and tainting our perception. Neither is this a one off process, but it is to be a continual discipline and natural, instinctive way of life.

4. As Jedi, we are mindful of our thoughts... we focus our thoughts on the positive. The positive energy of the force is healthy for the mind, body and spirit.

8 The mind is a battlefield. And the weapons we fight with are far from conventional. The enemy may come in like storm water pounding the coastline, but there is a standard, which we can raise against them. We guard our thoughts and fix our concentration upon the Force, channelling that positive, spiritual energy. This is as much a discipline to be learned as a spiritual lesson. My everyday work involves contact with the public. Sometimes that can involve attendance at violent disturbances, and then my ‘discipline’ revolves around the ‘continuum of force’. The ‘continuum’ goes from verbal communication skills, physical restraint, hand cuff restraint, CS irritant, extendable baton, Taser, Baton gun and lethal firearm. We have to be re-licensed in order to use many of the items – CS irritant is know as a section 5 firearm in the UK.

Have you ever faced the ‘Redman’? For a police officer the ‘Redman’ experience is both literal and physical. The encounter comes during instruction on self defence, promoting skills in control of violent offenders and how to subdue them, concluding with a duel versus the ‘Redman’.

What is the ‘Redman’? Fortunately ‘Redman’ is not some Greek god whom the hero has to face in order to win treasure of favour. No, it is a padded suit, which covers the instructor from head to foot. Once clothed in his protective garb the tutor literally has the appearance of a ‘Redman’. Remaining students then form a large circle. They are provided with padded shields and combatants would bounce off the human wall, unable to leave the arena. Each trainee enters the field of conflict in order to practice control and restraint techniques upon the ‘Redman’. The battle is fierce and exhausting with the ‘Redman’ immediately pushing and cajoling the student, aiming to provoke an uncontrolled response. The trainee is expected to remain composed, making unruffled strikes upon target areas. But in the heat of battle it could get personal. Raised emotions might see a few extra blows landed upon the ‘Redman’.

The intensity of combat, whether physical or in the mind, can reveal much about who we are as hidden thoughts and feelings well up and pour out of the ‘heart’. The ‘Redman’ experience is continually waging war in our minds, as we wrestle and struggle against divisive, negative thoughts and emotions. Traditional wrestling was a furious and continuous battle without rounds, only ending with a submission by one of the participants. To mention wrestling nowadays is to think in terms of pure soap opera WWF production, but the real thing was intensely personal and in dead earnest. Awareness of other aspects to our nature opens a channel for realisation. Negative circumstances may seem to pound us at every turn, torturing our mind with thoughts of hopeless despair and defeat. As we contend with the ‘Redman’ we do not let go, but we grapple with those issues. Then we will leave the arena dramatically transformed, from a heart dominated by self to a renewed body, mind and spirit.

5. As Jedi, we trust and use our feelings. We are intuitive, more so than others and with this heightened intuition we become more spiritually evolved as our minds become more harmonious with the Force and it's influences.

During training on police tactical weapons training and self defence we will be told that ‘action is quicker than reaction’. The same goes for advanced driving instruction and techniques. It is important to have a plan, and to constantly update that plan and re-assess it in the light of ever incoming new information. Driving intuitively will put you way into the bracket of the advanced driver! We may not have access to an x-Wing fighter but many if not most here will have access to a motorcar. We climb into the cockpit of a 2 tonne vehicle and take it

9 at 70 miles per hour or more down the road without thinking twice. But it is every bit as lethal as an X-Wing fighter. I know – from being involved in many police pursuits! We drive decisively, constantly managing and updating, always on the alert. We make use of our senses, sight, sound and feel. So as a Jedi it is an even more practical and pragmatic way to develop skills.

The roads and the act of driving are a very real field of combat. I’m sure many have heard the term Road Rage? What happens when a driver ‘cuts you up’? Do you make a threatening gesture, seek revenge, get angry – or do you breath like Corran in I, Jedi, pause – and then utter a Jedi blessing on that individual, reaching out with the Force so that driver goes away more safely and hopefully improve their driving? We have to reach out and positively influence the behaviour of all other road users. As I write this the police have just closed the motorway after a fatal crash between two Lorries and a car.

Once again we have a Jedi teaching that is more about activity than ‘passive’ instruction. Trust or faith is not something that just happens. We must get into the ‘gymnasium’ and exercise it in order to grow, develop and increase in strength. To hear with our minds and hearts means we must keep in tune with the spirit and its influence, use our feelings and senses and learn to trust those instincts. The Jedi sees in 3D – intuition, growth and harmony. This discipline allows us to pick out and see individual faces within the crowd. A message was broadcast over police radio. There had been a large theft at a superstore. The only information available was that a team of four had been involved and several hundred pounds (in value) of goods had been stolen. We patrolled the city streets hoping for a sighting, albeit there wasn’t much to go on. Suddenly, I caught site of a group of people in a Bus Stop. An overwhelming feeling coursed through my body and my focus seemed to zoom in upon them. They were a small group in a big crowd, but power seemed to go out of me, “That’s them,” I exclaimed. And it was! The city streets were packed, we had no specific descriptions, the individuals concerned had nothing distinctive about them and the possibility of catching them was low. There was no other explanation than the power of the force and some small amount of trust and intuition led us to the thieves.

In some respects this teaching promotes a level of altruism. It is about others and an outward focus, stepping out in faith, trusting in what you are led to say or do. It is about reaching out with your feelings and stretching your limits. But, we should beware, cross the bridge and it becomes a quest for control and manipulation, and a thirst for this is never quenched! It caused the decline of the Roman Empire. Gibbons describes ‘power’ and ‘praise’, and how it affected Roman emperors: “…as long as mankind shall continue to bestow more liberal applause on their destroyers than on their benefactors, the thirst of military glory will ever be the vice of the most exalted characters. The praises of Alexander by a succession of poets and historians, had kindled a dangerous emulation in the mind of Trajan.”

This is more than a talent for extrapolating data and it may seem like witchcraft to outside observers. And, if not guarded and balanced, can become an uncontrollable lust for more of the same ‘drug’ in the user. It is so much more than purely ‘observation’ – it has a strong spiritual element, and deals with the unseen.

This isn’t about shrewdness. You do not have to be Force sensitive to act shrewdly. Anyone might drive a car, but only the few have the sensitivity to drive with intuition. Why did the Roma legions mane to maintain their cohesive

10 spirit? They had the presence of mind to focus upon discipline through honour and . They swore an oath to their legion’s standard. They trained extensively – practising twice-a-day and comprehended whatever could add strength to the body, activity to the limbs and grace to the motions (Gibbon’s). They learned that active valour may often be the present of nature, but patient diligence can be the fruit only of habit and discipline.

Another unseen element of this teaching is: ‘There is no coincidence’. If I had the power then the word ‘lucky’ would be removed from the speaking world!

There had been a burglary on a housing estate. The offenders were last seen running through back gardens. On arrival at the scene I walked purposefully down a garden path. It almost felt like something was drawing me down the side of this particular house. Somehow, I knew that it was the right path and that I’m going to come away successful! There were no lights and it was pitch black. Suddenly I had an overwhelming feeling of another presence. The sensation was so strong that I felt as if I could reach out with an ethereal arm and punch this ‘presence’, and feel my ethereal fist connect with its jaw! I managed to tap gently on a window and signal for the occupants to come out and borrowed a chair. Standing on the chair I reached over a 6 foot fence. As my hand descended into the inky blackness between tree branches I ‘knew’ that I was going to connect with real flesh. And, sure enough, my hand came to rest upon a set of shoulders. The individual was so shocked that he cooperated, and as I grabbed him, he climbed over the fence to me at Olympic speed! I have no doubt whatsoever, that the force intuitively led me to this burglar!

There is no doubt we can have confidence in the force or the heightened intuition and sensitivity that comes with it. My question to the Masters, albeit of a very personal nature is: What guidance can you give on ‘ambition’. The next step in my occupation is promotion to Inspector. Is the desire for this wrong? Would it be wrong to use force influence in order to attain this goal, if the end desired is to be more effective and helpful?

6. Jedi are patient. Patience is elusive but can be consciously developed over time.

Faith, hope, patience and all the strong, beautiful, vital forces of devoutness are withered and barren in a life without the Force. Patience is frequently used to express a phenomenon of the feelings. It can represent a calm and unruffled state under circumstances that would normally tend to arouse anger or impatience. Calmness can be an involuntary state of mind, some folk just seem able to remain calm, and the amiable temperament may proceed from a strong constitution and can include those conducting nefarious activities, thus it cannot always be described as a virtue. Two individuals had been paying interest to, visiting and talking to workers on a building site for several days. They would turn up in a builders van but were careful to never approach or speak with the same individual on the site. They would ask their questions, make their observations and disappear. Then on a quiet Bank Holiday (national UK holiday) they arrived at the site once more. There was a site attendant there, and these two boldly approached him, gave the site foreman’s name and stated, “----- said we could have 2,000 bricks.” Their approach and request was so brazen that the site attendant didn’t think to question them at all. They were allowed to load up the bricks on their lorry and leave. They had doggedly and patiently pursued their goal – the theft of enough bricks to build a small extension! This is patience as an attribute of selfishness and the bad sense of the term. A selfish man may persevere, and even bear a great deal of opposition in order to attain his desires.

11 Patience, endurance, perseverance in the face of trials or temptations can be a trait of the dark side, especially where that person patiently pursues their self aims. Patience as a virtue, by necessity, needs something to distinguish it from that which leads to the dark side. It may commence with a voluntary state of mind but must be grounded in love and compassion. It will have the qualities of constancy, bearing up under trials, persecution or discouragement. It must follow that whenever patience ceases then love ceases. Patience as a virtue consists not in placid feelings, but perseverance in circumstances of discouragement.

Neither is patience an emotion. It is of the feelings and will. If it so far influences the will as to manifest itself in impatient words and actions, there must be a yielding of the will. The steadfastness of our heart will strongly secure our patience. It will open a portal to long-suffering, self-control and humility. We could rightly say it is ‘an attitude of the will’. It will secure its possessor against spiritual pride, against ambition to get above others, as it is a modest unassuming state of mind. Self-control and humility consists of a willingness to be known and appreciated according to our real character. Yes, patience is elusive – how many blows might it take before you snap? There is a term that exquisitely describes the situation: ‘death by a thousand cuts’. Each cut inflicted upon us will, in itself, not be sufficient to do much harm. However, the last cut will be the one that finally does the damage, not in itself anymore harmful but the sum total has the negative effect. When you squeeze fruit the goodness comes out. And by our spiritual nature through perseverance we testify to the Force, to purity, knowledge, sincere love, grace, peace, faithfulness and patience.

A burglar alarm had activated at a chemist’s shop. I was dispatched and decided to leave the patrol car some distance away, walk in on foot and stick to the shadows. Peering in through the main glazed windows I could have sworn I saw a shadow moving for just one fleeting moment. I called it in, but now the alarm had re-set and the premises ‘appeared’ secure, so dispatch had lost interest. There were other incidents stacking up and resources were needed elsewhere. I stuck to my initial feelings and patiently made requests for a ‘dog’ unit and further mobiles to surround the premises. Eventually ‘dispatch’ relented as a ‘dog’ unit had become available. No one believed there was a need, and now my reputation was on the line. Who wants to be known as the one who ‘cries wolf’ every time? Yes, I could be wrong, but we had a duty to protect property and I saw that as more important – even knowing the shift team would lose no opportunity in ribbing me for seeing ‘ghosts’! The ‘dog’ unit turned up eventually, around the same time as the shop owner. The door was unlocked and then Jock, the dog handler, called out, “If there’s anyone in there come out now. This is your last chance; otherwise I’m sending the dog in!” Jock had a strong Scots accent, so I doubt any poor burglar would understand him anyway. Having said that, it didn’t need an interpreter to make anyone aware there was a snarling Alsatian hound at the door! Jock shouted his warning again, plus, “…Come out or I release the dog!” No response. Jock let his dog off the lead, and in it charged. There was an interminable pause, then came a scream, “Get the dog off me…” And so the police dog got an early morning snack, and we got our burglar. He had climbed onto the flat roof, dug a whole through the pitch and ‘slipped’ inside. However, when it came to escaping his belly was just a little too large to fit back through the hole! He may still have got away if it hadn’t been for my gritty determination and patience in getting back up. It could have ended in my humiliation, but at least I would have tried. As it turned out we got the prize.

7. Jedi are mindful of the negative emotions which lead to the Dark Side: Anger, Fear, Aggression, and Hate. If we sense these emotions

12 manifesting within ourselves, we must meditate on the Jedi Code and focus on purging these destructive emotions.

The peace and quiet of the Sunday afternoon was shattered with discordant noise and extreme violence. “He’s going to kill him, get the police here quick,” said the caller. It was a hostile and malevolent scene whet two ‘tribal’ heads of family came to blows over a continuing blood feud. One of them had been savagely struck with a crude homemade weapon. The symbol of their hatred was expressed by a wooden post with two nails driven through it. There were two puncture wounds in the casualty’s forehead, and his face was crimson with blood. The police radio operator said, “…apparently it looks as if the victims head has been put through a mangle!” A bitter root had claimed the hearts of these men. And now the central themes of blame and rejection unravelled in ugly, distorted sounds and grisly bloodletting. Blood always draws a jeering crowd, as it had done here. Listen carefully and you can often hear that spilled blood cry out in anger for justice and vengeance!

The cry of the human heart is for justice and righteousness. But what particular brand of justice do we dispense? What is its ‘driver’? What if the law was to cause us to compromise Jedi ways? Do we protest, do we fight, do we go underground? All reactions are forms of resistance. Are their times when anger c might be considered righteous? We might be angry at poverty; angry at genocide, or angry at individuals such as Robert Mugabe. Who not so long ago compared himself to Hitler! What happens when we become judge, jury and executioner?

It is not by accident that fear, anger; hatred and aggression are labelled ‘negative’ emotions! The ‘mouths’ of fear, anger, hatred and aggression are full of cursing and bitterness. Their ‘feet’ are swift to shed blood. Ruin and misery mark their ways and they have no peace. Once this quartet of monsters is allowed to develop they will lay down deep roots of bitterness. The Jedi Code must be our rock and our shield, so that we are quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger and abounding in love and grace. Grace is the free unconditional love we must show to the seemingly undeserving. It is useful to understand what lies beneath the quartet of negative emotions: Beneath Fear is ignorance – this leads to rejection and will cause us to strike out in defence Beneath Anger is Pride – the person or situation offends our sensibilities Beneath Hatred is Jealousy – hate is the word of murder and boiling jealousy is destructive Beneath Aggression is Weakness – we give in to ignorance, pride and jealousy overcome by that which ‘threatens’ us and fight!

For so many these bitter roots mean darkness in a cold, unyielding world. Cowering alone at night, abandoned by mummy and scared witless was how we found David, Kieran and Tyler (names changed!). David, at 10-years, was the eldest of the three brothers and had been left to baby-sit. But now it was 2am and mum still hadn’t returned. David rang 999 (911) saying, “My brothers are crying, mum isn’t here and I don’t know what to do…”

We located mum in a nearby apartment, lying on the floor in a drug stupor! We were quick to criticise and judge without truly understanding her situation. Having jumped to conclusions, written this woman off as worthless and heartless we requested emergency social services to take the children into care. But all they wanted was mummy. Offended by her ‘apparent’ reckless behaviour we had jumped to conclusions. But, David, her eldest, was conceived during a vicious rape attack. She lived in the bitterness of that cruel memory seeking what little

13 consolation this world had to offer. This young mum’s champion was to lie in the arms of an ecstasy tablet. But that killer drug was no advocate and it left her children feeling like orphans. These young sons were green trees cut down in their prime. So destructive are the emotions under review that it justifies examining further examples.

There are violent and unstable people in this world. Some go to prison, whilst others have served a sentence and we release them. These folk will be referred to as ‘potentially violent offenders’. When released the probation services may issue warnings to law enforcement agencies when those persons represent a continuing risk e.g. ‘he is extremely violent’, ‘An unstable time bomb who will re- offend…’, ‘…a psychopath with delusional tendencies…’ How many little green trees will these murderers fell? It can elicit any number of emotions as we hear about such individuals amongst us. One such character was circulated as being highly dangerous to young girls. He was described as an excellent communicator, both charming and persuasive, who would easily befriend girls, obtain their trust and then subject them to sexual assault. He was a deranged character who even changed his name to that of the leader of the satanic church!

Daniel came to notice when his grandfather abandoned him at the police station. The lad had run away from home 4 days previously, but his family never reported him missing! When we contacted dad he replied, “I don’t want him back. I hate him!” With the help of social services we located Daniel’s mum. But she had a new partner and refused to take the boy into their home. He was spurned by his parents and now his grandparents also refused to take him in. The pitiable lad bore the ultimate rejection, and he was placed in emergency foster care. But where were justice, mercy, faithfulness and grace?

An eight-year-old had dialled 999 (equivalent to 911); “Daddy has hit mommy, now she won’t wake up…” Dad fled the scene and we caught him later, drunk driving. He’d been having an affair and his wife confronted him. Angry and intoxicated he viciously smashed a whisky bottle over her head. She had lain unconscious for nearly an hour! It was a nightmare scene unfolding in front of that poor child, who had to go and live with Gran. Dad was thrown into jail, and mum was rushed to hospital.

Fear, anger, hatred and aggression will create an insatiable drive in one person but will lead to the scarring of many others. Whilst this has painted an ugly picture we can be re-assured that there are alternatives and there is redemption. Grace must exist, otherwise how could there be any redemption for those like Vader, falling to the dark side. If there is no grace, if there is no redemption then we might as well all be Robert Mugabe’s, r any other genocidal dictator that comes to mind!

The Jedi Code is our rock, our sword, our shield. We raise the banner of our Jedi Code and stand against these negative monsters with faithfulness, mercy, justice and grace as our advocates.

8. Jedi understand that physical training is as important as training the mind and the spirit. We understand that all aspects of training are necessary to maintain the Jedi way of life and to perform the duties of a Jedi.

“Where are you?” asked the radio dispatcher. The trouble is I didn’t know my location. It had all started about 15 minutes before. A stolen car had been circulated over the radio. Almost as soon as the broadcast was finished the car passed us at a set of traffic lights! It was a 2.8 injection Ford Granada and gave

14 us a fair pursuit around the suburbs. The car was too much for the driver and he soon crashed. There were two occupants who were soon out and running, and the pursuit turned into a foot chase. The foot pursuit seemed to go on forever, my lungs were stinging, and I’d lost my partner who couldn’t keep up. The two thieves were still in sight and one of them inexplicably threw his jacket at me? Later we recovered the jacket, which had the chaps ID inside, meaning we could pay a home visit! Better still, the other lad started to slow and I managed to lay hands on him. My problems were not over though, as he wanted to fight. I managed to get a call in for assistance, but didn’t know the road name. Eyes fixed on the prize meant I had been a little short-sighted about my surroundings! Other units eventually arrived and then I had to walk away and throw up – a combination of adrenaline and exhaustion.

This is not a ‘how to programme’ but a way of life. Whilst we think of physical fitness it must also focus across not only the body, but mind and spirit, and they will never be mutually exclusive. This is a way of life. We take the hits, but get back in the saddle; we get knocked down but get up again. What is our motivation? Where are we? Do we have direction in our life? Instead of saying, “I’ll never be strong enough, I’m finished,” we say, “I have to keep going, I cannot stop.” The former will leave us ineffective, unproductive and short sighted. Will we be lopsided or do we maintain the inspiration to develop body, mind and spirit. The latter will bring balance, control and discipline.

The Masters and many members of this Temple will have volumes of excellent advice on how the martial arts and other disciplines can develop our physical and spiritual well-being, and it would be tongue-in-cheek of me to even suggest benefits. I have attended fights and met blokes so big, whom you will have to arrest but think, “How on earth am I gonna take him down?” They have arms as thick as tree trunks, so they won’t meet together for handcuffing. It takes two or so canisters of CS irritant, daisy chaining handcuffs and a lot of physical work to fell these giants. But they are only giants depending on how you view them, when your motivators consist of a desire for goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, , brotherly kindness and love then you will have balance.

There was a pursuit and ours was the lead patrol car. After 30 crazy minutes the stolen car pulled over. My crewmate pulled across the stolen vehicles front to prevent its escape. I ran to the driver, opened the door and started to extract him. The driver tried to accelerate away and hit our police vehicle. Then he fought with me. During the struggle hit bit into my forearm. Once he was out, in the dark lane, I wrestled him to the ground. Now further officers were on scene. One of them mistook me for the car thief and punched me in the back of the head – adrenaline can pump up the emotions! I felt the punch, but didn’t know I had been bitten. Endorphins, nature’s pain medicine were doing their job in my body. It was only on return to the police station, when I went to look at my watch that I noticed my wrist was covered in a black substance. Blood looks black at night. Then I discovered the puncture wounds in my arm!

Mamoru Oshii created a frightening world of cybernetic enhancements gone mad in his Ghost in the Shell movies. It is a frightening prophecy because it is all too believable. However, ‘cheating’ to become strong will bypass all the Jedi disciplines we must develop and grow into. Only commitment and preparedness allows us to stay the course, run the race and obtain the prize – it is meaningless without self respect and honour. Laziness is the alternative and will leave you open to invaders - laziness in thoughts, physically and in attitude. The Roman Empire got lazy and ‘freedom of the city was bestowed on all the of mankind’. They became an open city, for any and all raiders to enter and corrupt.

15 Fitness will have a colossal impact on how stress is managed in your day-to-day life. It makes a difference in how you deal with confrontation. You might strike out and go for the pre-emptive hit due to fear and weakness. You might resort early on to weapons or with whatever you can gain the upper hand, when perhaps a healthier mind and body will have chosen a path with less direct conflict, and a brighter resolution. So fitness of mind and body will lead to more stability in exercising restraint. Additionally, and maybe even more importantly fitness will sustain you through attack and assist with healing of mind, body and spirit. Multiple complaints were being received at police dispatch about a group of Hells Angels terrorising a small town. I was the only patrol available and as asked to attend and assess. But when I arrived there was no way an officer could just stand back, the group had to be approached. I put in a pre-emptive radio call for assistance, but dispatch never heard it, and then all ‘hell’ broke loose. I got the kicking of my career. There were six bikers and they got me to the ground. All I could do was guard my face so that no kick or punch would ruin my handsome features (not!). My patrol car was blocking the road and it was a passer-by who came to my rescue. I shouted to him, “get in the police car, use the radio and ask for urgent help!” It seemed like an eternity before the cavalry arrived. Two of the Hells Angels got 6-month prison sentences – for the UK that is a lot.

