“No, I am your father.” – Darth Vader (James Earl Jones), 1980
This past Monday, one of the most recognizable actors of our time passed away. At the age of 93, James Earl Jones entered his eternal rest. Few people have had the success James Earl Jones has had in the entertainment industry. He is most well known as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise. His career has taken him from the Broadway stage to the silver screen. James Earl Jones is one of only a few people to earn the EGOT distinction. That is to say, he has won an Emmy Award, Grammy Award, Oscar Award, and a Tony Award. His iconic voice has been part of our lives for over 60 years.
The remarkable career of James Earl Jones is impressive, considering that he spent much of his childhood in silence, and when he did speak, he had a noticeable stutter. Before he began elementary school, he was taken to his grandparent’s farm in Michigan. First abandoned by his father, and now his mother would no longer be part of his life, he would be raised by his grandparents. This was a traumatic time in his life, to say the least. Part of James’s reaction to this change was to be silent. He rarely spoke until he entered high school.
It was in high school that an English teacher, Donald Crouch, would work to help Jones overcome his struggles and find his voice. Mr. Crouch would one day challenge Jones with a poem written by James Earl Jones himself. Mr. Crouch said, “This is a good poem. It is so good; I don’t think you wrote it. To prove you wrote it, get up in front of the class and say it out loud.” James Earl Jones did not back down. He knew his teacher meant business, so he stood in front of the class and recited his poem without stuttering. Jone would later say in his Academy Award speech that it was a “nice surprise.”
James Earl Jones would have to work hard