On face value the teaching in focus appears to concern ‘physical’ fitness. But this can apply to any person whether for good or bad purposes – as could spiritual exercise. We must focus the body, mind and spirit upon that which is virtuous. Prior to chasing the Granada thieves (mentioned above) I had eaten heavily. Afterwards, once supper was out on the pavement, I regretted the meal. But it is not only a healthy diet and body that we aim for – as studying all the printed matter in the world won’t save you without a living faith in something. Otherwise you will be left physically, intellectually and spiritually barren.

9. Jedi protect the peace. We are warriors of peace, and are not ones to use force to resolve a conflict; it is through peace, understanding and harmony that conflicts resolve.

As a ‘peace’ officer it is inevitable that you will, at some point, have to enter the arena in order to protect those you are responsible for. But how do we fulfil that role - As a dog, a dolt or diplomat? Dogs will protect their territory without much thought. They come out teeth bared and ready to fight. But the dog we had been sent to deal with had ‘lost’ big time! Sadly it had been run over by the car it tried to attack. It was middle of winter; the ground was cold and hard, as was the dog – frozen solid. A similar story concerns an old man who absolutely hated children. He had initiated a one man war against the local kiddies who congregated near his home. There was no room for compromise or negotiation and so the kids rose to the bait. Like the cold, frozen dog this old man finally came running out of his drive screaming at the congregation of youths, but he was so wound up and angry that he suffered a massive stroke (bleed on the brain) and dropped dead!

Riots and mass disorder is the realm of the dolt. It may start with a few drunks leaving the pub and then causing damage. But occasionally that alcohol fuelled temperament becomes one of violent expression, but without any individual ever being able to say why they got involved or what cause they were fighting for. The whole community was aroused and people came running from all directions. The expanding crowd yelled malicious threats and uttered a torrent of abuse. The violence of the mob on the steps of the town hall was so great that it took

16 several officers to carry away just one prisoner. More and more officers rushed to the scene to quell the gang amidst a swirling melee pf disorder. The people were angry, but not one of them could have said why! This mass was a seething volcano spewing out its boiling lava of madness and rage through the streets. The people had become boastful, proud, slanderous, abusive, brutal, rash, conceited and without self control. There was no reason for the violence but the anger and rage spilled out in vulgarity, punches and blood. The lead character in this orgy of unrest was a guy nicknamed ‘Stumpy’, and he was very handy in a scrap. Fuelled by an excess of beer, the frustrations of the day and heat of the night ‘Stumpy’ was ready to take on the world. He focused this rage, along with the mob upon the attending police officers. Anyone representing authority was going to get a fistful of this crowd’s opinion. ‘Stumpy’ believed he was invincible. He was an amputee, and used to hit people with his stump. Imagine our surprise, having handcuffed ‘Stumpy’ that he was still able to throw savage punches. He was spurred on to further violence in the knowledge we couldn’t handcuff him. However, we didn’t give in – he was brought to the ground with wrist handcuffed to elbow. Preserving the peace is part of an officer’s oath. Sometimes that means we have to get our hands dirty! Modern chains continue to breed emotional outburst in folk. Some will get angrier by the day. Jealousy, revenge, envy and scandal wage war in the mind. Resentment, disappointment, ignorance, distrust, pain and suffering are the modern chains that deliver us into the clutches of fury and irrationality.

Over a single weekend two families were the cause of fourteen separate major disturbances. Their feud expressed itself in the firebombing of houses, serious assault with hammers and baseball bats, the ramming of cars and discharge of firearms in the streets. Their argument terrorised a neighbourhood, yet the investigation found no basis for their irrational outburst, which was founded on rumour, gossip and lies.

Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. To preserve the peace there will be times when we have to step into this crowd and deal with the major targets in order to reinstall peace! We have to be realists; this is not a sugar coated world. People will do bad things, and there will be times when someone must stand in the gap. There will be times when diplomacy and negotiation are gone and the peace-keeper will need to take more direct action. I have seen a fellow officer lying unconscious in a pool of his own blood, nearly kicked to death by a mob in the city. I have arrived at a house to find an elderly lady caked in blood, half an ear missing and part of her scalp. How did I know? Her scalp was lying on the floor, hair still in it, along with a piece of her ear. Her son had turned up on the doorstep drunk. She refused to let him in, so he pulled a knife and attacked his own mother! Whilst it is a good principle to promote peace and peaceful ways, someone still had to arrest that guy, and he didn’t want to go with the police quietly! I have arrived at a house to find a lady barely conscious. Her boyfriend ‘bravely’ (Not!) covered her head with a blanket then repeatedly, and I mean repeatedly punched her in the head. He was taken down hard! One of my best friends was killed on his eighteenth birthday keeping the peace on board a warship during the Falklands war. An Argentinean ‘excocet’ missile ripped into the side of his ship and Matt was instantly killed. We have to be realists!

There will also be times that negotiation and diplomacy is the wisest and best course of action. We must let our light shine before men. And we remember that whatever we do, whether in word or deed we do it all in the name of that which we believe in. Harmony does not mean compromising our faith, or that we have to agree with another’s doctrine. We cannot be in harmony with dark beliefs, but we can get alongside that person. Our light must be as the sun of righteousness. We were the first tactical weapons response on scene, where a

17 male had kidnapped his ex-girlfriends baby. This chap was big and spaced on crack cocaine. That night he had already hung the baby out of a fourth floor apartment window and threatened to drop it. It seemed that negotiation was an option soon not to be on the cards. The situation got more and more desperate. Then the incident commander shouted over ‘comms’, “You are to take the head shot…shoot him, shoot him!” The fellow had walked out of the flats, holding baby to his chest. We were in close enough that no shot could possibly miss. I had him sighted in the scope of my carbine, the doughnut resting on his face (doughnut is what we call the small black circle at centre of the sight). I took up pressure on the trigger, but just couldn’t pull it. No commander can order us to shoot. That is the tactical weapons officers’ decision alone. But you could certainly do without those unhelpful instructions blaring through your earpiece! I could hit him, but what would happen to the baby. He was on crack cocaine, would he drop quickly enough? Instead, I just began to talk very quietly to him, albeit pointing a Steyr at his head. Normally we would be dominating the target with loud and forceful commands. I just kept talking, “Let’s do this quietly chap, no need for bother…come on, we can sort this, lets just get baby safe.” Baby was screaming all the time, but we knew it was a matter of calming everything. Suddenly it all changed, he agreed to come. He wouldn’t give over baby, but did walk to the patrol car. This is one occasion where negotiation was the right choice – Containment, then pause, diplomacy and negotiation, together with last resort contingencies. This was the firearms job that finished me, I left the team shortly afterwards. Not because I couldn’t do the job, but more in future worry of what happens to my family if I did shoot – the suspension, the allegations, and the investigations and so on. Plus it worried me that there would be no support from the hierarchy, based on how the firearms commander behaved at the last incident. I still maintain a friendship with many of the folk on the tactical weapons team and I still believe there is a need for them. We are peacekeepers, but realists. We stand in the gap on behalf of those we swear to protect with understanding, wisdom and harmony, but also in the knowledge that it may require direct action. SO what will it be - Dogs, dolts or diplomats?

10. Jedi believe in destiny and trust in the will of the Force. We accept the fact that what seems to be random events are not random at all, but the design of the Force. Each living creature has a purpose, understanding that purpose comes with a deep awareness of the Force. Even things that happen which seem negative have a purpose, though that purpose is not easy to see.

Why do bad things happen to good people? This will be a deep seated cry from many a heart, and a question explored in a multitude of sacred writings. When our hearts are grieved it is very easy to become embittered. How do we keep control of ourselves in all circumstances, enduring suffering and still performing our full Jedi service? It may take an act of faith to believe in destiny or circumstances being preordained, but this does not mean being left to stumble blindly in the dark. The scaffold under girding faith is based on true and irrefutable experience. That said how do we the widow that her husband’s death was for a reason? The lady should never have got behind the wheel of a car. She was blind drunk, quite literally. The cyclist never had a chance. The car just smashed through him, like he was never there. The car never stopped; it didn’t swerve, alter course or react in any way to the cycle’s presence. No, the drunken woman simply sped on down the ring road, dragging rider and cycle underneath her car. Emergency calls were made by witnesses of a car driving at speed with showers of sparks emanating from underneath! The driver actually made it to her home, and that is where we caught her. The cycle was actually welded to the underside of her vehicle. There were also pieces of

18 gore terribly spread over parts of the vehicle! How could we tell this widow that her husband’s death had a purpose? Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe in circumstances being preordained. We just have to acknowledge, by faith that we are not going to be privy to every answer or reason. Be warned, it will take tremendous strength and courage to stand in the Jedi way to affirm this creed!

The network of scaffold and ladders loomed out of the dark like a gigantic climbing frame. It was begging to be scaled and the two lads stood at the base ready to tackle their ‘Everest’. The numbing effect of beer disguised the fear of courage and they scurried up metalwork and ladders with their goal in sight. Their objective was to kiss the feet of a medieval statue. It stood on the side of the Cathedral and was currently undergoing restoration work. Balanced precariously on a scaffolding pole one of the lads reached towards the statue. The prize was within his grasp, but a drunken stupor got the better of him. Losing his foothold he plummeted towards the ground. Vainly he tried grabbing onto the statue, but his efforts only succeeded in toppling the statue itself! He thumped onto the Cathedral lawns, pain mercifully dulled by the alcohol. Then, as if by preordained judgement, the stone figure landed on top of him. He sustained severe, but not fatal injuries. Later, during an interview with the press he said to the reporters, “I am not a yobbo!”

Have you ever played the game ‘snakes and ladders’? Turns are taken to move your counter on a board from square 1 to square 100. Landing on the base of a ladder allows you to climb and thereby jump several squares. Whereas falling on the head of a snake means sliding way back down the board. How like life this game can be! The prosperous always seem to be the ones who make it up the ladder in time. We become jealous of the proud and successful people. They are the few in power and nothing seems to thwart their activities. But every time we seem to make a bit of progress something occurs that causes our feet to slip, and we almost topple. Here is the frustration of a slow, plodding, square by square advance through life. Every time you seem to make an advance, then you land on the head of a snake and come tumbling down. Does it feel like you are being punished or walking through tar? When trouble comes our way do we behave like ‘yobbos’? This is the time to keep your eyes firmly set on ‘square 100’, the goal of your faith. Our progress may seem slow and difficult with many falls but it is the Force, and its will leading and sustaining us. When trouble comes our way it may feel so grievous that our flesh and hearts may fail. And just because it is preordained, does it mean we should sit back for the ride? No! We live in a state of grace, we determine to walk according to the decisions and plans laid out for our life. When all things are brought out into the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed. In all things the Force works for the good of those who live by its calling and purposes. The will of the Force will never lead you where it cannot keep and sustain you, so be inspired!

Coincidence, luck and chance do not exist. But there is predestination, design and purpose. However, does this mean there is no free will? Can there be concepts such as good and evil if everything is destined to happen anyway? The beauty of this creed is in the fact that free will and expression of love and grace can still co-exist. We can turn against destiny by refusing to accept circumstances, but this will cause us pain! Not long after joining the police I received a transfer notice. I was to be moved from a City station into a rural area. The new posting would take me some considerable distance away from my fiancé. This came as a bitter blow. I tried everything in my power to get out of this move, but to no avail. All that my resistance managed to achieve was more stress and bitterness for me. It seemed like I had landed on the head of a very long snake, and slipped backwards some considerable distance. I certainly behaved like a spoiled ‘yobbo’. However, some weeks after commencing at my

19 new station the destiny of that move dramatically revealed itself. During the early evening of a tour of duty the names Peter and Jean popped into my mind very clearly and distinctly, as if someone has just spoken them. Then the ‘voice’ gave a number, ‘48’, and a road name. I should explain that just before my move a family friend had given me the contact address for a church, together with the pastor’s details. I took the names, road and house number by faith, and made a call. The road and house existed. On calling there the occupants were ‘Peter’ and ‘Jean’. They were also going to the church mentioned by the friend. However, they were new at the church and my friend did not know them. I say this to reassure you there was absolutely no previous knowledge of these folk, so there was nothing sitting in my subconscious! We have since become deep and very close friends. Peter and Jean are like close relatives to my children. We have a deep spiritual connection that is hard to understand unless you have been through such bonding yourself. The recommendation here is to believe and be inspired.

Appendice: Destiny Recently I had the privilege to talk with Todd Fogal in the chat room. The discussion was purely general in nature. But suddenly Todd began to talk about a commitment to fellowship in a way that was very personal to me. Todd could not have known that, we have never met before, I haven’t given any hint of the issues within my journal and nothing was said between us up to the point he began to disseminate his wisdom. No, it was the will and power of the Force that communicated between us at heart level. Todd spoke out of the heart and those living words reached in to my heart, and challenged me in a way Todd could never have realised. This is Jedi destiny in action! Subsequent to that conversation I kept having a vision of a Lion and thoughts about heart-to-heart communication. This is the reason behind my name changing to ‘Cuore del Leone’, which means ‘Heart of the Lion’.

11. Jedi must let go of obsessive attachment, both material and personal. The obsession over possessions creates the fear of loosing those possessions, which can lead to the Dark Side.

The general rule for this tenet is to ‘Be Content!’ There is no accident in the placing of this statement within the code. The alternative is discontent and that leads us on a constant and insatiable quest to feed our hunger for acquisition. We have a need to fill the gap or hole in our lives that we do not recognise. Then we grip so tight that we become constantly distracted, vulnerable to the emotions, ignorant in our views, understanding and knowledge become distorted, greed and lust soon take up residence, and this opens the way to cheating and lies and pride. Now there will be no end to the levels we stoop in order to gain, or be desired or loved, and suddenly we are coveting feelings all rooted in power. This is a pearl whose price is so great that it will cost you everything, leave you corrupted and destroy those around you.

“How will I get into town?” “That’s not a problem luv; we’ll take you in the van…” “But I can’t go looking like this; I’m not dressed for town…” “Here’s your coat put it on and we won’t tell…” “I’m 81 dear, how will I get into that van?” “Don’t worry yourself, we’ll lift you in.” “I’m really not sure…it all seems like a lot of fuss.” “It’s no trouble at all luv…we’ve got a bit of time, and it’s not far out of our way.” And so this frail pensioner clambered awkwardly into the builders van, squished between her two grubby, unlikely aides. Soon in town they parked on double- yellow lines (no parking zone) opposite their destination. These shabby,

20 supposedly good-hearted knights helped their maiden out of the van and across the road, “Won’t you get into trouble parking here?” “Don’t you worry luv…we’ll take the risk…we don’t want you walking too far, do we?” Once her transactions were completed this feeble dame was driven home by her chubby, greasy escorts. But this was no act of kindness, and back on her doorstep their tone changed, “That’ll be £1,000 then, luv.” The cash changed hands and the builder’s rapidly exited. Their slippery patter had persuaded the homeowner that her drive needed re-surfacing. Generous words of supposed compassion and a friendly nature deceived the lady out of her life savings. She sat down on her doorstep, excruciating pain thumping in her right temple. It was a massive bleed on her brain, in response to the stress of the builder’s visit. Tragically she never recovered and died during the night. Convincing, ‘tricksy’ benevolence had turned out to be lies that shook her to death.

We may not cheat elderly, frail ladies out of their savings, but the principle underlying this may catch hold of us when we obsess over material things. Life can get messy and these situations become a series of dirty pictures upon our path. One such dirty picture involved ‘Mac’ and the stories of his military experience. And before this goes any further let me say it is not intended to criticise any member of the armed forces! I hope that you will ‘enjoy’ the support of all your colleagues here – keeping the peace and defending the right in whatever country your nation has called you to serve is of the utmost importance. The work you do is honourable and I think of our service men and women everyday - especially as we see what you have to endure on the modern battlefield. You are never out of our hearts and minds! In the case of ‘Mac’ it was a different story. Mac was now in private employment and would regale his lunchtime colleagues with explicit accounts of bloody SAS operations during the 1991 Gulf War. He was coined the ‘military man’ and, encouraged by his audience, became the charismatic hero whose stories grew in stature with every telling. “We was keepin’ obs on this Iraqi outpost in Basra. It was crawlin’ with Republican Guard, but they never knew we was there. Then the order came to take ’em out…believe me it was quick and nasty. I’d put a couple of rounds in the first guard and we was moving down the street before he’d hit the deck. When it was over we left their stinkin’ bodies in the road and put bacon rashers in their mouths so’s their Muslim buddies couldn’t touch ’em.”

In time Mac developed an absenteeism record, never more than two days but growing in frequency. Mac would eventually ‘divulge’ the reason for his disappearance to colleagues. “’Course you never really leaves the regiment…they often need my special weapon skills for little jobs…I’ve still got my MP5 at home…” His endless and vile disclosure’s caused enough concern for his employers to contact the police. A search warrant was obtained and we paid Mac a visit at home. There were no weapons and Mac had never served in the military. Unfortunately we did find a set of photographs. The pictures were of Mac dressed in women’s lingerie. Mac desperately sought the acceptance of his peers, inventing the ‘military man’ personae to achieve his desire. Here were a set of dirty pictures with a peculiar outcome.

We can become fixated on material things, the desire to be needed, or in our love and relationships. There can be the utmost integrity surrounding these feelings, but we should remain on guard at all times!

“Mary, where are you Mary?” Bob needed his wife. He needed to know she was alright. He couldn’t see because of the tight bandages wrapped around his head

21 (I was scene commander for this crash). He couldn’t reach out to her because he was pinned into the car seat, amongst all the twisted wreckage. He couldn’t hear because of the whirring and snapping of cutting equipment tearing the car open. Hot pungent smoke and oil filled his nostrils (How do I know, I was there!), pain stabbed through his trapped legs and the urgent shouts of rescue personnel filled his head. “We’ll have you out soon mate, don’t worry…it’s going to be ok…” Bob didn’t want ‘out’ he just wanted Mary, to know she was there?

Bob had fallen asleep and crashed their car on the motorway. He’d driven into a van broken down on the hard shoulder (lane explicitly there for emergency breakdowns). Now Bob was pinned awkwardly in the driver’s seat. Mary was sitting next to him. Mary was dead. We covered Mary in a sheet until Bob had been cut out of the vehicle. Bob didn’t like being separated from Mary, but her lifeless body was veiled from sight until the undertaker arrived. The loss of Mary was too much to bear and within days Bob died from a ‘broken heart’.

I feel led to say something personal right now: The Masters of this Temple all need to be in agreement. There needs to be ‘A’ statement of faith you ALL agree on AND a set of doctrinal statements that Jediism ascribes to. Without these basic assumptions you are destined to fail. There are ‘real’ hurting people in this world, and messing about with doctrine is a selfish occupation. Let’s get on with the doing! Another important point to consider is that Jediism may be a ‘specific’ faith (I don’t say religion, for religion is a search for faith, and even the Bible only mentions the word religion’ but a few times – AND then it is only in respect of ACTUAL doing!). The creeds say there is ‘no ignorance’ – surely this means us, at least having the decency and strength to read and discover what ALL other faith systems and sacred writings have to say on life? We may not finally agree with them, but at least we can say we have ‘looked’ at what those sacred writings say? That is why I have uploaded the Bagahvad Gita on this website. I don’t follow its teachings, but I do follow the guidance in the creeds within the Temple – there is no ignorance. Is this relevant to the tenet in question? Oh, yes! I have been in the police for 26-years. I have been to the scene of countless fatalities – I feel more than qualified to write on this issue. I don’t care if it comes across as arrogant. I do it because I believe in what is stated within the codes and doctrines of this site. In the words of Battlestar Galactica it should be, “So say we all!” Master’s, give a full, definitive manifest of our ‘statement of faith’, take a stand, be the leaders you are destined and appointed to be! Whilst it is good to let your congregation have a voice, it does not mean they dictate the way of the faith! The Knights and Masters are appointed and have a recognised role. It is the role of the congregation of initiates and apprentices to understand and recognise this. You must have an specific syllabus for study and teaching, but remember; there is no ignorance, so it cannot be wrong for the Jedi to review and study what has been written on life and the universe from all the diverse groups around the world. The creed accepts us whether we are heterosexual, gay or transgender. Then shouldn’t it also be ‘open’ to the views and experience of the many other diverse groups whose philosophy may not harmonise with ours? This is prompted by a conversation I was privy to in the Temple Hall – and I make no apologies. Do something…don’t remain silent…don’t roll over and lie down just because a bigger dog has come along!

The whole purpose of Jediism is to deal with and confront real issues; to have a witness and positive impact on society. On a surface level this tenet might deal

22 with contentment and ‘letting go’’ of possessions both material and personal, but it may be better saying, “Let’s get with the programme people!”

I really hope this provokes a response. My journal thus far has been about Mark. There have been no comments – that may be because I commenced from a much defined view based upon my beliefs. If nothing else meeting Todd Fogal, Kell Dor, Xan_Qenadius, Jedi Nemo, Jedi Grayson Dark, initiate Ziv and Master Sythe has re-affirmed my belief in the Jedi way! Grasp hold of the Force people!

There are many other champions or advocates in this world just waiting and ready to fill the void if Jediism doesn’t get there first. I remember being first on scene a ‘jumper’ incident. It was also unfortunate, for me, that I had the reputation as being the ‘first aider’ on my team. This chap had thrown himself off a 16-metre high motorway over bridge. Only the Force knows how any vehicle had not managed to run over his body? On arrival the casualty was lying in lane two of three traffic lanes. We had stopped ALL traffic. I had to ‘fight’ with the casualty. He was trying to get up! He had smashed his jaw, with an eyeball hanging on its stalk and flapping around his face. He had multiple fractures in his right leg. How did I know? The flesh had split open from thigh to foot. I could see all the bone pieces through red flesh from hip joint down to foot. And still he fought me! This gent had simply become dissatisfied with life; he wanted something else to replace the empty hole but didn’t know what? He was missing the Force and the Jedi way.

Should a Temple spend its time debating what it and what it should teach its initiates or should it be reaching out and protecting those who get trapped or die by the bucket load? I’m not going to mess with this tenet – it is TOO serious. If anyone from the Jedi council is reading my journal then note – Many counsellors or Masters are waiting to fill the void you do not fill! There is:

Counsellor Drugs – Cocaine had a victim so ensnared she spent £22,000 inheritance in 4-months feeding a crack addiction. On his release from prison a young lad sought out his companion ‘counsellor amphetamine’. He crushed 9 tablets into a solution for injecting. So powerful was the mix that his heart stopped immediately, leaving him dead where he sat, and syringe still dangling from his leg!

Counsellor alcohol – ‘counsellor drink drive’ is a murderous serial killer claiming 6,500 victims in the last 10-years on UK roads. ‘Counsellor drunken brawl’ reduces our night-time streets to ‘no-go’ areas. There had been a massive fight in a bar. Two police vans were required for multiple prisoner transport. A display board indicated the reason why: “Thursday Night – Drink All You Can for £10”

Counsellor Pornography – We attended a three-car crash. The offending driver was a 15-year-old girl. She was trying to commit suicide. A man she met on an internet chat room had raped the girl. In another case a man and his wife committed a series of 10 murders over a period of years, burying the victims under their house. They had raped the girls and filmed the events to satisfy their carnal lust.

Counsellor Credit – this counsellor says, ‘You can have it now.’ We broke into the flat of a suicide victim. The gent killed himself because of mounting debts, and ‘counsellor credit’ had suggested the solution to debt was more debt!

The alternative to this depressing scenario is contentment. This has to come from a whole combination of peace, understanding, and sense of your own destiny, healthy mind spirit and attitude, patience, humility, clarity of mind

23 through meditation, and a love and compassion that goes beyond the carnal and is motivated by grace. This has come across as a bit zealous and extreme – but I make no apologies – this is REAL people! This is where Jediism is really going to make itself felt and heard!

12. Jedi believe in eternal life. We do not become obsessed in mourning those who pass. Grieve as you will but take heart, for the soul and spirit continue in the netherworld of the Living Force.

The teachings now move into the ‘true grit’ section. They become the summation of everything thus far declared. These last few tenets are far more than repetition, but we should also keep in mind the ideal that many sacred writings do repeat certain statements. When this happens it signifies that, that statement is worthy of serious thought and of great import. This is where we might realise that old philosophical adage, ‘the sum of the parts is greater than the whole’. We have moved into the true and are called to ponder eternity in all its great majesty and mystery. Here is contemplation on our ‘form’ or body, soul and spirit.

The element to pick up on here is the ‘final state’, or ‘netherworld’. It is the question of the ages fought over and debated by so many groups whether Roman Catholic (purgatory – discussed in Dante’s Divine Comedy), Anglican, Evangelical, Seventh Day Adventist, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormon, Christian Science, Infamous cults such as Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, The Church of reverend Sung Myung Moon, Egyptian Book of the Dead, Clairvoyance and Spiritism, militant and evolution – to name but a few. This is the ‘Why Bother?’

Jim Jones developed a belief called Translation in which he and his followers would all die together, and would move to another planet for a life of bliss. Mass suicides were practiced in which his followers were persuaded to drink poison and fell to the ground. I remember on the TV, the 1978 Jonestown mass murder/suicide. Nearly a 1,000 people took their own lives or were shot by Jones’s acolytes. This is the result of taking one small piece of doctrine, keeping it in isolation and building a foundation of distortion and error around it. There must be balance, harmony and understanding. Their must be a fully settled statement of faith and structured doctrine. What one must ask though is, ‘Why bother?’ Why bother considering this at all if there is just ‘the netherworld’? If the final state is one and the same for ALL then what happened at Jonestown is not significant. What happens in Iraq and Afghanistan does not matter. Individuals like Saddam Hussein or extremist groups claiming allegiance to Al Qaeda do not matter. The London and Coventry blitz did not matter. German V2 rockets over the UK capitol did not matter. The equally notorious firebombing of Dresden and 1,000 bomber raid over Cologne did not matter. The less known SS brutality directed at Russian peasants on the ‘Ostfront’ did not matter! One final state for good or bad means there is no need for brutal dictators or any cult leader to justify the means or ends. In fact it eliminates the concepts of good or evil, light or dark – as there could be no boundaries, feelings of guilt or limits from conscience. But there is one big problem, genocide, vicious breaches of human rights, torture, murder and more do shock the majority of human beings. Whilst we may see that human beings do not have the capacity to self regulate – 26 yrs in police has shown me that – it is on an inconsistent basis. Guilt and conscience do exist. The Jedi way promotes control of the emotions and is under girded by compassion. For there to be altruism then there must be opposites. Is it contemplation of the ‘final state’ that maintains and regulates the development of conscience in the human soul? Does conscience serve to operate restraint within our spirit? Fyodor Dostoevsky debated the very nature of human

24 conscience, bloodguilt and confession in his novel ‘Crime and Punishment’, in which the male protagonist is driven to confession by his own conscience.

Here are two intertwined and parallel stories:

Station: Spang! The early morning silence was shattered as the metal framed glass door swung wildly on its hinges. The duty officer looked up sharply to see a wet, dishevelled man standing in the entrance but waiting, reluctant to cross the police station threshold…

Apartment: Crack! The door splintered inwards with one kick. Then wait…listen… stare hard into the inky blackness, looking for signs of life. Not daring to cross the threshold in case the unseen occupant might rush the intruders…

Station: “I’ve done a terrible thing…” the gent was drenched through in smelly canal water. He was shaking uncontrollably and his speech came in sobbing gasps, as he stood there before the police clerk…

Apartment: What unimaginable horror laid waiting in the darkness? Cautiously the officers entered the house, their eyes adjusting to the night. What was that on the floor? A bulky, motionless outline, perhaps confirming their worst fears…

Station: “What have I done? She’s gone…he shouldn’t have been there…” the disorderly bundle of bones continued his shambling disclosures to the police clerk: “I’ve done a terrible thing…”

Apartment: The officers had lost the element of surprise now so they turned on a lamp. Oh, what a sight? There, slumped on the floor, lay a limp female form, a moat of blood soaking into the carpet. Her face was missing, blasted away by a close range gunshot…

Station: “I’ve killed her…I’ve done a terrible thing.” The confession came in heaving sobs. With cold dread the police clerk had realised he was dealing with a murderer on the station doorstep. Here was a killer who had recently left the crime scene where, at that present moment officers were making their grisly discovery…

This was an illicit love tryst founded on a deadly web of deceit and death. A stark warning that enticement and base desire is a lethal assassin who will viciously strike you unawares and take you down! The shotgun victim had sent her husband away on a spurious errand. Now she could invite her lover into the home. The husband knew in spirit that something was wrong. Aching doubt and mistrust gave birth to murderous intent. He returned early, armed with a shotgun hoping to catch the lovers; killing them would ease his pain. However, the male interloper managed to escape and alert the police. The slighted husband shot his wife in the face and then fled the scene. He ran to a nearby canal, plunging into the dark, murky waters hoping to drown himself and his bloodguilt. Somehow, realising that death alone would not cleanse the bloodstains upon his soul; he clambered out of the canal and went to confess.

Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem that is poignant to this Jedi teaching: Jack Barratt’s bones at Quetta Enjoy profound repose; But I shouldn’t be astonished If now his spirit knows The reason for his transfer From the Himalayan snows

25 And, when the Last Great Bugle Call Adown the Hurnai throbs, And the last grim joke is entered In the big black Book of Jobs, And Quetta graveyards give again Their victims to the air, I shouldn’t like to be the man Who sent Jack Barrett there.

If there is no good or evil then who stands to condemn the man who blasted his wife in the face with that shotgun? Why did he feel the need to confess? What was the necessity or purpose of confession? Why did he need to cleanse the soul? The desire of the human heart is for ‘reason’ – a reason or meaning to life, and this brings into existence a necessity for redemption. This also makes our ‘final state’ significant. The very course of human history reflects a need for redemption and this must carry into the final, spiritual state. Thus we find there must be different ‘states’ dependent on the life we have led i.e., Light or Dark?

13. Jedi use the Force only when it is necessary. We do not apply our abilities or powers to boast or be prideful. We use the Force for knowledge, and exercise wisdom and humility in doing so, for humility is a trait all Jedi must embody.

How are you boundaries? Do they rest in good and pleasant lands? Here, again, is a teaching that combines so much that has gone before. We need the combined disciplines of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, contentment and control of the emotions, love, peace and humility. When our boundary lines get crossed then we become more and more like the Praetorian Guard. The Praetorian was fiercely competitive and protective – Caesar was their all! The guard’s position was a declaration of power and once you had crossed into the boundary of the Praetorian then you had better watch out!

Thump! Thump! Thump! It was the reverberating sound of a wooden post being hammered into the ground. And then the violence began. It was the outrage of quarrelling neighbours whose lengthy boundary dispute came broiling over with the fixing of that upright. The border between two properties was in contention and the neighbour had staked his claim by fixing the posts. This was the last straw for the lady in the adjoining property. The neighbour had crossed the lines of goodwill by encroaching onto her estate. Storming across the garden she threw a pot of creosote into the neighbours face (creosote is a wood preservative no longer used – it has been classified as a hazardous material).

Inevitably the police were called, by which time this ladies outburst had transformed into blind fury. Halfway along the garden path we were confronted by a wild woman charging at us with a raised garden fork! Reduced to primal level the scenario was no different to a ferocious lion pouncing from the tree line on its unsuspecting prey. We became a flurry of arms and legs until the lady was overpowered and relieved of the potentially dangerous fork. This whole dispute had become a matter of principle to the neighbours, but isn’t principle a sugar- coated excuse for pride? Sometimes, standing up for principles can cross the lines of inhumanity

An army of Animal Liberation Front protesters had gathered, as usual, outside a ‘farm’ used as a breeding centre. It provided animals (cats and guinea pigs) to local ‘Life Sciences’ laboratories. All of the previous gatherings had decayed into extreme violence, and so a regional response had been arranged by neighbouring

26 police forces. The ‘cattery’ was surrounded by open fields, which had been freshly ploughed that day. The Government had installed expensive ‘fortress fencing’ around the perimeter of the farm. The police groups were lined inside the fencing and protestors gathered on the ‘outside’. The police were kitted in suitable ‘public order’ protective equipment. This was fortunate as there was an almost unending supply of stone and rock in the recently ploughed fields. Soon father’s, mothers AND their children were throwing rocks and egging one-another on to more violence. I saw one of my police colleagues take a direct hot on the head (was wearing a helmet) from a large rock – the violent impact knocked him unconscious! Once the battle was over it was assessed that protestors had caused over 1-million pounds in damage. Principle had most definitely crossed the lines of inhumanity into pride on this occasion. Do we have a ‘Caesar’ at the centre of our hearts? The Praetorium was a proud name for an official governmental residence. Any ‘contenders’ delivered into the confines of this palace would have stepped into the territory of the ‘Guards’. It is the place where the ‘Praetorian’ heart stakes its claim and defines the boundary lines. When that ‘Caesar’ is crowned king in our hearts then any matter touching upon our territory, especially where humility might require the ‘giving’ of ground, develops into a ferocious border dispute.

This is a good time to meditate and ‘listen’ for that, ‘Thump, thump, thump…’ in your heart. Is this the sound of stakes being posted? But it does not matter how many posts are erected to define our boundaries if they are not acknowledged as being placed there by the Will of the Force. As long as we reject the Jedi Way AND that of the Light, then those posts will, eventually be torn down!

The allotment of land often results in violence, bitter feuds and bloodshed, such as those ongoing disputes in Gaza and Pakistan. It doesn’t take long for those boundary lines to get crossed and suddenly ‘PRIDE’ has dug in its vicious claws. We must examine our hearts for signs of the ‘Caesar principle’. What has become ‘Caesar’ in our lives? What principles so consume us that we stake a claim and post a Praetorian Guard?

As long as the Praetorian stands proud in our hearts then crossed lines are pride lines. But this only ends in the loss of our inheritance. And so, for our boundary lines to fall in pleasant and delightful places it is imperative that we stay mindful, at all times, of this teaching.

14. We as Jedi believe that love and compassion are central to our lives. We must love each other as we love ourselves; by doing this, we envelope all life in the positive energy of the Force.

Are you in love? Pop-psychology offers a formula that might indicate an answer to the question. Love has been reduced to a set of five necessary elements and at what level they are present within a relationship. The primary components are attraction, arousal, intimacy, the need to be desired and the fear of loss. Each of these elements is rated on a ten-point scale. The maximum attainable score, according to the formula is ‘75’. If the score is greater for a friend than a lover it is hypothesised that you are not in love.

The formula is of no more worth than some love potion created by a wizard in a children’s fantasy. No, ‘Love Potion No: 75’ is rooted in the emotions, which is its fatal flaw. It says nothing of arranged marriages for a start. And I have some very dear Sikh friends whose marriage was ‘arranged’. This couple are very much in love, and The Jedi might say their marriage was pre-ordained by the Force. This is not to say many around us have seriously flawed ideas on what love is, and would sadly prefer ‘Love Potion No: 75’.

27 It was an extensive and exhaustive search, with personnel drafted in from all over the force area. Hopes remained high for a positive outcome. A constable accompanied the parents and with reassuring words said, “Don’t worry, we’ll find her…everything will be alright…” And with that came an excited call over the radio, there had been a ‘find’.

The search team stood sombrely at the lakeside. There in the water, a little out from the embankment was a pretty hair-bow, and an empty wheel-chair sat nearby. No word was necessary. Tear filled eyes said everything as the lake cast its poor and melancholy reflection. This was the last testament of a wheelchair- bound girl who had been in love. Now it was witnessed by police officers, dolefully observing that pink bow loll apathetically in the water.

However, the resolution to this incident took quite a twist. The teenage girl was not dead, but hiding. It was a wicked plot intended to torment her ex-boyfriend with feelings of guilt. Their frivolous relationship was founded on emotions, but love had grown cold. She expected something in return for her ‘investment’ and this ‘King and I’ romance deteriorated into the ‘Kingdom of I’. Immature reasoning induced highly charged feelings, ultimately leading to that poor reflection in the cold, inert waters where a self-seeking disposition caused love to loll.

Love is more about self- and putting others before ourselves. We may not be able to change the whole world, but we can change it for the few individuals we meet each day. It was wisely said, “If you are going to give a starving man a bible tract, then wrap it in a sandwich!” This is the essence that must exist behind all of our Jedi motivation – bearing witness to the Living Force is best expressed in a life that loved, no matter what faith, religious or non- religious background we herald from. We all have it in our power to demonstrate 1,000 little kindnesses each and every day, as we become ‘Living Love Letters’. This type of love has far more depth than high school romance. This love takes an act of the will. This love is not a feeling; it is getting down on our knees, getting our hands dirty and loving the unlovable.

“I stabbed him good, man…” The grisly boast carried on the night air, and was overheard by our caller. Advantageously the witness also named the character bragging about the stabbing outside his window. We had a ‘potential’ victim and a named offender, but frustratingly could not locate either. A search of the locale and enquiries with hospitals all drew a blank. Another two hours passed before our first breakthrough. A nurse from the local ‘Accident & Emergency’ department rang saying, “We’ve had a man named ‘Jim’ attend with a stab wound. He walked out of hospital refusing treatment, and we believe he could die from his injuries…” It may not have seemed like much, but we knew of a local homeless character called ‘Jim’, and many of the derelict buildings where he might be found. In the meantime we stumbled upon the main offender. It was a hot night, the searing and intrusive heat caused restless spirits across the county to erupt in bloody scenes of violence – there was no love lost in the heart of this city. In fact, it was an occasion when the Jedi would say with total understanding, ‘I feel a great disturbance in the Force!’ Having recently taken ‘speed’ (amphetamine) our offender was no exception. A dizzying foot pursuit concluded in an outrageous scrap, as we all crashed through garden fences, rolled destructively across private lawns, lungs stinging as we gasped for air, desperately trying to subdue the protagonist. He fought like a wild animal, and only the rattle and chink of handcuffs skittering across concrete paths signalled an end. Once our quarry was chained we took opportunity to regain our breath, waiting for the police van. Later we also found ‘Jim’, weak from his injury but still

28 prepared to resist our attempts to get him to hospital! The stab wound had punctured a lung, but he did survive. ‘Jim’ inexplicably refused to assist a prosecution and the offender was released. ‘Jim’ had almost died from a malicious, unprovoked stab wound. Yet the rattle of laboured breath disguised his ‘sacrifice’, which hadn’t been in the name of love or forgiveness, but purely for his desire to live simply and hassle free.

To genuinely love another we must have a true understanding of our own heart. This means self acceptance. Low self esteem, depression and many other conditions that torture precious can so infect that it is impossible to truly appreciate love, either for fear of being let down, or because of a tainted history. How can we express the love of a Father to someone if their only experience of a father’s love was ‘abuse’? That is why love has to be an act of the will, and that this Jedi teaching is of such import! And the crowning glory must be, “greater love has no man/woman than this: that they lay down their life for their friend…”

Police officers had stopped a vehicle on the motorway. On sighting the police car the driver appeared to hide something under the seats. One of the officers commenced a search of the vehicle. The driver became increasingly restless, and with good cause as the officer withdrew several bundles of cash from underneath a passenger seat (£50,000). Reacting explosively, the driver punched the second officer knocking him to the ground. The fugitive leapt into his vehicle and sped onto the motorway, amidst screeching tyres and clouds of burnt rubber. Still entangled in the passenger seatbelt the searching officer was horrifically dragged along the road. But once free his head struck a wheel, knocking him unconscious. He lay helpless in the carriageway, while his partner was still half- dazed and unaware of the desperate situation unfolding. Traffic approached the comatose officer at breakneck speed, and he was moments away from certain death. But at frightful risk to himself a gent stopped his own vehicle in the carriageway. He tended to the officer as cars and lorries thundered around them. Calmly, he examined the officer to make sure it was safe to move him. Then he dragged the casualty to the roadside and relative safety. In the face of certain death the selfless act of one individual prevented a tragedy. This teaching can be summed as follows: Love = Sacrifice.

15. Jedi are guardians of peace and justice. We believe in finding peaceful solutions to problems, gifted as we are we remain negotiators of the utmost ability. We never negotiate out of fear, but never fear to negotiate. We embrace justice, protecting and preserving the fundamental rights of all living creatures. Empathy and compassion are vital to us; it allows us to comprehend the wounds caused by injustice.

Teaching ‘No: 15’ is quite overwhelming, a whole thesis could be written on this one tenet. No one single Jedi attribute is sufficient to meet this standard. The banner we raise here will require commitment to a life of faithfulness, honesty and integrity, justice and mercy. This is where we will define our character and quality. This is the great ‘notional’ court-room battle where, by skill we learn to evaluate motives and actions. The hidden attitudes of the inner heart such as a desire for money and power will eventually be revealed no matter what outward disguise has been used. Our character is what we truly are, compared with what we seem to be. You can appear to be generous even when your heart is that of a skinflint. It is the Jedi calling, as here manifested, to stand in the gap and speak on behalf of the exploited or ‘little victims’ - and with courage we must let our ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and our ‘No’ be ‘No’!

“Daddy, daddy…” it was an urgent plea for help. We ushered the little girl into a side room. Her breath came in short asthmatic gasps; panic and shock imbued

29 the air. Outside, in the corridor, stood her attacker, the dishevelled man who had filled her head with nightmares for the last 12-months. “I am so terribly sorry,” said the barrister, “How could we have been so insensitive to forget her?”

Twelve months previously the little 8-year-old girl had been in the school playground. Her nemesis stood at the perimeter fence, watching and waiting. Days passed and each break period found him there again staring, smiling and waving. In time he appeared near her home, and in the park where she played with friends. Wearing dirty denim’s, sporting unkempt goatee beard and tattoos he was just ‘That funny man’ to the children. But now he was at the school gate, beckoning her towards him. “Hello, do you want to come out with me?” “I can’t the dinner ladies will be cross…” He grabbed her hand, “That’s alright; you just tell them I’m your dad.” “I can’t come, I’ll be in trouble. Where would we go?” His pleasant smile turned to a snarl, “Listen, I know where you live. If you don’t come with me now I’ll f*****g kill you!” Pulling her hand away she ran, as if from a pack of wolves into the playground, anxiously searching for a dinnertime supervisor.

The children were gathered up and the police called, but her weird suitor had disappeared. Eventually we caught him and he was remanded in prison for nearly a year as the case progressed. It didn’t stop the nightmares though, as this ghastly, tattooed man burst in through the bedroom window of her dreams! At a case conference the barrister remarked; “The prison psychologist is happy there was no sexual motive intended in the defendant’s actions.” Had they forgotten all that had taken place? Had they forgotten the trauma subsequently endured by his victim?

On the final day of the Crown Court trial he pleaded guilty to ‘disorderly conduct’. The plea was accepted and he was released, having already been in prison for 12- months. However, these court dignitaries had completely forgotten about the little victim waiting, nervously in the narrow court halls. Any healing where time had caused those nightmares to fade was now undone. As the enemy walked by, unsightly visions flooded the mind of that little victim lost and forgotten in a grown up world!

The ancient Greeks listed a set of four cardinal virtues, and they fit so perfectly with this current tenet it is as if they were written for one-another! The virtues listed are:

Virtue 1 - Discernment: Unless you are able to discern what is really going on in a situation you will always make wrong decisions. What is it that people are feeling and what is it that is of most importance in that situation?

Virtue 2 – Courage: This is the power to do well when the going gets tough, when all around seems like the force of a hurricane directed at you. Courage is having the character to excel when things come along to tempt, and when things are painful. It is easy to be a parent when baby is cooing and gurgling. But it takes courage to be a parent when baby has an incurable disease or disability. Courage is the power to do well in the face of a threat to your life, or your security, or your future, or to the things you hold dear.

Virtue 3 – Temperance: This means being in charge of your own life. It necessitates the discipline to manage, to control, to be able to orchestrate all the stuff going on inside of you. A temperate person does not charge wildly into the fray, but does accept responsibility from the direction and will of the Force. Faith

30 does mean letting go, but does not mean we let go and let circumstances, substances or other people ‘control’ us. Practise is a requirement of all these virtues if we are going to maintain them and develop, but especially so with temperance.

Virtue 4 – Justice: The Jedi who lives by this virtue will always determine to be fair. We do not treat one person differently from another, but we also acknowledge that each individual must be treated according to their needs. To walk the path of justice means rejecting questions such as, ‘Who is making the loudest noise?’ or ‘Who will reward me the most?’ To travel this path we must act justly, and love mercy and walk with humility. We must act in mercy, but when mercy is despised we act in justice, and justice will require punishment. Justice will mean confronting moral inequity. When profit and prestige is the aim or goal, then people get exploited! Being a prophet of the truth will open us up to the likelihood of taking hits. But we do not respond with temper tantrums; instead we act with a deliberate and intentional message. We can never hold guiltless those who exploit others. The challenge is to take negative situations and turn them into positive realities, and by the will and power of the Force they are rearranged, reconstructed and realigned.

Do you know of someone who has lost heart? Do you know of someone who feels spurned, irrelevant, worthless, orphaned and abandoned on the rubbish heap? This is the cry of the ‘Woebegone’ family. They belong to the Victorian slums in a Charles Dickens novel, but whilst the name is fanciful they are real 21st century blood and bone folk. There were five children and the youngest had run away from home. A search for the lost hearted lad uncovered appalling family secrets. Mrs Woebegone was a confused mass of tears, shattered nerves and broken sentences. Mr Woebegone was an idle heap of drunken bones, snoring amongst crumpled beer cans and abhorrent porn videos. The remaining children slept on urine soaked mattresses, which rested on bare floorboards, the smell of ammonia was bitter and stung our nostrils. The kitchen was a dark and morbid place, every inch of the floor covered in filthy, stinking refuse. A heap of putrefying rubbish had mounted so high that none of the doors would close! Feeling comfortless, hungry and ostracised their youngest son ran away. ‘Family’ depicted a moral waste tip upon which his identity had been discarded. Isolated and forgotten he took to the streets as an orphan and one of the ‘little victims’.

It would be tempting to advocate a ‘Hollywood movie’ response to many of the injustices we see i.e. ‘Terminate with extreme prejudice’ or ‘Blow your troubles away with the biggest gun available!’ But the Jedi way promotes the most superior guidance available. We might not be able to take on every injustice around the world, but we start with the small things near home. This way of life then grows and spreads, until one day it comes to recognition amongst governing bodies!

On a personal note I do hope the living examples provided in my journal are viewed the way intended: Not as an attack on the creeds and tenets or to discredit the Jedi way. But, rather to show the reality’s of this world and how Jediism and its creeds have a REAL place in the world for good!

16. We as Jedi make a commitment to, and are loyal to the Jedi cause. The ideals, philosophies, and practices of the Jedi define the belief of Jediism, and we take action on this path for self improvement, and to help others. We are both the witnesses and protectors of the Jedi way by the practice of our Faith.

“What happened to Gran’s Sheep” – a true story by Grace aged 8

31 “One day I was at my Gran’s house with my brother, sister, mum and cousins. We were all playing happily when these two men suddenly appeared. The two men were dressed in white suits. They went straight to Gran and spoke to her about the sheep saying that they had foot and mouth; they also said they would have to be killed. Gran was really sad by this. All of us were upset because Gran gave those sheep to my cousins and me. My sheep was called Tilly and she just had two babies and they had to be killed to. Just before the men had gone my auntie, cousin and I went over to stroke Dolly – that was my cousin’s sheep. Dolly was blind and she was such a nice sheep. I liked Dolly as much as Tilly. The men in white suits came to the house and said because Auntie, my cousin and I had touched Dolly, and she had foot and mouth, we would have to wash our clothes and have a bath. My auntie’s eyes were watering when she came out. So we went home I had a bath and mum washed my clothes. I was really upset about Tilly and her babies, and Dolly because they were my favourite sheep. It can be very upsetting if it is your own pet that has to be killed. The very upsetting thing for Gran is that they were killed on the day of her birthday.”

This was a personal account, by my daughter, of how the terrible foot and mouth crisis hit the UK in 2001. These were dreadful sights in full colour that will remain imprinted on the memories of young and old alike. Here were surreal images of MAFF teams (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries) in white over suits; slaughter men everywhere and military squads in abundance due to the epidemics scale. Livelihoods were destroyed, and many suffered trauma from the sheer scale of animal destruction.

Multiple calls were being received of an oil spill: “It’s running down the gutters and across the road…” The calls were right, there had been a spill, but it wasn’t oil. This was thick, sticky blood and the road turned crimson with every passing of a vehicle. A MAFF team and slaughter men had recently concluded their grisly task at an adjacent farm. The massive ‘flock’ was stacked in its death pyre in a barn, but blood was seeping through the ground and onto the road. It was a literal river of blood, symbolic of the destructive nature of this disease and interpreted by visions of ‘men in white’, rivers of blood and utter bewilderment when faced with pain, sorrow and suffering. Is it any wonder many just give up? The foot and mouth crisis saw a massive rise in suicides amongst the farming community – and who of us could ‘stay the course’?

This prompts the question, “What happens when the music stops?” You can take this literally or allegorically. Music is mentioned many times by Jedi within this temple. It aides us into meditation, and the positive influence upon students is undeniable. It is scientifically accepted that Mozart’s music stimulates the alpha waves in our brains, which improves receptivity for study. Associated with positive outcomes music can also be thought of allegorically as those times when things go ‘oh, so well’. But “What happens when the music stops?”

The Friday night combination of beer and loud music usually provides the police with a hectic workload of fights, but not on this occasion. It was raining heavily which cleared the streets of troublemakers quickly. The town grew quiet and it was time for a cup of tea. As we reversed into the station yard the VHF radio ‘barked’ at us – a serious assault had occurred at a local club. The ‘club’ was on the first floor of an old building, and the bar was still packed. A uniform presence in that type of boozy atmosphere makes for a volatile mixture! There was serious drinking to be done and that’s what most folk were doing, indifferent to the gent lying on the ground in a puddle of blood and occupying most of the dance floor. He was unconscious and two bar staff tended to him, mopping his beaten face with bar towels. We set about obtaining details from witnesses, but apparently no one saw anything? Eventually I sat down next to a hard looking bloke, whose

32 opening words were, “Yeah, I done it…I hit him…” Even Sherlock Holmes couldn’t have beaten the astonishing pace at which this crime was detected. The victim had been the entertainment, playing guitar and singing love songs. The evening had been a tremendous success with everyone thoroughly enjoying the songs, but when the music stopped the assault occurred. The meaning of those love songs seemed wasted as everyone carried on drinking whilst the singer lay in a puddle of his own blood. Many were supposedly good friends of the victim! The allegorical theme here is one of superficiality. The singer’s words were ‘just’ entertainment and they were ‘superficial’ in their praises. The messenger of love and peace was left beaten and bloodied. Reject loyalty and commitment and we may as well be the one who threw the punches. These Jedi teaching’s are far more than entertainment to be treated as nice love songs and a pleasant distraction from reality.

This is no more than a ‘kissing game’. Each time we insist on ‘courting’ disaster it will lead to lies and hurt. “It was dark and as I tried to put the key in the door I felt this blinding pain in the back of my head. I fell to my knees and it felt like my skull had caved in…that’s all I can remember officer.” This chap came into the police station reporting that he had been mugged on the doorstep outside his apartment. Sure enough there was a nasty bruise to the back of his head, the cuts having been stitched. His attacker was unknown, as was the reason for the assault. This kind of incident was rare in the town and a few door-to-door enquiries were likely to pay dividends. Yes, the neighbours had heard an argument between a male and female around midnight. The witnesses suggested it was the young man from the apartment who was fighting with his girlfriend. There was a shout and the sound of a girl running off awkwardly in high-heel shoes. Several days later the complainant was invited back to the station so that we might review the investigation. The evidence from witnesses was put to him. At this point he admitted there had never been a mugging. The fight outside was with his girlfriend, she had caught him kissing another girl. In a fit of rage she hid, waited for him and then struck him on the head with a large rock. His landlady would be suspicious of all the noise so he made the fraudulent report. Female guests were not allowed within his lodgings, so the story of a mugging was concocted. The chap had been a player in the ‘kissing game’ and won a nasty crack to the head, told lies and paid the price!

The ‘kissing game’ is waiting to trap us, as well. The Jedi teaching in question here might be best summed up as, ‘getting your priorities right’. We give ‘vanity’ a kiss and it all goes wrong. Do we gossip about others? Do we criticise (harmfully, not constructively) others? Do we think lustfully of someone? Do we cheat on taxes? Do we waste time at work? What are our motives and ambitions? When they centre upon us, or our vanity, they court with disaster and we break the rules. Maybe you have plans – plans that, with gritty determination, you are going to see through, your way! In which case it is time to, STOP - now is the time to examine those motives and actions carefully, and re-evaluate in terms of our commitment and loyalty to the Jedi way. Here commitment and loyalty equal righteousness, i.e. being right with Jediism and the Force.

Many will profess faithfulness, but few demonstrate the qualities. Faithfulness is often costly and few are prepared to pay the price. Faithfulness is an absolutely essential quality of character that we must develop through this tenet, regardless of cost. What is faithfulness? How do we practise it? When do we exhibit it in our lives? It refers to that which is firm or constant and can be relied upon. It means dependability, trustworthiness and loyalty in all our relationships. It means absolute honesty, integrity and being ethical in all our business. If we are careful to be honest in the little things, then we will certainly be honest in the

33 more important issues of life. The Jedi should be reliable, and this is not just a social duty but a spiritual obligation.

Not only are we to be devoted and loyal, but we must also demonstrate commitment. Even in the face of ‘men in white suits’ and ‘rivers of blood’ will we remain committed to the way? It was wisely said, “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.” Commitment will necessitate us regularly examining our actions and motives. We must guard against self, self, and self and stay the course, running the race until it is won. We question our priorities and obedience; with diligence and resourcefulness we correct, mould and train our moral character by hearing, reading, studying, planning and applying.

The opposite of commitment and loyalty is betrayal, dishonesty and destruction. What happens when the music stops? Do we play the kissing game? No, the Jedi way is to embrace the truth of their teachings, acting upon its wisdom and live in its full assurance. This is our true priority and focus: To build upon and develop our faith, and not solely on careers, thrill seeking, talents, relationships or things that do not last.

This concludes my observations on the 16 Jedi teachings. Unless otherwise instructed, I shall now study the 3 primary tenets, the Jedi creed and Vows of the Jedi.

Three primary tenets of Jediism Focus

The sage-like advice of a six-year-old seems appropriate to this tenet: “Never tell your mum her diet programme isn’t working!” Advice that may just preserve your life, but on a more serious note the instruction to, ‘Lose some weight’ is very prudent to our Focus.

The new police recruit, fresh out of training college, will face a bewildering array of bye-laws, local procedures, differing priorities set by Inspectors, which in turn are interpreted and passed down by the sergeant, and forms for absolutely everything. Then a whole gamut of administration departments will add weight to the burden with their preferences on how ‘form B1 (a)’ should be completed! So, no surprise when the Inspector said to me, “It’s time you put in for your pedal cycle authorisation!” This was an order from the boss and so I submitted my written request for the ‘pedal cycle authorisation’, hopefully on the right form, and wishing they had told us about this at training college. The report breezed across the sergeants, Inspectors, Chief Inspectors and Superintendents desk’s in record time. Soon the request was back in my tray; ‘APPROVED’ stamped across it, this was obviously important.

The day of the test soon arrived. My examiner was a senior constable, and the first trial was a few questions on the ‘Highway Code’. This progressed to naming parts of the police issue pedal cycle, or ‘bone shaker’. Once the ‘theory’ test was done we retired to the rear yard of the station and commenced the ‘practical’. The yard was devoid of cars, which for a police station is a minor miracle. The shift Inspector and sergeant were present to oversee the test. They had laid out a series of cones to examine my manoeuvring abilities, general control of this police ‘mean machine’ and behaviour at junctions. My left turns, apparently, were pretty poor according to the Inspector who was balling at me. A traffic career seemed a vain hope if I couldn’t even pass my cycle test. And then it was time for the last test in this ordeal, the ‘emergency stop’. Yet it seems I was unable to get even this right. I was given one last chance, “Cycle with all your worth towards the garage doors, and don’t start braking until I say!” Desperately

34 wanting that authorisation I sped across the yard until those garage doors filled my sight. Surely the command to brake would come soon? I braced myself for a collision; no way could I stop without the Inspectors order. Then, as if in slow motion, the doors began to slide open. Two constables emerged from the dark interior, wielding a fire hose, and what a soaking I received! They presented my ‘pedal cycle authorisation, during briefing on the following day, in a solemn ‘gotcha’ ceremony.

Sometimes we become so serious that it is possible to miss a time of testing and approval, such as my pedal cycle trial. The advice of elders would be to ‘Lighten Up’, but often we do the exact opposite and ‘Increase the weight’. In becoming too sombre there is much that will ‘ride over our heads’. I want to call your attention to a boy who was born with cerebral palsy. His father rejected him; “You’ll never amount to anything.” His sisters rejected him, “You’ll never amount to anything.” His mother loved him, but was denied even that love, when she died from cancer. Here was a young man rejected by family, and the only person to love him was brutally taken away. He was useless and good for nothing. He couldn’t communicate properly and there was no place for him in society. What was there to live for? There was nothing to focus upon other than rejection, neglect and his depression. Yet this man is now an accomplished public speaker. His name is David Ring and to hear this man speak is a wonderful testimony to the Force and David’s determination to remain focused and willingness to ‘Lighten Up’!

We can declare our allegiance to the Jedi way and put our trust in the Force, and we will grow in confidence in the faith. Only then do we protect ourselves from being blown here and there by every whimsical piece of doctrine. Don’t become sidetracked, but remain centred and learn to discern what is of the Light, and then tread carefully. But do not forget to ‘Lighten Up!’ When your inner promptings are of the Light, then they will not contradict anything in the Jedi teachings. Peace will remain your companion.

Focus does mean standing firm, even in the face of the doubts of others, just as David Ring. It means being strong and resolute, sober but not serious. We do not need to get all ‘spooky’ just because we see things through the Force that others are blind and unreceptive towards. Unusual , cults, themes and ideas may set others on edge, but we can maintain a fixed focus on that which we have sworn allegiance to, and on that which we know to be true. Focus means we will know when to ‘back off’ and leave well alone. Focus in our lives means each of us should lead a life stirring enough to start a movement! We should yearn to change the world; we should love unquenchably; we should dream with certainty and work perpetually. Strength in focus means we close our ears to the manifold voices of compromise and set ourselves on the wings of truth. To be focused means we champion the value of people, proclaim forgiveness and compassion and claim the power and reality of the Living Force. We may not see that movement in our own time – as each is the sum of all the visionaries who have gone before. We become a living part of the generations of uncompromised lives and non-negotiable truth.

Let us live a focused life stirring and forceful enough to cause a movement. A true mark of the visionary is his/her willingness to lay down their life for those whom they will never see. What gets you on fire?

Three primary tenets of Jediism Knowledge

35 We were all seated around the briefing table when the reception clerk came running into the room. A man had just walked into the police station with a snake. He’d found it on his doorstep and wanted the police to do something about it. The kind gent had placed it in a black plastic bag and wanted to hand it to the clerk. The receptionist was none too keen to handle the snake. Frustrated at the lack of response, the gent threw the bag into the reception area and left. The clerk sprinted out of reception (who can blame him?), slamming the door, and that’s when he came into the briefing room. The Inspector then ordered a ‘volunteer’ to retrieve the, now quite angry, snake. It was placed in a large plastic box with a lid on top and put in a cell room. A colleague very helpfully placed a sign on the door: ‘Beware of the Snake!’ Another officer decided he was a bit of a reptilian expert and checked the markings on a now pretty furious snake.

“I recognise these markings,” said our recently discovered expert, “It’s quite exotic and very poisonous,” he declared triumphantly. Eventually the snake was taken to a local veterinary surgery, where this ‘monster’ was identified as a harmless grass snake.

We could do well to pay heed to that sign today – ‘Beware of the Snake’. It would not be stretching the truth to say that the snake or serpent is mythologically associated with deception. The ‘serpent’ deceives and degrades to the point that many have no conscience and believe anything goes. The serpent strikes at the heel and the skin can be quite tough here, meaning that you’ll not know anything until the poison takes effect.

A little factual knowledge at the police station about reptiles would have saved a lot of grief and fear. Society has experienced a massive explosion in knowledge in recent times. Science, literature, philosophy, , geography and history fill our libraries as new books pour out endlessly. Specialisation is the name of the game. But for every new fact uncovered there is one more that highlights ignorance e.g. we can transplant a human heart, but cannot cure the common cold. However, knowledge for knowledge sake is of very little benefit. The real key to knowledge is relationship. You can study all the of the world and as much theology as you can stomach, but without relationship it will leave you cold and dead. Your mind will remain starved of liberating truth. A quick way to destroy a relationship is to avoid talking. Beware of the snake as it whispers pernicious lies, destroys relationships and keeps you utterly alone. You cannot get to ‘know’ without living that truth in a relationship. The choice is clear, emotional malnutrition or lively belief. Knowledge is about relationship because this is where we express new found joy, peace, adoration and praise. To ‘know’ by relationship and living in the truth brings much needed transformation in disposition and attitude, and brings more strength and serenity. Transformation or renewal is not an outward experience, but inward and in how we view circumstances or situations in the light of that learning.

Knowledge comes from sound doctrine, truth and righteousness (walking in confidence on the right path). But why sound doctrine? Sound doctrine requires at least three absolute changes in order for living knowledge to transform our hearts, minds and lives: 1: A change in Consciousness – From our law come knowledge of wrong and of righteousness. But a person could ‘accidentally’ obey the law, for which there would be no moral virtue. To achieve moral virtue then we must become conscious of the ‘law’. But consciousness is not enough. We could very well be conscious of the law, but go on to ignore various facets anyway. For our behaviour to change we must move beyond consciousness to conviction.

36 2: A change in Conviction – conviction is a matter of depth and intensity. It is one thing to be aware that a certain action is right. It is an entirely separate matter to have a conviction about it. It is a lot easier to compromise our knowledge than to act against convictions. Conviction is a knowledge that is settled. This goes beyond our brains and penetrates the conscience. 3: A change in Conscience – conscience acts as a kind of governor on our behaviour. It is the inner voice that either accuses or excuses us. It monitors behaviour by way of approval or disapproval. There is one problem here and that is – our conscience doesn’t always tell us the truth. We are adept at training it in the direction of self-approval. For our conscience to develop in the ‘right’ way it must be influenced by the Light side of the Force. Only then can our consciences be sharpened by what is right and what is wrong. This involves the mind and the matter of sound doctrine.

Knowledge alone is faith without works. True knowledge and, therefore, religion is this: that we care for the widows and orphans. Knowledge is about relationship. How do we ‘know’ the heart? We spend time in the ‘classroom’ of the Living Force.

Three primary tenets of Jediism Wisdom

How good it would be to do this primary tenet justice, but that would mean, by definition that I have failed before starting! The following are obviously not my words, but do perfectly capture the essence of where wisdom should start, with respect, honour and reverence. Albert Einstein is one of the world’s greatest minds. We may not entirely agree with his philosophy on life, yet, with lashings of humility he acknowledges the dependence we have upon our fellow ‘men’, and the respect with which we should honour one-another: “What an extraordinary situation is that of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he feels it. But from the point of view of daily life, without going deeper, we exist for our fellow men in the first place for those whose smiles and welfare all our happiness depends, and next for all those unknown to us personally with whose destinies we are bound up by the tie of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labours of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving. I am strongly drawn to the simple life and am often oppressed by the feeling that I am engrossing an unnecessary amount of the labour of my fellow men. I regard class differences as contrary to justice and, in the last resort, based on force. I also consider that plain living is good for everybody, physically and mentally.”

Oh, for more of the discipline of discernment. It requires that we follow the Jedi tenets as revealed lest we fall at the hands of selfishness and literalism. The enemy will attack by emphasising the past with its mistakes and heartaches. It will taunt us with our weaknesses, condemning is with our failures, tempting us with immediate gain. It will magnify our problems and show only their hopelessness, impossibility and pain. But discernment through wisdom leads to an understanding that we can have hope. This wisdom does not come cheap, but is learned through suffering, and suffering produces perseverance, perseverance brings character, character brings hope and hope does not disappoint! The dark side would have us walk by sight, but the wisdom and the Light side would have us walk by faith.

Many in society, if not all, want to live a more stable life. To those who are filled with anxiety and the inability to cope with circumstances the ‘world’ offers a

37 myriad of solutions, but they don’t work. Where can we find stability? The person who walks in the knowledge of the Living Force knows stability. Wisdom will develop inner qualities of strength and honour. Wisdom is not a boast, but it will naturally show in our character, face and stature. These qualities are hammered out over time in the trials of life. The wisdom expressed in the sentiments of Albert Einstein sum up the qualities of the wise: Deep and reverent respect; right and proper relationships; faithful and consistent service; to despise evil, love the good, to walk humbly and acknowledge a continuous dependence on the Living Force. The alternative is dead works, shame and ugliness. The following narrative is one of my favourite pieces on the theme of wisdom. This is not my story, but it expresses wisdom in perceptible terms:

Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before; such was its splendour, its majesty, its strength. People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. “This horse is not a horse to me,” he would tell them, “It is a person. How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend?” The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse. One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. The entire village came to see him. “You old fool,” they scoffed, “we told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and you’ve been cursed with misfortune.” The old man responded, “Don’t speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgement. If I’ve been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?” The people contested, “Don’t make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse.” The old man spoke again, “All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don’t know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can’t say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?” The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was a fool; if he wasn’t, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool. After several days, the horse returned. He hadn’t been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once again the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. “Old man, you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us.” The man responded, “Once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don’t judge? How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read only one word of a phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase? Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. All you have is a fragment! Don’t say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don’t.” “Maybe the old man is right,” they said to one another. So they said little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong. They knew it was a blessing. Twelve wild horses had returned with one horse. With a little bit of work, the animals could be broken, trained and sold for much more money. The old man had a son, an only son. The young man began to break the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from one of the horses and broke both legs. Once again the villagers gathered around

38 the old man and cast their judgements. “You were right,” they said. “You proved you were right. The dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son has broken his legs, and now in your old age you have no one to help you. Now you are poorer than ever.” The old man spoke again, “You people are obsessed with judging. Don’t go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments.” It so happened that a few weeks later the country engaged in war against a neighbouring land. All the young men of the village were drafted into the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he was injured. Once again the people gathered around the old man, crying and screaming because their sons had been taken. There was little chance they would return. The enemy was strong, and the war would be a losing struggle. They would never see their sons again. “You were right, old man,” they wept. “God knows, you were right. This proves it. Your son’s accident was a blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is with you. Our sons are gone forever.” The old man spoke again, “It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this: Your sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one here is wise enough to know.”

When someone else suffers then lean on the Living Force and look to provide a quiet healing presence and no more than that, no one knows! The story is by Max Lucado. I apologise for using someone else’s work – but the tale touches me deeply, and I trust it will do the same for you. MTFBWY!

The Jedi Creed – Part 1 I am a Jedi, an instrument of peace. Where there is hatred I shall bring love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy.

Could you use some courage? Are you backing down more than you are standing up? If so then let the Living Force lead you up the mountain again. Be reminded to ‘fear NOT!’ This is the call to a common people to fulfil a compelling task. We may not all be cut from theological cloth, but as long as we are an ounce more devoted than afraid we can do extraordinary things. The Jedi Creed is our calling, our , our song, our greatest commandment and the authority by which we go out into the world as disciples. This power has been freely given and we must freely give. We do not need to take anything extra with us – no bag or extra clothes, or boots or staff, as the faithful will be provided with what they need. This is our call, command and commitment to pilgrimage.

The words of the Creed are from the prayer of St Francis of Assisi. He was a Franciscan who devoted himself to a life of poverty after receiving this call. He put on a simple brown robe and took the path of the pilgrim, going from town to town teaching penance and learning to pardon, and giving of himself. Our greatest commandment is to love, to love our neighbour as ourselves. Pilgrimage starts and continues in love. The Jedi Creed might best be seen as a set of concentric circles, the core of which is our human soul. The first, and innermost circle, must be ‘Love’, then each consecutive circle is formed of ‘Pardon’, ‘Faith’, ‘Hope’ and ‘Light’. These concentric circles radiate outwards like ripples in the pond of life, and there must be a non-return valve. This is not about getting a

39 return on our investment, but all give, give, and give – even when it is undeserved.

To be a channel of peace we start with love. Love must be freely given, it will make no demands, hold no grudges and radiate outwards > their must be love in order for us to show mercy > for pardon to be given their must be trust > and by faith we can know hope > and hope will bring us into the light, no matter how hard the storm rages!

The first part of the Jedi Creed is about us willingly becoming ‘sowers’. We ‘sow’ the seeds that cause ripples and radiate outwards. If this were to become a two- way channel then it becomes self-centred and the ripples cancel out. The opposites are hatred, injury, doubt, despair and darkness!

It was a dark winter morning as we were dispatched to the ‘hold up’ alarm. The protected building was a pottery shop in the grounds of a monastery. We knew the whereabouts of the monastery, but not the location of the pottery. We followed a narrow lane hoping it led to the premises. Unfortunately it was the wrong way. It came to a dead end, and stopped under a large stained glass window. The diffused light and gentle sound of provided welcome relief from the bitterly cold morning. With no room to turn our car around, my colleague began to reverse. The darkness seemed to close in, as if unwilling to reveal the way. Jagged boulders lined the road like dragon’s teeth, aggressively snarling their warning to ‘beware’. There was a steep drop to one side, which might as well have been a bottomless pit as it was too dark to see. Suddenly the sound of metal grinding over stone realised our worst fears, and the wheels lifted off the ground. My colleague drove backwards and forwards whilst I rocked the car from side to side. The noise was dreadful, and the situation turned frantic. It was the horrific thought of having to request a recovery truck and then facing ridicule from other officers, and worse still reporting the damage to our Superintendent! Desperate and thoroughly hopeless we became aware of another presence. A voice from the dark said, “Can we help?” We were used to all kinds of specialist recovery services, but nothing quite as spiritual as that standing before us. As out of nowhere there were six, brown robed hooded in the lane. Imagine the scene – six monks and a police officer lifting up a stranded patrol car – what an amazing spiritual recovery service!

And so we have the Jedi Creed. This is our spiritual recovery service to be taken as the duty of ‘brown robed Jedi’. There are many still ‘out there’ stranded in a barren place, teetering over a precipice with only guilt and shame as their comforter. They are on a dark path headed towards a dead end. The Jedi Creed is our calling to arise, to shine and let our light be seen before men, and say “Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people”.

The Jedi Creed – Part 2 I am a Jedi. I shall never seek so much to be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. The Force is always with me, for I am a Jedi

The Jedi Creed naturally falls into two parts. Here are another set of concentric circles but this time the construct is a little more sophisticated. Love remains at the very core of our being as do the consecutive character elements described in

40 the ‘Jedi Creed – Part 1’. The grouping in question here should be considered more as the ‘tool’ of the gardener. They may still be character traits, but this time they are the instruments with which we apply our trade. Another difference to consider is that ‘non-return valve’ has gone. In its place we now have a ‘filter’ and some return is permitted. We still radiate outwards, but whilst we do not actively seek, hunger or thirst for a return, we must be open to and receptive to consolation, we must have a gift to be understood, love given needs to be understood, we must be humble enough to receive and in so doing evaluate, amend, develop and grow in character!

What do we seek? The answer is to become gardeners and tend the young vines given into our care. We take the tools of our trade, which are a gift to us, and learn to use them. In learning to be consoled we can provide comfort to others > to console we must understand > understanding a persons motives and situations enables us to love in the most difficult circumstances > in loving we are motivated to charity (this is giving driven by grace) > in giving of ourselves freely we are driven to forgiveness > and the character motivated to forgiveness will have died to itself a thousand, thousand times and more!

The city had fallen quiet. It was a welcome blanket of serenity now that the nightclubs had emptied, and apart from one or two drunken stragglers I had the city centre to myself. It was mine to tend and to guard. Always alert, I walked through the centre, but sticking to available shadow, hoping to deter any budding burglars. This road led to the bowling green, it was dead silent, no cars, not even a breeze to rustle the leaves. Nearing the bowling green a dark shape suddenly pounced from the bushes, and aiming straight for me; I jumped so much, my police helmet took off! “It must be a mad dog,” I thought. Squaring up I waited, ready to give it an almighty kick. But as it darted into the road and under a street light it was apparent the ‘mad rabid dog’ was actually a fox. It is surprising how many foxes dwell in the city. But when you consider the rubbish they feed upon it is less surprising. After nightclubs and fast food shops have closed you will find a sea of discarded burgers, kebabs and chips (fries) in the streets. It is this ‘delicacy’ that the little foxes seek. ‘Little’ foxes’ are mythological personae representing demon spirits in many religions and belief systems. And so, for us gardeners, it is a great example of how we must tend the vineyard, clear out the rubbish and protect the springtime flowers as they bloom and flourish. The season of singing is here, wintertime has gone, the cold, hard and frozen ground has softened and we must use our ‘”tools” and tend to delicate blossoms.

“Uh, is that the police? You’d better send someone quick…a terrorist just ran into Laburnum Drive…” A housing estate after midnight contains very few high profile political targets so this was going to be an interesting scenario. The impostor was unlikely to succeed in rousing much interest with rallying cries against injustice, calls for equal rights and liberty for all whilst in the middle of suburbia. ‘Action Man’ was in the middle of the street, backlit by sodium street-lighting. He was dressed in combat fatigues with a bandanna tied ‘Rambo’ style around his head. He was wielding an axe and very long carving knife. Fortunately he was in a talkative mood. He was aiming for a particular house. A colleague maintained the conversation, whilst I circled in order to get between him and the front door of his intended target. It was tempting to rush him from behind and cosh him with my baton; fortunately sense got the better of me. In any case this was no urban guerrilla, he was a scorned husband. His wife was, at that moment, in the upstairs room of the house with her lover. His protest was against their adultery, and our intervention at least prevented him from removing their ‘body furniture’!

41 The urban commando in this story highlights our calling. We have been called up into the ‘G.I. Draft’. The Living Force will make us keenly aware of what goes on around us in apparently peaceful neighbourhoods. The Jedi is called to make solemn vows, and this means we cannot stand back. The battle lines are drawn and we are called into the infantry. I should add that it does not mean dressing ‘Rambo’ style and marching off into a local neighbourhood with an axe (please see the pre-ceding Jedi text’s before mobilising!). The poet Dylan Thomas wrote powerful words that do express our calling “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Ours may be a combat against ‘words’ for the word of man says – ‘terminate with extreme prejudice’, always jumps to conclusions, is quick to judge and even quicker to anger, and is marked by its self-sufficiency and self-worship. The Jedi Creed teaches us to depend on surpassing mercy, grace and eternal life. There is no room for prejudice in the Jedi word of life!

A digging site is where I found myself on late shift. The local British legion club was to have a dance hall built. The bulldozer had uncovered some crates containing beer bottles. One of them had broken and the green liquid oozing out began to burn fiercely. We called out the army bomb disposal team. They removed several crates full of these bottles containing bright green liquid. They transpired to be phosphor and benzene grenades buried in the ground by the ‘home guard’ during World War 2. The idea being that if Hitler’s tanks came rolling up the road, the grenades would be dug up and thrown at the enemy. A rubber compound would stick to the tanks whilst the phosphor would burn on contact with air, and in turn ignite the benzene, which was flammable and toxic. The message to us is clear – dig deep into the Jedi codes where we find the tools of our trade.

Whilst it may seem that this is a call to go on the ‘offensive’ and unnecessarily aggressive it is not the intention to be reactionary or militant. But it does emphasise the serious nature of our calling, and it should not be forgotten – the enemy is at the gates (Dark side).

It was just before dawn on a Saturday morning. A call had been received about a tramp in torn clothing, wandering aimlessly in a country lane. Driving into the lane we could see our man in the distance. Rather than scare him off, my colleague parked the police car and I walked towards the gent. He was illuminated by the lights of our car. The description seemed to be right. He walked around with no purpose, and his clothes hung in tatters. There appeared to be water vapour coming off him, the ground was damp and he’d probably been sleeping out all night. Once I reached the chap and shone a torch on him the true horror of what we were dealing with hit me. It wasn’t water vapour coming off him, but smoke. It wasn’t clothing hanging from him in tatters, but his skin! He’d made a suicide attempt during the Friday evening. He covered himself in petrol, along with his car. He then set light to everything. The pain had become too intense so he’d climbed out of the car and rolled on the ground until the flames were extinguished. He lay in a ditch all night, until we found him. We rushed him to hospital, and contrary to our expectations he went on to survive the horrific burns! Our suicide victim had done nothing wrong. He had conformed to society’s requirements, but it had left him lonely, barren and spiritually helpless.

This is why Jedi pilgrims are to mobilise, take up the Creed as our song, our meditation, our command, our calling and our weapon. We are to act as if snatching our brother or sister from the flames!

Postscript to the Jedi Creed

42 The Jedi Creed was enough to emphasise how serious the Jedi calling is and now the Jedi Vows are waiting. It all comes at a time when the focus of my family needs to be resolute and get through the trial of my daughter’s anorexia. I woke early this morning (5am), and the words of a song filled my head. Now I have re-worded that song as to how the Jedi creed has led:

I was awakened in the morning by a knocking at the door So I got up and went to see what all the knocking was for There stood a Sith Lord with a box addressed to me He said, “Boy I got something here I think you ought to see” I said, “I know that I don’t want it if it’s anything from you…” “’Cause I hate everything you say and don’t like anything you do” But then he pointed with his finger and he smiled kinda sly ’Cause the package said ‘From Jediism’ there in a corner way up high So I said, “If it’s from Jediism then why’s it sent here by you?” And he said, “Jediism always sends me when there’s dirty work to do…” “This box is full of misery, poverty and shame…” “To perfect you through your suffering till your worthy of the Jedi name.” Now I’d been pretty patient but that last line took the cake So I told him what I thought of him and all his filthy lies And then I fired the shot that got him right between the eyes I told him, “The Living Force took my sickness and my poverty away…” “You nail it down with gloom…your way is murder beneath dark hood.” “The suffering that I do will be for love, not for shame.” “I’m already ready worthy by the Jedi faith to wear this name!” “And I know that I am loved and there’s only good in store…” “So you just take your jibes and get away from my front door…” “You can write my name on packages until I’m ninety-two…” “But every single one of them’s going back down to darkness with you!!”

The Vows of the Jedi The Vow of Respect: A Jedi must posses the deepest respect for all things, living and inanimate. As a servant of life a Jedi must possess the deepest respect for all things, themselves included. Respect enables a Jedi to deal with both life and people in a fair and honest manner, which strengthens the bonds between people and fosters peace and tranquility. This is the section on the Jedi path that feels the most intimidating. It is good to ‘lighten up’, to be sober but not serious, however this is about choices in life and that is serious! The destiny of future generations is in our hands. The choices we make with our families today will determine the quality of life in our family tree for generations to come. You could say we have discussed the theory, but now is the time to make a decision and declaration. The world needs some heroes. But these heroes are drawn from everyday life and called onto the Jedi path. These heroes are ordinary people of the streets, who talk in everyday language and demonstrate faith for the real world, not the restricted environment of professional religion. Helen Keller so wisely stated: “The world is moved along not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of tiny pushes by each honest worker.”

An old man visited a stone quarry and asked three of the workers what they were doing? “Can’t you see?” said the first one irritably, “I’m cutting a stone.” The second one replied, “I’m earning a hundred pounds a week.” But the third put down his pick and thrust out his chest proudly, “I’m building a cathedral,” he said. People view work in many different ways, but we must realise that we are more than material beings. We are, above all, spiritual beings and as such we

43 need to rediscover the moral and spiritual significance for every area and aspect of our lives. We have responsibility to express our spiritual gifts, our creative gifts, and our stewardship of the Earth and to our fellow citizens.

The Jedi vows commence with ‘respect’ and if we cannot get this right then we might as well stop now. Out of a right and proper respect for all things, including ourselves, will flow the remaining vows. This must start at home, with self- respect. This is not a path to pride, but an acceptance of who we are AND what we are for. Oh, the healing that could be done if everyone just accepted this first single homogeny! Restlessness and low-self esteem render us unproductive, and so we must trust who we are and for what we are called to be! It has been estimated that as much as 80% of our workforce is dissatisfied with the jobs in which they are currently engaged. Maybe it stems from a reluctance or refusal to acknowledge what destiny has mapped out for us? This is about our true calling in society, NOT in theological seminary and monastery. Days are ordained for plumbers, engineers and homemakers as much as they are for Bishops!

It was sometime after 2am as I patrolled through the city centre. My quiet reflection came to an abrupt halt due to a sudden and loud din emanating from a nearby alleyway. Then a young chap staggered into view. Stopping hi m under a street light I could his clothes were stained with wet, pink paint. “What were you doing in that alley to make so much noise?” “Nothing to do with me mate,” he replied drunkenly. He wasn’t my ‘mate’ and we instantly started this ‘relationship on a bad footing! “Well lets’ go and have a look then shall we?” With that I marched him back into the alley. The pavement and walls were spattered with the same pink paint. There was an empty paint can on the ground with its lid missing, and paint dribbled out like a guilty exclamation mark! The drunken boy denied responsibility, but a time in the cells for sober reflection was to help him. The stain of disobedience glistened on his clothes, and no amount of scrubbing would remove this guilt. Not only was that but even the ground stained with his blatant disrespect. A lack of respect has such great consequences that the very Earth will bear its scars! Refuse to take responsibility and not only will our hearts be stained, but the very planet will feel the hurt. Gloss paint in an alleyway left a permanent record of negligent disrespect. There is no honour to be found here.

We are the stewards. We are the called. We are the little heroes giving little pushes that move and shake the world and its citizens. This has been excessively heavy, so here is a short story by way of apology:

A lorry driver was driving along on a country road. A sign came up that read ' Low Bridge Ahead.' Before he realised, the bridge was directly ahead and he got stuck under it. It wasn’t long before cars are backed up for miles. Finally, the police arrived. The policeman got out of his car, walked to the lorry’s cab and said to the driver, “Got stuck, eh?'” The lorry driver said, “No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of petrol!”

The Vow of Humility: A Jedi is no better or more important than anyone else. A Jedi must always be mindful of their attitudes and self image that they do not become boastful or prideful in either their abilities or beliefs. Humility enables the Jedi to approach others and life in a receptive manner and allows a Jedi to accomplish their goals unobtrusively. The humble person is easier to accept and far less threatening than the braggart.

44 It was the dead of night when a motorcycle came blasting out of nowhere, passing our patrol car at breakneck speed. It was our lucky night and we caught the bike. Once the rider was securely ensconced in the rear of the patrol car we checked out his details through police computers. Information soon came back that he was a disqualified driver. He was duly arrested and taken to the police station. Whilst booking in the prisoner at our cell complex we found identity cards on him with different details to those he had provided at the roadside. It turned out that he wasn’t disqualified (disqualified by a court from driving as a punishment for road traffic related offences). In fact he had made up the false name and date of birth details on the spur of the moment. He had believed there was a problem with his current licence to drive and lied to us, when in fact there had been no problems at all? The odds of making up a name and date of birth randomly, which then match a record in the police names database, must be remarkable! The rider had lied, when in reality there was nothing to hide from or fear, and he paid dearly. The clear message here is to have ‘no disguises’, and to look at the heart not the garments. Pretty lace and masks hide the truth and lead to one place, the home of pride.

What is it that drives us on relentlessly at breakneck speed? The uncomfortable answer is all too often pride. We work and push and strive to prove that we are the best. We charge ever onwards to show we are worthy and we deserve those top honours. In which case we need to beware the subliminal message constantly pounding our sub-conscious: “I can gain righteousness all on my own… by MY effort…by MY ingenuity…by My skills…by MY energy…and because I can, therefore I must!”

This is the great heresy. Ultimately this philosophy says, “I really don’t need anyone else, and I will find lasting joy by my own achievements.”

Pride can be hard to detect. And this is where respect and honour come to the rescue. Ask those around you, whom you have learned to respect and honour to provide honest feedback and evaluation about YOU. This in turn is more than showing a patronising interest in others. It involves making others our priority, building them up and applauding their achievements and contributions. It means being SLOW to speak, but QUICK to listen.

As a practical experiment, take a look in today’s news papers. How much of today’s news centres on the individual, or me, me, me? I have just taken a look and the first report is of the counties most horrific car crash on record. Seven adults were killed at the scene and two young children are now in hospital critically ill. The cause of the crash was a drunken driver.

There are two kinds of pride, one is motivated by selfishness and the other is driven by the desire to excel:

Bad pride: This is entirely selfish and always seeks to be centre stage. It takes all the credit; leaves no room for spiritual power or destiny, gives no recognition or thanks to others and goes alone

Good pride: This is the opposite of shame and is a job well done. It strives for excellence, for the best, rising above mediocrity. But its focus is well away from the ‘me’, and will live as if the ‘me’ were invisible. It avoids any form of mask and seeks for others to be recognised for their valued efforts. It will aim for excellence, but can say thank you and give credit where it is due.

Michelangelo walked away from the cistine chapel knowing he had completed a beautiful work and he could be proud of it. Yet when a person looks up at the

45 ceiling they do not delight in the face of the artist who created it, but in the spiritual scene displayed before them! And so we get on with the business of the doing and give of ourselves quietly and efficiently. In time this will develop an inner quality perceived outwardly by others as a ‘good reputation’. We do not actively pursue a good reputation as this is a quality of character that must be allowed to root and develop of its own accord. There are 3 marks to a ‘good reputation – 1: A good reputation creates conversation amongst others and generates positive feedback 2: A good reputation is marked by more than one person doing the talking. All of us may have one or two prejudiced friends, but what are people saying generally 3: A good reputation involves people talking about you in more than one location, both home and abroad

This takes time and must happen naturally as we align ourselves with the accepted Jedi teachings and through harmony, respect and peace we develop a character recognised externally for its true humanity and humility.

The Vow of Contemplation: A Jedi must possess a clear mind and approach life and situations from an objective perspective. Emotion, while not bad, can influence the perceptions and judgment of a Jedi and care must be taken to insure that the position of the Jedi is unbiased. To this end meditation is a highly recommended practice that can both clear the mind as well as teaching patience. Meditation is a key in the life of the Jedi and it affords the Jedi the opportunity to commune with the Force and leads them to a greater self-understanding.

This vow says one thing very clearly, “Keep it simple!”

We knew there had been a drowning. We ran to the scene in the dark, right to the point where the caller had made his discovery. There was an upturned canoe in the river, a paddle part anchored in the mud, a few items of clothing on the slimy bank and some footprints leading into the water. We didn’t know what had happened, and a search would have to be made. Soon the Fire & rescue service boat was in the water and coming towards us. We scanned the banks urgently looking for clues and signs of life. The rescue became very ‘excited’ and, unfortunately one of the fire officers in the rescue boat injured himself badly.

The drowning victim was never found, because we were ‘missing a piece’ of vital information. Paramedics had dealt with the casualty earlier in the day, after a boating accident. There had never been a drowning. The night-time discovery of the clothing and footprints pointed to a terrible accident and we were ‘missing a peace’ that could have put to rest all our anxiety, fear and distress. When we are ‘missing a peace’ then we talk and think in terms of ‘perhaps’, maybe’, probably’ and ‘for unknown reasons’, which are all nothing but hopeless, dead links. How can we really make ‘informed guesses when our minds are spinning with nothing but doubt and anxiety?

There is a brilliant saying that goes: “If you want to find something then, first you have to stop looking.” Isn’t this advising us to “Keep it simple”? There are times when we need to be mature and think as adults, but there are other times when we must display the simple aspects of a child such as in our faith or trust. We ‘keep it simple’ so that we can know and feel what it is like to be spiritually ‘alive’. Think for a moment on the elements of similarity between the newborn child and our meditative, spiritual journey:

46 1: A newborn baby cries: And we must instinctively meditate upon our heartfelt needs and desires as our soul cries out in hope and trust, and in embracing the comfort provided by the living words of the Jedi doctrine 2: A newborn baby feeds: And we too respond to an instinctive need for spiritual food, which is the milk and eventually strong meat of the revealed word. We ask questions about the doctrines, chew on that revealed to us, memorise it and meditate upon it, and so we squeeze out all the goodness 3: A newborn baby learns to move: We move in the spiritual realm to which we have been awakened. We resolve our priorities, reshape our lives in the light of revelation and explore new relationships 4: A newborn baby rests: We learn to rest in the knowledge and comfort of the Living Force and spend our days, with whatever pressures they bring, without panic and in peace

Clarity of mind and thought keeps us following the golden thread so that we will never be ‘missing a peace’. There is plenty of tempting side streets all beckoning us to come and enjoy the delights of ‘Vanity Fair’. But ‘we’ have been called out of obscurity into the royal family. Clarity means seeing without leaping to conclusions and making judgements balanced on only partial fragments of information. It can be so easy, when walking and learning the path of righteousness to think that we have the wisdom, knowledge and, worst still, the authority to make judgements. But, like staring into a magic eye picture, we must control our minds eye to see objectively. Magic eye pictures on first viewing appear to be nothing more than a hotchpotch of random colours and shapes. But as you concentrate whilst ‘relaxing’ your focus, a 3-D world suddenly appears, and out of that randomness comes something wonderful.

Rubenstein was a famous piano virtuoso. He knew that constant practise was necessary and that getting to such heights was not an overnight journey! Should he fail to practise one day, he would know it; should he skip practise for two days then his critics would know it; but should he extend that to three days then the whole world would know it!

We live in an age in which everything is working against the things we hold dear. Think about this: What force in our society is working to help you remain faithful to your partner? None that I can think of, the message of this world is just the opposite. What force in our society is working to help us remain pure, true to principles, honest, loyal and seeking character development? There is none, and the subliminal message pounding our hearts is: “Acquire all you can, and do whatever feels good!” You don’t have to do anything other than get out in the world and live, and soon this becomes your philosophy. What is the solution? The answer is simple, and that is, ‘Keep it simple’. This vow encourages us to fill our time carefully, so that other things cannot fill it for us! In every area of our life we need to face up to what the Living Force and Light path has for us in terms of destiny. As long as we play games and ignore what we know to be true in our hearts then we have set ourselves up to fail. Meditation opens a channel of self- awareness so that we can learn total, not partial control over every aspect of our lives. The humility we have avowed to make an inner part of our life allows us to become effective servants, and the contemplative life allows us to see and chip away the rough spots. Be careful to avoid rash judgement, see objectively so that you are never ‘missing a peace’ and ‘Keep it simple!’

Master Merin, I want to thank you so much for your efforts in pulling the wider Jedi community together on behalf of Grace! Thank you for encouraging me with the journal. I have an awful lot to learn, and I hope that Jedi Masters such as you will lead me into all peace. It is one thing for me to write on my interpretations of the Jedi teachings, but very much another when it comes to

47 practising those lessons. You have been the very real and personal face of Jediism, along with Todd Fogal, Xell Ye’eal (Kell Dor) and Jedi Grayson. You have brought the Jedi teachings to life for me…thank you….

The Vow of Possession: Possession is not forbidden to the Jedi and neither is it discouraged. A Jedi must guard against greed and avarice, however. Ownership of things such as a home, clothing, food, and even the luxuries and conveniences of life is encouraged among the Jedi and possession grounds the Jedi in physical reality.

Let me introduce you to a group of schoolboys who took some good words of advice and literally cut them up in order to run a profitable business. This enterprising team had stolen packs of ‘Drugs Advice’ booklets for a local youth club. The booklets contained photographs of drugs, one of which was LSD. There is little need to explain the hallucinogenic drug shrouded in infamy, synthetically created to treat mental patients. The drug is impregnated onto blotting paper; which is divided into small squares with little icons. This particular photograph displayed a block of nine ‘Mr Smiley’ icons. The group of boys created a little ‘family business’ by cutting out the pictures and selling the individual tabs as genuine LSD. The fake LSD was selling at £2:50p—per tab at their comprehensive school. It was a careless word from someone trying this ‘fake’ LSD at school that assisted in catching the group. The lads were now managing a quite profitable business. Sadly for them a time of trial and testing came all too quickly! If we build a foundation purely on ‘gold’ and ‘silver’ then our work will be shown for what it is, because the Living Force will bring it to light. We have access to sound teaching, but it is also our choice should we decide to cut those words up into small pieces for our instant gratification.

The teaching we decide to follow will decide the quality and durability of our work. We may start well, but do we add a few extra rooms. How will these additions stand against the word? The foundations quickly crumbled underneath those schoolboys as they faced an angry headmaster, embarrassed parents and police caution!

The heart of this vow says, ‘Be always open handed’. Yes, we may grow to possess many things over time and this is not wrong. We work and provide for our families and every member will have needs and requirements. We take our responsibility as protector and provider soberly, but we also do it with an ever ‘open’ handed’ attitude. It means we will maintain our dependency upon the Living Force and never forget our place. Imagine this: A salesman is at your door. He has a gem so precious to the Jedi that with it you would have great healing powers. In possession of that gem you could heal your wife’s cancer…with that gem and healing power; your son could walk again and forever leave that wheelchair. You ask the salesman, “How much?” The salesman replies, “How much have you got?” You busily search through pockets and rustle up a thousand dollars. The salesman says, “What else?” You think, and say, “I can write you a cheque – I’m good for another $10,000.” The salesman replies, “Ok, but what else have you got?” A little taken aback you think and say, “Well, there’s my car?” “Ok, I’ll take it, but what else?” This deal isn’t going to be easy, but you must have that gem. “Well, there’s my wife’s car?” “Ok, I’ll take it, but what else?” “There isn’t anything else, what can I possibly give?” “Is that house yours?” “Well…yes…”, “OK, I’ll take it!” You keep seeing the glint of that gem. “I still need more – you have a wife?” Fearing what is coming you say, “Yes…”

48 “Ok, your wife belongs to me…you have children?” “You can’t possibly take my two daughters…” “You do want the gem?” “Your daughters belong to me!” The salesman continues, “Listen, I’m not unreasonable. You can have the gem, and you may keep you wife, family, house, cars and cash. But always remember these really belong to me…to collect on, whenever it becomes appropriate.”

This is how it is for the Jedi. We may be given things to possess, but we keep them with an ‘open hand’. What do we give? We give a tear and a heart ready to mold. We receive a mission, a message and a ‘fire’ that will be stirred!

Over the weekend my mother said to Grace (my 15-year-old-daughter): “Grace, if you can get your weight back up to 8 stone 5lbs, and keep it there I will buy you something really special. It can be whatever you want, the cost does not matter.” Grace has developed anorexia and suffers a debilitating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Grace’s weight has now become dangerously low, and her Grandma was trying to help. Grace replied, “Thank you Grandma, but money can’t get me what I need.” Grace really needs to shake off the OCD and beat hear fear of social interaction, she would love to have a boyfriend. It breaks my heart as I dwell on this little incident, but doesn’t it say everything about possessions and the real meaning behind this vow?

The Vow of Moderation: Balance is key to the life of the Jedi and moderation in all things contributes to this balance. Too little of a thing can lead to deprivation and covetousness. And yet too much can lead to greed and waste. A Jedi must strive to attain only what they need and desire within the bounds of reason. Too little or too much of a thing can be equally destructive and both leach at the peace and contentment of the Jedi.

An American Indian tale describes how a warrior found an eagle egg and put it into a chickens nest. The egg hatched and the eagle grew up with the chickens. All his life the eagle, thinking he was a chicken, did what chickens did. He scratched in the dirt for seeds; he pecked at the corn and flew no more than a few inches from the ground snapping at insects. The years passed by and the eagle grew old. One day he looked up and saw far above him, in the cloudless sky, a beautiful bird gliding with graceful majesty on the wind currents, and admired its golden wings. “What a beautiful bird,” said the eagle to his friend, “what is it?” “It’s an eagle, the chief of birds,” said his friend, and hastily added, “Don’t worry you’ll never be like him.” The eagle didn’t worry and died thinking he was a chicken.

What a tragedy? Built to be majestic and soar high into the heavens: designed to be the most awesome of birds, but sadly conditioned to be earthbound by his friends. Balance is the key to life. If we are to avoid becoming lopsided then we need stability throughout every part of our lives. Otherwise it will be a case of, “Don’t worry you’ll never be like him!” Yet even freedom and stability has its boundaries, otherwise we become swamped. The vow of moderation is our calling to spiritual discipline, and we make every effort to add to our Jedi faith. The athlete aims to achieve a high standard and that means putting in the effort, applying the mind and all his faculties. No sportsman could enter the Olympics without first having gone through the training, and so it is with the Jedi. We need to apply a number of disciplines, just like the sportsman. We cannot just develop the arms and leave the legs – we must develop evenly, otherwise we become lopsided. We need the disciplines of goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, spirituality, brotherly kindness and love in equal measure. Step

49 outside of moderation and we face the risk of becoming like a ‘city open to raiders’. Whilst on patrol in the city I happened on a gent, drunk and in a crumpled heap on the pavement. After talking with witnesses the story unfolded. The gent had been drinking heavily, in a pub, and was boasting about his wallet full of cash. He was so drunk that he could barely walk unaided. It wasn’t long before he was badly beaten and robbed of that wallet stuffed full of cash! But you do not require to be drunk to lose self-control, and that is where the Jedi teachings in their great wisdom and power protect us. The perseverance and patience through trials and sufferings of those great Jedi and saints who have gone before have been passed down to us – not just to safeguard, but that we may develop and grow evenly.

Who better to teach us about balance and stability than one of the celebrated heroes of our century – Mohandas Ghandi, the Indian leader who sparked the flame of independence for his country? He has been described as India’s ‘George Washington’. His legacy is underpinned by the qualities of tranquility, private sense of order, humility and his base wisdom and judgement. How did he avoid losing his own identity and spirit of conviction as he moved between such grand extremes? Where did his emotional and spiritual force come from? How did he avoid getting in a terrible, tangled mess? His biography suggests it lies in his fascination with the spinning wheel. The wheel has always been at the centre of his life. Ghandi would often return from public exposure to humble dwellings, sit on the floor and engage in the simple act of spinning wool. Ghandi’s spinning wheel was his centre of gravity in life. It was the great leveller in his life. After those great public moments the spinning wheel experience restored him to his proper sense of proportion. It avoided the danger of becoming falsely swollen with pride, egged on by the cheers of the crowds. Ghandi shows all of us who want to move in the world what we must do without being pressed into its mold. The spinning wheel experience provides the re-ordering of private worlds so they are constantly restructured with strength and vitality. Here is proper proportion and value. Relationships with family, friends, neighbours, business associates and even enemies take on a new and healthier perspective. It becomes possible to forgive, to serve and to be generous. The alternative is to become lopsided, tangled in a mess and to ‘get knotted’.

It was Friday and the nightclubs were emptying. Another drunk weaved his complicated route towards us. The pavements tend to be extra wide in the city centre but this chap looked as if he was trying to walk a tightrope. Every time he tried to carefully place a foot back on the path he seemed to miss the world, let alone the ground! “’Scuse me, occifer…I need a taksee…” His boozy breath was overpowering, and he grabbed my arm to steady himself. However, it wasn’t his drunkenness that caused alarm, but his appearance. His shirt was torn and speckled in blood. His chest and back were covered in bloody, pinprick wounds. Intelligent conversation with a drunk is a pointless exercise but we did establish it was his birthday. He’d been partying with ‘friends’ when they decided to use him as a human dartboard. We asked the usual questions, ‘did he want hospital treatment…did he want the offenders dealt with?’ But these were his friends and his response to us was, “Get knotted!” This was a slightly more aggressive version of leave me alone, go away etc.

When boundaries get blurred we get into a tangle, we ‘get knotted’. Do we get all tied up? Do we get knotted? Is our current ‘faith walk’ plagued with an awkward gait, lopsided and causing a stagger? Then the Jedi vow of moderation restores that sense of gravity and ‘spinning wheel’ stability.

The Vow of Attachment:

50 Attachment is vital to the life of the Jedi. The Jedi must know life and be intrinsically tied to it in order to better serve the will of the Force. Jedi must possess ties to the people around them and are encouraged to love. Love is a strong connection to the basis of humanity and can serve as a strong foundation of strength and encouragement when a Jedi needs them most.

“Stop that!” I say, “Stop that!” The elderly gent was shouting and waving a clenched fist at us. We were cutting down a vibrant Sycamore tree. The tree had faithfully bathed us in the restorative balm of its soft golden hues. It was a leafy protector who mesmerised and delighted by fanning its tranquility into oft- troubled hearts. In the rustle of its leaves and the rhythmic swish of its branches came whispers of ancient wisdom, authority and grace. It had been our strong guardian wrapping its arms tenderly and father-like around our home. At times it shielded us from the fierce heat of the day, and at other times providing shelter from angry storms in the dark. Sadly a condition of the bank loan required the tree to be felled. This living tree was sadly condemned by building law which declared it too close to our home. Sap bled from the trunk as the axe cut through innocent bark and exposed its living flesh. Our task was made all the harder by the loud objections of the passer-by. Sticky sap on our fingers, we chose the cold hearted law which condemned the tree for ‘getting too close’, and as the axe bit deep we severed that living attachment to our home.

At first glance this vow could appear to be of low importance or value. However, nothing could be further from the truth! The vow is not so much difficult to understand as to acknowledge the challenge it represents and accept what that might mean in our relationships. Where am I right now in my relationships and attachments? It has been a real slam in the face for me, and having to face some harsh realities. What of my bonds, attachments and ties to family, friends and colleagues? If there is no concern here, then does it really matter what my attachments are to the remainder of the world’s organic and inanimate objects? This is a tough, tough vow not to be taken lightly!

An ancient wisdom saying perfectly describes the nature of attachment when it says, “A strand of three cords is not easily broken.” The very substance of life is modelled on the same principles. Think for a moment of DNA. The double-helix strands are intertwined, but do not represent the whole picture. There is a third strand, which we might describe as the ‘spark of life’, the Living Force, the driving energy, the glue and vitality that motivates DNA into action. This is the third ‘invisible’ strand that forms the bond. Engineers might tell you a 3-strand cord is some 15-times stronger than a single strand rope. The three strands work together under tension, when pressure is exerted on this cord the strands bind together, increasing in strength. What a brilliant picture to describe Jedi attachment.

We may not form the same level of attachment with every person we encounter, and sometimes not even empathy may be present. But for those we do bond with on a deeper level then what better example can there be? The Jedi ‘becomes’ that 3-cord strand consisting of – ‘You, me and the Living Force’.

One might find it useful to consider the world without ‘attachment’ in order to fully appraise this vow. What a cold, unfriendly and disastrous place this would be without healthy, empathetic spiritual bonding. In place of loves labour would be betrayal, self-seeking, loneliness, hatred, disrespect, corruption, deviance and manipulation. There could be no Padawan relationships! We might as well be dead and gone, wandering the barren plains of abandonment.

51 A contrary belief to this Jedi vow might be that of the Jainist ‘Aparigraha’. It is their creed of non-attachment and non-possession. It is the belief that possessions and wealth create unhealthy attachments leading to greed, selfishness, ego, hatred and violence. No doubt the Jedi has already contemplated upon this, and it is no coincidence that the vow of moderation precedes that of attachment! proclaims that attachments to worldly objects results in bondage and the one who desires spiritual liberation should withdraw from all attachments pleasing to the five senses, and does include relationships as leading to bondage.

Forming a bond and bondage are two very different and contrary attachments. One is the work and labour of love, encouraged by this vow, whilst the other is a bad tie leading to addiction. The Jedi vow has the wisdom and grace to understand such attachment must include objects as well as human relationships. We are the pilgrims who must care-take this world. Without a commitment to that all around us then there can be no respect and we fall foul of the Jedi teachings. It will also lead to abuse of the substances available from what would otherwise be natural. Bad ties and bondage are absent of the force and a cord of less than 3-strands is prone to snap oh, so suddenly! These ties are destined to fade, disappear and die – as they maim and kill.

Substance abuse is one of the most dangerous addictions we face in this entertainment driven, self-seeking world. It is a literal ‘strongman’ who will invade the home of your soul. Once the ‘strongman’ has taken up residence then you are either going to die or will need to tie up that reckless lodger, bind him and clean up the house! Once the ‘strongman’ is gone you need to replace that ‘gap’ with a healthy bond.

Attachments or bonding are such an important process that even the creative power of the ‘Living Force’ instils the process into human development. A beautiful example of attachment is the ‘bonding’ that takes place between the new-born babe and its mother, and then over time with its father. Circumstances where the child is deprived of this bonding process often result in relationship difficulties later in life. Bonding can be so deep that you feel the pain of that person with whom the attachment is formed. Where that spiritual empathy builds an attachment with some aspect of the natural world, then you can feel, and maybe even hear the cries and groans of the earth in response to man’s disrespect. The Jedi is also in control of the emotions as bondage can be just as destructive when it forms attachments to negativity e.g. Low self-esteem, depression, fear, self-loathing, which leads to a bond with mental ill-health.

The preceding vows especially that of moderation remind us that there can be ties that aim to condemn once we have got too close, and the following are some brutal examples: 1) Three ‘yardies’ forced their way into a city home, to collect a drugs debt. Dragging the occupants into a bedroom, they pinned the male homeowner face down on the floor with a pistol held against his head. Two of the despicable invaders malevolently forced his 13-year-old daughter to openly perform gross sex-acts upon them. This was a brutal and nauseating scene cloaking the issue of her parents wilfully exposing the girl to merciless drug addiction. 2) An emergency call was received from a public house (bar). A father had punched his 12-year-old son in the face. The lad had fallen; struck his head on the ground and now he couldn’t feel his legs. It was a heartless scene where folk continued drinking and laughing over the agonised screams of this poor lad. It was a brutal and callous assault and completely devoid of any bond between father and son.

52 3) Bondage and addiction maim and kill. ‘Tony’ was a prolific burglar on my beat. His social worker once said, “I do love him, but he’ll kill someone before he’s 21.” The care-worker was right, after a fashion. Addiction to a reckless way of life and drugs killed Tony. He was found in a public lavatory, slumped over the toilet seat! Martyn was another of my local’s. He had a big problem with booze and fighting. Martyn also formed a bond with heroine. We found Martyn dead in a squalid apartment. Neil was the town’s local ‘big man’, and would fight with anyone, and did a few burglaries on the side to finance drug addiction! Neil is now crippled and gets around in a wheelchair. He crashed a stolen car on the way to score heroine.

Often the unusual sights are the ones that lodge themselves in our memories. One of those recollections has to be duty on a Sunday morning in the city. You would have seen a ragged collection of “hobo’s”; vagrants and tramps appear as if out of the cracks in the ground. They began a relentless, slow march out of the city, with a common destination or purpose in mind. All those filthy individuals in decaying clothing, shuffling along were like a scene from a ‘Zombie’ film. Fortunately the reason for their pilgrimage was less nefarious than my over creative imagination. This odd collection of folk was making for a nearby monastery. The priests within the abbey would provide them with lunch and give them new clothes. Some years later I found out, sadly, that the practice had ceased. Apparently there had been problems with fighting. Groups of trendy folk thought it fun to exchange their new clothes for old and receive lunch, under false pretences, in novel surroundings. They would be intolerant of the folk attending with a real need and fights broke out. The empathy had been destroyed by selfish folk who traded in new for old!

Addiction is a heart centred on self and it seeks nothing but to condemn you on getting too close but, also, it will not let go without you being maimed or killed. Healthy attachment involves a 3-cord strand, consisting of the ‘You, ‘Me’ and ‘Living Force’. So, will it be moderation and the commitment to the vow of attachment or bondage and addiction. It should be borne in mind, there are no in-betweens! Would anyone seriously consider giving up the new Jedi life for the old man we once used to be?

The Vow of Industry: A Jedi must not be idle. Laziness, procrastination, and indecision are all pathways to the dark side. Not through action but rather inaction, which can be equally destructive. A Jedi is endowed with talents and gifts that are intended for the betterment of the Jedi and the world that surrounds them.

“The wind that blows between the World’s, it cut him like a knife And Tomlinson took up the tale and spoke of his good life. ‘O this I have read in a book,’ he said, ‘and that was told to me’ ‘And this I have thought that another man thought of a Prince in Muscovy.’ The good souls flocked like homing doves and bade him clear the path, And Peter twirled the jangling Keys in weariness and wrath. ‘Ye have read, ye have heard, ye have thought,’ he said, ‘and the tale is yet to run: ‘By the worth of the body that once ye had, give answer – what ha ’ye done?’ (From ‘Tomlinson’ by Rudyard Kipling)

This poem aptly describes how we might busy our lives at the ‘work’ of doing nothing, nothing of virtue or value. However, neither does the poem or the vow of industry mandate that life is all work and no play. So, how can we best

53 describe the essence of this vow? The core of the vow of industry is really emphasising the importance of ‘effective, responsible time management’. To be recognised as a person who gets things done is a wonderful virtue, but it is as much important to be recognised as someone who knows that leisure and rest have their place both physically and spiritually. Do we leave everything to the last minute and say, “Oh, there’s plenty of time, don’t worry”, or do we get so absorbed in work that we are unable ever to say, “No, no more.” The danger here is that we take on so much work that nothing gets completed, quality goes out the door, and no matter that we burn ourselves out with effort we have already become ineffective. Either way, when the reaper comes it is an almighty shock! We drop because we have been idle and busied with procrastination, dragging our feet and constantly delaying with only ‘verbal diarrhoea’ and ‘hot air’ as our companion. Alternatively we collapse because our bodies cannot take any more stress and shuts down. Neither way is a good witness for the Jedi. If the leader or manager never takes a break, that sends a negative message to their team ‘that breaks are wrong,’ you must keep on keeping on! As for procrastination it has been wisely described as, “The art of keeping up with yesterday and the grave in which opportunity is buried.”

It takes no great leap of faith to believe and acknowledge that ‘busy’ does not necessarily equate to virtue and the Jedi teachings and values. At the risk of causing embarrassment I present two living Jedi examples of what it truly means to be industrious, virtuous and committed to noble causes: Jedi Grayson Dark and Xell Ye’eal. Every time I log in and chat to Xell he is either working on or just completed some aspect of creating props or costumes towards a fan film project. Jedi Grayson is truly active on the Temple site, providing guidance, information and encouragement. Yet at the same time he is admirably committed to the care of his daughter and constantly seeking business opportunities to expand his teaching skills in martial arts. Both of these Jedi are industrious yet neither demonstrates evidence of being burned out – despite facing trials each day. And I take the opportunity to say, “May the living Force bless you and keep you; and may the Force make its light to shine in and upon you all your days.”

The alternative to responsible time management is to adopt an attitude of, ‘eat, drink and be merry’, because the master is away. Responding to an alarm we soon realised that the burglar might well still be on the premises. We requested assistance and covered the exits as best we could until back up arrived. Once inside we could hear a rattling noise. The sound was too mechanical to be of human origin, and we decided it was a faulty heating system. But after removing wooden panels to a stage area the burbling sound grew louder. It was coming from a small platform high up on the back wall. After scaling a variety of wooden crates we discovered the source of the noise. It was a snoring burglar, fast asleep and making ‘pop, pop, pop’ sounds like the rumble of a large motorcycle. This sorry lad was an employee of the youth club and utilised his knowledge of the premises in order to steal cash for a drug purchase. Prior to the burglary he went to the pub, hoping to boost his confidence with ‘liquid courage’ - But he over imbibed and fell into a deep and boozy stupor whilst playing ‘hide and seek’ with the police.

Pop-psychology would have us believe no person can be truly altruistic and that we are all inherently selfish, and every activity in which we engage is an investment in our future. You might have heard it described as ‘survival of the fittest’. What might the consequences be? Three lads found out the night it rained dogs. Their employer was out of the country, and armed with the knowledge that the, “…Master is staying away a long time…” they broke into his mansion. However, the master returned unexpectedly and alerted the police. The lads cowered nervously behind hedging in the grounds. A police dog tracked

54 to the same hedging, but with no way through the handler lifted the dog over the barrier. He chose the exact spot where the thieves were crouched. What a surprise for them when a police dog dropped out of the night sky. There was a good amount of wailing and gnashing of teeth!

How are the Jedi to manage their estate? Will we expend every scrap of energy for our own good, storing possessions for our personal benefit all because pop- psychology denies altruism, and claims we are driven by a Darwinian instinct to survive and rise above the rest. Succumb to mistaken atheistic teaching and you will find yourself living in the Ghost House in company with regrets and rejection. Or do we learn to be reliable, honourable and faithful servants, waiting on others and living by commitment to our Jedi vows and the Living Force?

General William Nelson was a Union Commander in the Civil War. Though he faced death every day, he never prepared for his own. Who can say what he was thinking as he rode into battle? Maybe he was too busy staying alive to prepare for death? All that changed, however, one day as he was relaxing in a house with his men. A brawl broke out, and he was shot in the chest. Knowing that he was dying the General sent for a priest. What had happened? Why the sudden urgency? Did the General suddenly learn something spiritual he had never known before? Why hadn’t it mattered before? It was all because the General assumed he had time! What a dangerous assumption to make! Yes, rest is important to us, as much so as industry. A teacher once remarked to her student, after telling them to be silent: “Music is always sweeter after a rest.”

This is a ‘do or die’, ‘put up or shut up’ mandate’. But we enter this realm with all the wisdom of the Jedi teachings and vows that precede that of ‘industry’. Then we will be prepared to testify when asked, “What ha ’ye done?”

The Vow of Restraint: A Jedi must learn restraint and must strenuously practice it in all their dealings with others. As conscious conduits of the Force the Jedi must restrain themselves in their dealings with others. As people Jedi possess passions and opinions and the Jedi must take care not to force these views upon others. A Jedi must realize that their thoughts, feelings, and even intentions leave impressions upon the Force that echo outwards and touch the world and people that surround them. Above all, a Jedi must learn physical restraint. Conflict is a necessary and inevitable aspect of life and yet a Jedi must take care to minimize this conflict. Physical violence must be regarded as only a final and most desperate alternative when all attempts at reason and negotiation have failed.

The vow of restraint is our guard against anger and arrogance. The Jedi will have many powers at his or her disposal and with them comes great responsibility. Is it possible to feel ‘righteous anger’? Parents or family may have done something so bad that you are left scarred. We might consider getting angry against terminal illness or disease, or maybe we rage against the injustice that leads to genocide. In this age we even give mass murder a more palatable name – ‘ethnic cleansing’! It has to be said that climbing the slopes of the fiery ‘Mount Fury’ is always going to heap arrogance in our hearts and plant bitter roots. This vow mentions passion as well as conflict. Passion directed towards another in terms of relationship can lead to the same slopes on Mount Fury. Unrestrained passion leads to jealousy, anger and hatred. As I write this, it comes after having gotten angry with my daughter, Grace. To be more precise, I was angry at the anorexia. I told Grace that she was selfish, she was going to die and that I wasn’t going to let that happen without doing something about it. Was I right? In loving my daughter, no - But in having the outburst, then yes, I was wrong.

55 As I hit the slopes of Mount Fury I should have listened for the fire alarm. The outburst made Grace distance herself from me, and laid a foundation for bitter roots to grow between us.

What happens when it is necessary to protect not just one person, but whole communities or countries? Conflict, at times, will become necessary. This is a perfect moment to introduce the Knights of the Order of St John. This order of knights was known as hospitallers, or healers. In 1565 they rallied to support the Maltese people against the Ottoman Empire. A group of 600 Knights and 9,000- Maltese militia faced an overwhelming invasion by 40,000 elite troops and 200 ships led by the Suleiman of . In the opening days Turkish forces laid siege to the garrison fort at St Elmo. This was protected by a satellite group of Knights and militia, whilst the main group waited in St Angelo. This was a furious and brutal assault, which cost the Turkish heavily in numbers and in leaders. They lost their great pirate leader, Dragut, and this cost them dearly. Dragut managed to ‘contain’ the friction between Suleiman and Admiral Piali. Breaching fort St Elmo cost the Turkish 8,000-men. The final assault was a passionate charge up the slopes of ‘Mount Fury’ (a figurative description of anger). For this mad assault wave the Mustapha sent in the Iayalars. They were a fanatical corps who had a complete disregard for their own life or any other. Maddened by hashish, the Iayalars were a fervid of Moslems, deriving blind courage from a blend of Religion and Hemp. The Iayalars induced a deliberate frenzy which made them oblivious to everything but the lust to kill. They were picked men clothed with the skins of wild beasts and gilded steel helmets. They were armed with a round shield and scimitar. In a frenzied wave, seeing only the battlements before them and paradise beyond, the Iayalars came down for the first assault. The history recorded says, “In many, nay, in most campaigns, personal feeling enters but little into the contest…At Malta the element of actual personal individual hatred was the mainspring by which the combatants were moved: each regarded the other as an …they also believed that they owed it to their adversaries to send them to hell”

Only 9-Knights were captured alive at St Elmo. The Suleiman had them decapitated and threw their headless torsos into the bay. The bodies washed up on the beach outside St Angelo. This enraged La Vallette, Grand Knight of the Order. In retaliation he ordered the execution of all Turkish prisoners. Then La Vallette fired the heads of the executed men out of cannons, over the bay, towards the Turkish assault force! The chronicler of the time says, “It would have been well for the reputation of La Vallette, had he restrained his feelings of indignation…but unfortunately the chronicler is compelled to record that his retaliation was as savage…as was the original deed; nay, more so, for Mustapha had contented himself with mangling the insensible corpses of his foes, whilst La Vallette, in the angry excitement of the moment, caused all the Turkish prisoners to be decapitated, and their heads to be fired from the guns of St Angelo…”

Do we leave people changed after there encounters with us? Some of America rejoiced over Bernhard Goetz and proclaimed him a hero. In the 1980’s he became known as the ‘subway vigilante’. He clobbered evil over the head, and sparked a nationwide anger and passion for revenge. Bernhard had been a victim of a mugging some years before. Now he carried a gun as protection, vowing never to get caught again. Unfortunately he found himself on the subway facing 4-muggers. Bernhard shot all four men. Anger is a peculiar yet predictable emotion. It begins as a drop of water – an irritant, a frustration or just an aggravation. Perhaps someone pulls in front of you on the highway, or the waiter is slow and you are in hurry or the toast burns? These are all drops of water – drip, drip, drip. However, get enough of these drops of water and you have a bucketful of rage. All that anger is good for is to feed a primitive lust for

56 revenge. Uncontrolled anger will not better our world, but sympathetic understanding will. Once we understand ourselves we can operate not from a posture of anger but one of compassion and concern. We can look at the world not with a bitter frown, but with extended hands. Perhaps our pilgrimage will take us to the ghettos, or the schools, or the orphanage? Anger never did anyone good. Whereas understanding may not get the results as quick as the vigilantes bullet, but it is certainly more constructive!

“Containment in place…Raid team go…” “Acknowledged…we’re moving around the red side…” The target premises were a single story building full of awkward little corners and angles. It was also perched upon a raised piece of ground and surround by street lighting. With little cover up close the containment team kept their distance, observing from the shadows. The sound of shouting and gunfire had come from the building earlier, but now it was silent and nothing could be seen through the blackness of the windows. All attempts to communicate with the occupants had failed and now it was time for the ‘Raid Team’ to make its approach. The night was hot and still. We couldn’t be sure who might be watching from the building so our approach was quite circuitous. We had to stay low on the ground amongst the shadows. The journey was a mixture of belly crawls and running at a crouch from bush to building. The weight of equipment, body armour, overalls and ambient temperature made it blistering, sticky and breathless work. You could hear the blood pumping through your veins, your heart pounding against your chest, and your coarse breathing sounding like it might wake the dead. The crackle and hiss of white noise through your earpiece occasionally interrupted us with an update from the containment team, and this helped maintain focus: “…Movement on white at 1.1…”, then nothing for a while. “…Noise from inside the premises Black side…”, then more hiss and crackle. “…A shadow or possible movement at 1.2 Black side…” the pounding of heart in our ears we neared the premises, scraping over grass and mud on our bellies, the cold wetness of sweat preventing an exhausted mind from drifting. A crawl through a hedge then up onto your knees; a quick run to a low wall then crouch and waddle to the end sucking oxygen into your stinging throat, conscious of the still air and need for silence. After what seemed like an eternity we arrived at the ‘White’ side of the building (White – designates the front). The last moments were the longest and most dreadful, then go, go, go! The front door was battered in and the raid team was inside the premises. The silence was shattered in a split second, ‘Bang’ and then, ‘thud’, and we knew someone was down. Then came the call no one wanted to hear, “Raid 1 is down…” Then the shouting started, the anger and hatred towards our invisible enemy boiled to the surface and in moments all coordination had gone. Some calls were over the radio, others were audible calls, “Armed police - stand still!” It was still dark, the team was split, and frustration grew to rage. ‘Bang’, another loud report of gunfire, and then someone turned the lights on and an instructor shouted, “End of exercise…” How fickle we can be? With the first loud report of that gun we should have listened to the ‘fire alarm’, and taken the warning to maintain our restraint. But with the leader suddenly gone there were moments of panic, fear and then anger.

Fortunately no one was hurt in the firearms incident, because it was an exercise. But what happens when the mob instinct takes over in live and very real circumstances? A spate of indecent assaults had occurred on a small estate. Residents had taken the law into their own hands, passing judgment on an elderly male ‘new’ to the community. He lived alone and was often seen chatting to youngsters – ergo he was a paedophile. What an incredibly ignorant leap of logic! Anger and indignation at disgusting offences was no reason to suspend a rational approach, but this group ignored the ‘fire alarm’ and carried on insanely

57 up the side of Mount Fury! The police were called to a disturbance. On arrival we found the elderly male being dangled by his ankles from a third floor window. A posse of angry parents were attempting to extract a confession from their accursed prisoner. This incident was the height of hypocrisy. The self appointed ‘executioner’ had numerous convictions for assaulting his wife. The elderly male was totally innocent, yet a group of normally decent parents had given over control to anger and arrogance.

The Jedi vow of restraint is our ‘fire alarm’. As soon as we hit the slopes of Mount Fury we know it is time to stop, turn around and approach the situation with sympathetic understanding, with outstretched arms and open hands.

The Vow of Defense: A Jedi is sworn to defense: the defense of themselves, of others, and of ideals. A Jedi is not born to suffer or to sit idly by when others are threatened. The mandate of the Jedi is to defend those that can not defend themselves and to protect the sanctity of life even, if necessary, at the expense of their own.

This is a beautiful vow because it leads us to recognise the uniqueness of every person and to respect the sanctity of life. We are to be the defenders of the defenceless, defenders of the faith and defenders of all. The police tactical weapons officer will be taught according to similar doctrine. Our priorities in protecting and preserving life are first to the public, secondly to police officers (including ourselves) and thirdly to the offender – yes, even the offender! We shoot to stop, not to kill. But we do it in the knowledge that serious bodily harm may result. There is an exception to this rule in dealing with counter terrorism – in which case pre-emptive strikes may be the only possible course of action. This will be done to protect the maximum number of innocent by-standers. In defending the faith we must have boundaries and restraints, otherwise extreme acts can become justifiable. If we do not respect the sanctity of life then Jihad becomes palatable, and we excuse suicide bombers climbing onto buses and slaughtering schoolchildren! And this is not restricted to the feelings of one faith; just listen to La Vallette as he spoke to the Knights of the Order of St John: “What could a true knight desire more ardently than to die in arms? And what could be more fitting for a member of the Order of St John than to lay down his life in the defence of his faith?”

Self sacrifice is an admirable quality but selflessness does not mean a reckless disregard for our own life. The Jedi way requires that we ‘die to self’ on a daily basis - But there must always be checks and balances and within the vow of defence that essence is one of ‘value’. We must learn to value our neighbour, whoever that may be. This is a vow to ‘love thy neighbour’ and celebrate in their uniqueness. I am part of a management team in a department of 179 people. It has meant acting as a mediator in many grievances and standing up in defence of the staff against outside complaints. The environment is a very busy emergency centre, so each new day can place emotive demands upon staff. It is inevitable that individuals are going to express those emotions and it is sometimes necessary to take that individual aside for a ‘personal’ talk. On other occasions it is best to wait at least 24-hours before speaking with an individual, so as to let things cool down. On other occasions it may be better for someone else to take on the task. In one such case an emergency call taker needed taking to task over an appalling piece of work. His attitude, if unchallenged, could have resulted in the loss of life (999 or 911 call taker). The Superintendent kept me in his office and made me promise that I would not deal with the call taker myself. Instead he appointed another manager, so that we could retain objectivity. These are intended as practical examples of how we might defend an individual or

58 step in to protect any number of folk from the reckless actions of another. If this is to be done correctly then it requires humility and all the Jedi disciplines together with a solid foundation based on valuing the sanctity of life. As important an aspect to consider is the fact that some will not appreciate the reasons you stand in their defence. Be prepared for more criticism than thanks as the object of your mercy tugs and baulks!

A bleary eyed constable walked into the police station at 5:30am, and was greeted by his unusually merry sergeant. “Ah, constable…” he exclaimed, “take this and remove the item in the kennels.” He gave a dog lead to the perplexed officer, who dutifully complied. An early morning fog of tiredness prevented any lucid questions let alone objections. To the constables disbelief he found a sheep and lamb imprisoned in the dog shelter. They were a local problem and these miscreants had turned up in a garden overnight eating their way through precious flowerbeds. Having attached the dog lead to the sheep the constable commenced an almighty tug of war. This was a task more suited to the village bobby in a 60’s police drama not a modern, slick crime fighter! There was a disused railway line close by and it led out of town. This is where the inexperienced police shepherd took his flock. Thankfully it was early in the morning and there were no witnesses to this ‘keystone cop’ battle in the high street. It took a while as the sheep didn’t want to go the same way. But on reaching the old level crossing he released the sheep through the gate onto the old line, which led out of town and away from danger. The Jedi may realise the ability to ‘see’ through the ‘fog’ but not those we serve and protect. It can mean an unappreciative audience who tug and object, and thus we are called to a vow which can require self sacrifice. In extreme case sacrifice may demand the ultimate in martyrdom, but do not belittle the Jedi activity of ‘dying to self’ which must occur on a daily basis.

There had been a burglary at a large city store. But it appeared the intruders had taken nothing, disturbed nothing and left without having done anything? In fact what they had done was change the price labels on many items, so that values were exchanged. These intruders took the tag off a £395:00 camera and stuck it on a £5:00 box of stationery; the £5.95 sticker on a paperback book was removed and placed on a microwave oven. They re-priced multiple items in the store. The store opened as usual, employees went to work, customers entered the shop and business went on for hours before anything unusual was noticed! Some folk got a few great bargains; others went away having been fleeced! Is this hard to believe? It shouldn’t be, as we go through everyday with distorted values – we see the most valuable things in our lives peddled for pennies and we see the cheapest smut go for thousands. This is summed up well by the salesman who said, “Let’s not confuse business with ethics…” What causes us to elevate the body and degrade the soul? Society has exchanged its values! It is for the Jedi to accept this vow, stand in the gap, defend the defenceless and demonstrate a true respect and understanding of value, virtue and worth!

The Jedi vow of attachment acknowledges the hearts cry of the world for some heroes, men and women who will selflessly ‘stand in the gap’. The Jedi are to be the watchmen upon the walls, and oh boy, does this tumultuous world ever need committed watchmen who shall never by the day or night be silent, and who will not remain silent until the will of the Force is done!

Briefing for the nightshift was over and I had been given a ‘baby sitting’ duty. My task for the night was to get down to the city hospital and stand guard for a sick burglar. I suppose it should be regarded as a perk, being looked after by all those lovely nurses for a night! After the gent had been arrested he was taken ill with a chest infection, and was admitted to hospital as an in-patient with suspected pneumonia. It was going to be a long, slow night. Although the first

59 few hours turned out to be quite interesting as the burglar was in a talkative mood and had many a tale to tell. He started by explaining his current predicament. It had been a blustery night and a storm was brewing. With lots of cloud cover the burglar had flitted through the shadows onto the roof of his target: a jewellery store. He quickly and skilfully disabled the alarm system and set about unsealing the skylight. But then came a timely, almost judgemental crack of lightening and the skies opened. The ‘bobby’ sprinted up the High Street desperately looking for shelter from the torrential downpour. He found a recessed doorway in a jewellery shop and there he stood, in the gap – a welcoming and dry refuge. The officer’s radio was busy with the chatter of ‘police talk’. Up above the officer, exposed to the full fury of the storm, was the burglar. He could hear the police radio, but had nowhere to go. As long as the bobby remained in the doorway the burglar had to stay on the roof, keeping his head down. He soon felt the bite of the cold, stinging rain. The storm seemed to go on forever, and the cop wasn’t going to move, with the radio still giving his presence away down below on the street. Eventually the burglars resolve was weakened and he gave himself up, much to the surprise of the officer!

To the Jedi who accept the vow of defence – You are the watchmen and women who will stand in the gap! You are the ones who will not be silent by day or night until righteousness shines out like the dawn! Will we stand in the gap, like that police officer outside the jewellery shop? The precious jewels we commit to protect are the valued, unique souls of our neighbours. Commit to this vow and it will be the enemy who has to keep his head down. When the storm comes it will be the enemy who becomes weak and sickly, and fail in his mission to steal those precious gems! Here is our call – offensive defence, as action will always be quicker than reaction. A swordsman might tell you the battle is often won before even the first physical strike takes place. The fight takes place in the mind, every move, every nuance of facial expression, body language and poise commit to the first strike, by which time the battle is already won. Brothers and sisters in the Jedi faith – stand in the gap, with a banner of love raised above you. Never be silent and never be still and then it will be the unseen foe who becomes ineffective and fails amidst the full fury of the storm.

The Vow of Chastity: A Jedi must avoid the temptations and destruction of the flesh, which can cloud the mind and pollute the soul. This refers to the random propagation and unchecked desires of the human animal which, when left to its own designs, can erode the purest of hearts and obliterate the most noble of creatures. The bonds of deep affection between man and wife and even simply between man and woman are not discouraged as they are physical ties that reinforce the connections between the Jedi and their loved ones and between the Jedi and their own mortality.

We had found a 15-year-old hitch-hiker on the motorway. In the UK pedestrians are not allowed on the motorways. We found her in the spot where a woman had been brutally murdered only a few months before. The girl was missing from home, over 500 miles away in the Outer Hebrides. She had persuaded her parents to allow her to stay with friends in Aberdeen, but then she rationalised permission to stay away so that distance was not an issue. She had been dumped in the middle of the motorway by a lorry driver, after she refused to have sex with him! The vow of chastity calls us to remain uncorrupted, virtuous, innocent and pure. After all we are a royal priesthood and a chosen people destined and called to spotless nobility. The problem is that values have been corrupted and our passions have become distorted. We disfigure and garble the word of truth in order to retain control of our desires and circumstances. A 10-

60 year-old boy skipped school in order to go visit a harmless old man who would let the boy watch porn movies. Eventually the school called in the police. We then notified the boy’s parents whose response was: “It’s just boyish concern…he was bound to take a peek sooner or later…” However, the sinister truth came to light when the boy admitted the old man had asked him to have sex. Dad lamented his distorted philosophy amidst the hot tears of shock and disgust.

It could be so easy to dismiss the Jedi vow of chastity as least in significance. But I believe failure in this vow will unravel absolutely every other commitment made until you are left alone, dirty and destitute! On taking this vow we commit to guarding against our desires, sensitising ourselves to be wary and careful. This Jedi vow is intensely personal and a battle for self control fought primarily in our minds. In those areas we have failed to curb our appetites and emotions we seem to have invisible antennae sensitively tuned to those corresponding temptations. The proverbial ‘chip on the shoulder’ describes someone constantly searching for the minor incident they can magnify into an occasion for losing their temper. And then there is the person who habitually yields to some bodily appetite or lust who is constantly alert for opportunities to indulge that desire. We must constantly meditate on this vow in order to learn, develop and strengthen our will to say, “No!” This is a learning process and so failures are likely. It will take great humility in order for us to pick ourselves up, show true contrition, seek to repair the damage and move on. This is not a casual affair, and we should take heed that desires are a burning raging fire within. The heat of passion will constantly pound us, especially when that issue has become an ‘adulterous’ addiction. Adultery is a term we can apply to any activity of the passions and desires that causes unfaithfulness to our Jedi vows and teachings.

We had seen a car stopped in the emergency break down lane on the motorway. I stopped the patrol car behind this vehicle with strobe lights illuminated. My partner walked to the vehicle, which appeared to be abandoned. However, as my colleague reached the drivers door a single occupant sat bolt upright in the car. The car then lurched into the carriageway and sped off, nearly running down my partner. Steve jumped back into the patrol car shouting, “He’s doing drugs…” It was rush hour and all lanes of the motorway were busy so the vehicle sped along the emergency break down lane at 130 miles-per- hour. The driver was throwing items out of his window. It transpired that he was throwing drugs and wrappers out; once there were none left he pulled over and gave himself up. Unfortunately for the driver our patrol car was fitted with video camera, which enabled us to replay the tape and back-track to where the drugs rested on the ground! The gent had a respectable job and large home, but got into heroine at a party. Since that time our prisoner had become a serious heroine addict. This chap smoked rather than injected and had got to the point he needed a fix just to operate normally. Without a dose of heroine this chap would get stomach cramps, vomit get diarrhoea and generally be unable to get through the day! He was married, but that relationship was ‘on the rocks’ because he’d spent their savings on heroine and now couldn’t even afford to pay the house loan. It was too late for this gent to quench the fire, and his desires had grown into a demanding monster, which destroyed his marriage and home.

The Jedi vow of chastity means controlling our desires so that the door is closed upon ‘adulteries’, and not only closed but abolished along with its thoughts and attitudes. It is only through devotion and commitment to pure living that we might retain integrity, morality and honesty. It means dying to self on a daily basis with full and frank dedication to the Jedi teachings; it is our Jedi calling to be a positive witness on this present world, which is wholly dishonest and unethical. We do not do as the world does, because we are not afraid to make a

61 stand. The Jedi vow of chastity ensures that we are found re-clothed and in our rightful mind – pure, clean and spotless.

An ambulance was parked awkwardly in the road. Pulling up behind the unit it was apparent something very bad was going on inside the ‘truck’. I ran to the back doors of the ambulance, which was rocking from side to side. The noise coming from inside the paramedic unit suggested there was an almighty struggle underway. Suddenly the back doors of the ambulance opened and a paramedic ‘flew’ out! The remaining paramedic was being gripped around the throat by a literally crazy man half on a stretcher. No more encouragement was necessary and I jumped into the ambulance and joined the fray. It took all three of us to tie this crazy man up. We tied the man down with handcuffs, bandages and anything that could restrain him. In fact I called for another unit and asked for more handcuffs. Even with all these custom restraints he still tried to fight, and arched his back like something demon possessed. He had been sitting in the window of a first floor flat showing off to the girls inside and having recently taken cocaine. His drug induced exuberance lead to him leaping out of the window thinking he could float to the ground – but gravity decided otherwise and he landed on his head. We made a follow up check with him at the city hospital later. On this occasion you could be forgiven in thinking it was a different man. The drugs had worn off and he talked quietly and politely – here was a man re- clothed and in his rightful mind.

The Jedi vow of chastity is an extremely serious calling for us to turn the burning passions and energy within to recognise virtue and develop those longings into desires to follow the Jedi calling, and the Jedi heart into action. Having been re- clothed and in our rightful mind the only habit we should have is that of the brown Jedi habit.

The Vow of Obedience: A Jedi is to be obedient - Obedient to the laws under which they live, the customs under which they are raised, and to the conscience that directs and steers a Jedi’s thoughts and actions. Furthermore, a Jedi is to obey their instincts and intuitions. For these are a Jedi’s clearest indicators of the will of the Force.

At face level obedience starts with the laws and rules of the land, then requirements and terms of employment; then such legislation as health and safety law, and moral and ethical rules. This vow continues to demonstrate the incredible depth and scope of the Jedi faith. It was not by coincidence that the very subject of obedience was at the forefront of my tasks at work today. The Superintendent was angry at the failure of emergency centre sergeants and their apparent inability to comply with Force standing orders in response to distraction burglaries. Distraction burglaries involve the offender(s) cold calling at the addresses of the elderly and vulnerable and posing as meter readers, plumbers, water authority representatives and acting with subterfuge. Once having gained access to the homes the intruders would search for cash and jewellery. There is a Force defined response requiring a list of actions to be undertaken and these are non-negotiable. Unfortunately, one sergeant failed to adhere to standing orders. My task was to prepare a presentation and have it constantly playing over the plasma display screens, together with a briefing to instruct that it was to be continually re-played over the next few days and that full compliance WILL be required – Failure to comply would result in personal disciplinary action!

It was mid-morning as we drove out of the city over the river bridge. The road was a dual carriageway and as we cleared the apex of the bridge I could see a person staggering towards us, “Not another drunk…” was the comment. On

62 nearing the man we soon realised he wasn’t drunk. The poor chap’s clothes were torn and his chest and arms were soaked red with fresh blood. It didn’t take a paramedic’s training to see he was quite poorly, so we hurriedly bundled him into the patrol car and rushed him to hospital. The gent had been trying to make a delivery to farm premises. There was a large warning sign at the gate saying, “Danger – Keep out…Guard Dogs!” He had tried sounding the horn but couldn’t get a response, so he climbed over the gate. Suddenly two Alsatian dogs attacked him. They bit him savagely in the chest, on the hands, arms and armpits. This man chose to ignore the warning signs and he became ‘food of the dogs’. These examples illustrate an attempt to get the job done, but not according to the rules – however, the choice is to go for gold or become a dog’s dinner!

What happens when we know the law but fail to ‘mark those words’? A young man in a wheelchair had entered a supermarket. He engaged members of staff in conversation and was later described as pleasant and humorous. He had a large rucksack hooked to the rear of the chair and wheeled to the alcohol aisle. He placed nearly £200 of wines and spirits into the bag right under the noses of staff and then left the store. He almost got away with the theft but security chanced to look at the video monitor and saw his actions. The thief was detained in the car park. The wheelchair routine had been a ruse and intended to deceive staff into thinking him harmless. This chap had passed large signs saying; “Thieves will be prosecuted”, but he’d only given them a half-hearted glance. But a half- hearted response is no response at all!

We were planning a hiking expedition through the Lake District. Our sergeant explained the rules to us and we agreed a route to be taken together with the fixed rendezvous points. To conclude the briefing our sergeant restated the rules that we were expected to abide by as they were for our safety and to the benefit of all. We had climbed to the top of ‘Green Gable’ and stopped for a cup of tea. There was a thick mist and we were tired, wet and hungry. There was an agreed route for us to follow off the mountain, but whilst we rested the group decided to take a different path. This new path offered a quick and easy way down. And so we descended via a ‘scree’ slope (Scree is loose shingle and rock, and can be very dangerous). The new route was fairly exciting at the time, but on reflection was probably reckless and foolhardy. Once you start sliding on this loose rock and sharp stones it is a case of ‘keep going’ until you reach the bottom. We picked up a fair few cuts and graze’s on the way down. We had to remove our rucksacks and throw them down in front of us to avoid toppling over! However, this exciting detour caused us to miss our rendezvous point and our reward was some well deserved punishment – all because we ignored the rules and wilfully took a different route.

Obedience is about daring to be different, but it does not mean stepping outside of the rules. Rather it is about checking our plans and instincts against the Jedi faith. We must allow the teachings to soak into us, understanding its requirements and then gradually, day by day, in large and small ways, allowing that understanding to control the actions of our lives. This is the beautiful part of obedience – understanding and recognising promptings from conscience, intuition and instinct. This is where obedience becomes the real key to faith, as we become not only believers but doers. Learning to obey promptings of the spirit takes real courage and stepping out in faith. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor who was martyred in a Nazi concentration camp. He once said, “Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes.” This seems a rather circular proposition? But we should remember that many things are in truth AND practice – faith without works is dead, but you require faith to truly live!

63 First lecture after lunch on a Wednesday meant the dreaded ‘definitions test’ at Police College. The thought of the test would always spoil lunch. You secretly hoped the test would be on the piece of law you had studied until the early hours. Much of the legislation would be broken down into definitions and then we were subjected to a test on them. As the Chief Instructor stood in front of the class we would wait with baited breath – what definition would it be - Something on heavy goods vehicles; Public order maybe, or would it be firearms? Whatever the feelings of dread over lunch the tests would one day be of immense help. Having learned those definitions ‘off by heart’ would help us stand firm in all the diverse requirements of police duty, and on our day of testing.

That ‘day of testing’ will come to all Jedi, whether it be a test of integrity set against some point of law, or whether it be a test of faith arising out of a prompting that a friend has a need you should meet. It is in the latter situations that we may find most difficulty, as it requires great wisdom and honing of the skills. However, we can apply certain ‘acid tests’ to those promptings in order to act in good faith and be obedient. Obedience can be ‘unto death’ – not literally, but we must die to ourselves in order to serve and follow. There are 10 questions we might want to ask ourselves when faced with a decision – the first five represent moral issues and the second five revolve around a change of direction: 1: Have you meditated on it? 2: Is it consistent with the written Jedi teachings and vows? 3: Can I do this and be a positive Jedi witness? 4: Will it focus on the Jedi faith or bring ‘me’ glory? 5: Am I acting responsibly? 6: Is it reasonable? 7: Does a realistic opportunity exist? 8: Is there unbiased support from spiritually sensitive friends? 9: Is this a desire of the flesh or of the heart? 10: Do I have peace about it?

Well, if you have answered ‘yes’ to all 10 questions, what are you waiting for? Be obedient!

The Vow of Cleanliness: A Jedi is to be clean in both body and mind. A clean body and the respect for one’s appearance is a clear indicator of one’s mind and the cleanliness of both allows a Jedi to be more receptive to the Force. A cluttered and contaminated vessel does not allow for the smooth transition and flow of its contents and, as such, it must be cleansed. A Jedi can be viewed in the same light... Through the care and maintenance of themselves the Jedi prepare themselves to be conduits for the Force and enable themselves to be directed by its will.

A fellow officer had requested assistance to deal with a difficult prisoner. I attended and we eventually wrestled our awkward customer into the patrol car. All of us were left just a little bit hot and bothered. He was carted off to the cell block, but our troubles were only just beginning. The prisoner was still uncooperative, but that wasn’t the problem, we just carried him into the cells. The bad news was delivered by the custody team, “That’s ‘so and so’, he’s got scabies…” Oh boy, what a blow, and off we charged to the showers already feeling itchy at the thought. The scabies mite can be transmitted by skin to skin contact and every little itch felt like a confirmation that we had contracted it. In fact everything turned out to be fine, but the news had spread around the station. I walked into the office to find my desk moved to a lonely corner of the room. Someone had put a placard on the desk; it was marked in large letters – QUARANTINE! In ancient times surgeons were still to learn basic sterile

64 techniques, - practices as simple as washing your hands. But because they knew little about micro-organisms many would die on the operating table, until they had learned the good practice of hand washing, clean clothes and clean instruments. If micro-organisms were visible to the naked eye then we would certainly take more notice of them. What if our casual attitudes and activities appeared as ‘blotches’ on our skin today - Would we be placed in QUARANTINE? Here is a Jedi vow that advocates ‘CAREFULNESS’ over ‘QUARANTINE’. We must exercise all we have learned within our hearts about the Jedi way in where we place our feet and what we set our hands to. Neither does this vow commence with the outward appearance. Cleanliness must start within.

We were in the process of executing a search warrant at the house of a suspected drug dealer. It takes considerable time and effort to search a house properly, and in this case no drugs were found. But we did find a small book, which caused the occupant to become quite anxious. The book was an accurate record of all the drugs he had supplied. The figures were recorded immaculately and included details on who the drugs were supplied to; quantities; price paid; dates and even remarks on the quality of the drugs! From the records it was possible to visit and interview many other people. It meant time in prison for the dealer. His overwhelming desire for a quick profit and the accurate record of his deeds brought captivity. But it was also a record of the activities of many others and it brought trouble on them as well. Here was a small black book recording the dirty deeds of many, and it destroyed friendships and lives. The Jedi vow of cleanliness is a format upon which we can build our new accounts. And that is to be sober minded, self controlled, people of quite reflection, humility and meditation, and above all ready to serve others. An ancient proverb cites the essence of this vow well: “We must clean the inside of the vessel first, then the outside!”

It is sad that many feel they have worthless and insignificant lives. “Alpha four- one, we’ll need a van for transport and some rubber gloves…she’s covered in excrement!” The filth in this backyard caused officers to wretch and gag. Cindy had smeared rotting household waste and her own faeces around the property. A vile combination of flies, rats and the stench of human waste caused neighbours to reject Cindy. She was admitted at the local psychiatric unit whilst the council cleaned her property. Yet within weeks of her return Cindy would re-create the mess. A bad, disturbed mind and ugly backyard meant Cindy was never accepted in the community. This is a vile, repugnant and dirty picture. But how do we separate ourselves from these dirty backyards? We ‘use’ and ceremony to cover the mess, rather than actually cleaning it up. Unable to ritually cleanse herself at the psychiatric unit, Cindy found herself in the dirt of that backyard as an outsider once again. Do we prefer anonymity? If the answer is yes, then I am afraid there is bad news as it is impossible to remain ‘out of sight’ forever. Arrested in possession of large amounts of cannabis the drugs prisoner was definitely not telling us the whole truth. He offered a passport as identification, so we made immigration and address enquiries. He was keen to be released on bail, but that wouldn’t happen until his identity was verified. Eventually he agreed to provide his fingerprints, and within half-an-hour we obtained his true identity. He entered the UK using his dead brother’s details as our prisoner had convictions for drug importation! We are individually created making it difficult to avoid being identified. From fingerprints to DNA a permanent record exists by which we are specifically known. Sir William Herschel proposed using the principal of fingerprinting to identify individuals in 1877. He was a British Administrator in India, where there were problems with soldiers making multiple pension claims. Sir William suggested the only way to detect these individuals was via fingerprinting, and proposed the theory of persistency. Persistency claims that your fingerprints remain the same from the day you are born until the

65 day you die. Sir Francis Galton had also calculated the improbabilities of two persons having the same fingerprints and he classified the various patterns – naming them ‘Galton details’. We each have a unique set of fingerprints forming a permanent record of our identity. We can change our name and falsify passports, but we will never hide our true selves. And here is where the Jedi vow of cleanliness really comes into its own, as we spiritually scribe our hearts with a dedication and commitment that starts from the inside and flows outward. We scribe or ‘tattoo’ our hearts with the indelible mark of the Jedi vow, rather than simply ‘pretend’ by changing the outward appearance.

It was a busy week day morning in the town. The rush hour traffic was filling the streets, and it didn’t take much to cause a jam. Suddenly the traffic was going nowhere other than building up, along with tempers as the drivers were helpless to do anything but shout and holler. The cause seemed to be a vehicle strewn awkwardly across the road and blocking the traffic flow. Just what did the driver think he was doing? Soon there was a cacophony of angry horn blasts and screams of, “Move it idiot…” In fact this driver was having a heart attack. We commenced resuscitation on the poor chap. This gent needed a literal change of heart. But from the anger and impatience of all those caught in the jam it was evident that most of them needed a change of heart!

What earthly or spiritual value is their in Jediism if it does not make an indelible mark upon the follower’s heart? Disobedience is the dirty stain on this world, and it makes an awful noise – just listen to all those angry screams as the man was having a heart attack! Obedience, on the other hand, is the root to cleanliness, and yet again we find beauty and majesty in how the Jedi vows flow from one-to- another.

Whilst at Police Training College students would take turns to remain on campus over the weekends to perform ‘guard duty’. Whilst on site you would have responsibility for the security of the buildings and opening the swimming pool to the public on a Saturday morning. It was on such an occasion that, as I pulled the pool cover back, I noticed a ‘foreign body on the floor of the pool. It was brown and cylindrical and my heart sank, as I knew it would have to be removed. I brought a colleague back in the hope that he might volunteer to remove it, but no such luck! We eventually gave in and went to the duty sergeant who said, “You’ll have to remove it!” To my great relief it turned out to be a pebble. But isn’t it remarkable how such a small ‘foreign body’ can cause such offence? This applies very much to this present world and the excesses by which we live. Where is our sense of moral outrage? Perhaps our moral sensibilities have been dulled because of instant communication, the internet and ease of access to ‘no holds barred’ entertainment. Over time so much trash is heaped upon us that we come to expect it as commonplace, and we do not flinch. The essayist Charles Krauthammer sums up this human predicament in saying, “The inability to make moral distinctions is the AIDS of the intellectuals: an acquired immune deficiency syndrome…moral blindness of this calibre requires practice…it has to be learned.” In a culture with moral AIDS words lose all their meaning, or they are manipulated to obscure meaning. When words lose their meaning then we become spiritually deaf and blind.

The Jedi vow of cleanliness means we have an opportunity to make a difference in the world. We can be faithful to our partners; we can be the employee who does the work without complaining; we can pay our bills; we can be the one who doesn’t cheat at home or work; we can be the neighbour who acts neighbourly and we can do our part and enjoy life. As we keep our Jedi vows we learn moral excellence and ethical beauty. Who am I when no one is looking - Am I consistent, or do I act differently?

66 The Jedi vow of cleanliness has a 1st principle: habits are developed by repetition and reinforced by repetition. We can systematically acquire the habit of denial. As we meditate and concentrate it becomes easier. We develop positive thoughts that are pure, true and good, and we frequently repeat these thoughts.

The Vow of Charity: A Jedi must be giving of themselves. As servants of the Force a Jedi must be willing to give of themselves, their time, and efforts. The Jedi are servants of life and can not contribute to life without effort and dedication. The Jedi are encouraged to help when necessary, to supply when there is need, and hope when there is none.

Here is the final but oh, so exultant vow which throws down the gauntlet saying, “Condition or Comfort?” A colleague had been dispatched to a side street to check out a suspicious character. The officer called for assistance, as he’d found the individual and knew him to be a drug dealer. I then attended to help search the ‘druggie’. Unfortunately it transpired that I knew the dealer very well. We had gone through school together as ‘best mates’. He also recognised me and said, “Some people really change, don’t they?” It was a derogatory statement, and yes, I had changed, but not in the way he meant. The two of us had stuck together throughout school. He was the older; I was the younger and had looked up to him. We would crash out in the garage at his parent’s house listening to rock music and getting drunk at the weekends. I was always amazed at the quantity of new music records (long before CD’s!) he would obtain – until detectives turned up at school and arrested him for theft! We would call for his girlfriend and there would always be shouting coming from inside the house. I felt sorry for her dad, letting his ‘baby’ daughter out with us two rockers. When it came to the final year of exams he skipped a lot and tried to put pressure on me to do the same. He absolutely despised his parents, and because I looked up to him it brought an irrational disrespect for my parents – they existed to provide for my comfort alone! What happened exactly? The difference was not in my uniform, or that I had somehow become a better person. Jimmy was a quick witted and intelligent bloke. No, the difference was in the choices we had made. One of us chose comfort and the other looked at the condition. It would have been so easy to continue following my friend, copying his footsteps, but it would have meant drugs and an interest in my comfort. Comfort and finite earthly things are certainly attractive and who can blame anyone for trying their utmost to have the best? But a true sacrifice of the heart is going to require that we look at the human condition and going through the refiner’s fire. What will the first fruits of our hands be – comfort, or condition and a willingness to go through the fire?

What does it take for us to give of ourselves? Are we ready and willing or do we have to be dragged from our chairs kicking and screaming? The mobile phone was ringing in the patrol car. It was the force control room and they passed us details of a firearms incident in progress. A frightened girl had called 999 (911) because four armed men had broken into the house and kidnapped her boyfriend. The boyfriend was a drug addict and owed money to a local dealer for heroin. The four ‘heavies’ burst into the home and seized him during the night. They took him to a cash point in the city at the top of a steep hill. Fortunately the cash point was operating (mine always seems to be out of order) as failure to pay would have meant certain death. The question this Jedi vow asks’s us to consider is: When the day comes will we be ready to make that once for all withdrawal at the cash point on the hill? No greater love has a man than this – that he lay down his life for his friend.

67 When burglars strike they leave behind a mixture of anger, frustration, annoyance, fear and sadness - Having said that I want to introduce a couple of likeable young rogues who lived and operated on my beat. They were cousins and can best be described as similar to ‘rag and bone’ men. They would break into factories and schools, but never private houses. Their burglaries would not cause much damage and they only ever stole rubbish, although this junk seemed like the crown jewels to them. The older of the two would always call me within a few days to confess they had done a burglary? His confessions seemed to ease his conscience, and he seemed to have a code of ethics despite the criminal activity. A burglary had been reported that had their trademark all over it. I paid a visit to their home and found their car on the drive, with the stolen property resting on the back seat! Neither of the lads was concerned about being arrested, but they were devastated when the property was seized. This kit was broken and of no use, and wasn’t going to be missed, but they did not have the technical ability to repair it. They behaved as if this property was their very livelihood or life blood. The two burglars had accumulated junk and it was their ‘everything. But what idols or junk do we accumulate and what does this do to our values? What will be king in your life? Jediism might say ‘absolutes’ are of the dark side, but you simply cannot say, ‘This is my percent and that is the Jedi’s percent.”

It was 4am and the alarm clock was buzzing – for a moment I was confused but the cold of the farmhouse soon brought me back to reality. Then it was on with the sports kit and into the farmyard all inside of 10-minutes. We had to endure 3-weeks of this routine on outward-bound. Our exercises concluded at 4:30am with a run through the valley. The final obstacle was to cross the brook. It was icy cold and just deep enough to swim across. The freezing water took your breath away, but refusal to participate resulted in being thrown off the course. Crossing the brook caused pain, but explaining rejection from the course to the sergeant didn’t bear thinking about. This is certainly easier to write than endure that freezing brook again, but the Jedi vow of charity is something of a prophetic call for us all to ‘cross the brook’ in response to many of our attitudes and relationships. How many families and friends can you list right now going through the pain of break-ups, illness and poverty? We might not know where we are going to tread. We do know that the icy waters cause a little pain, but we must go as the Living Force directs for the sake of wives, husbands, children, loved ones, friends and even ourselves. Will we ‘cross the brook’?

How do we tear down the pedestals? How do we vigorously assert the Jedi mind- set of servant-leadership? It starts with us coming under conviction from the Jedi teachings and recognising a need to ‘cross the brook’. First we must reassess our objectives by serving and equipping to serve. Secondly we consciously strive to avoid the snares. This is not easy as the temptations of comfort over condition surround us every day. William Booth, founder and first general of the Salvation Army, sent a command to all his leaders: Go to the Indian as a brother, which indeed you are, and show the love which none can doubt you feel…eat and drink and dress and live by his side. Speak his language, share his sorrow…” The Jedi vow of charity is our greatest test of compassion. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “The church is herself only when she exists for humanity…she must take her part in the social life of the world, not lording it over men, but helping and serving them.”

There is a practical aspect to literal giving that exists not to glorify Jediism or yourself, but for you to develop and grow. Consider the simple act of writing a cheque as a tithe: 1: You enter the date – and immediately you are reminded that you are a time bound creature and every possession you have will rust or burn

68 2: You enter the name of the one who will receive – handing over your trust to that person in what will be done with the money 3: You enter an amount – Here is the moment of truth. This is making a confession that possessions don’t have control and that you can let go

Once again no accident has taken place in where the Jedi vow of charity rests. Nothing but a completely focused pilgrim is going to be in a position to set condition over comfort, cross the brook and expose their heart to pour out genuine compassion.

This concludes the Jedi Initiate Training Journal for Cuore Del Leone. The document is now submitted for consideration as necessary.

May the force be with you.

*bows*

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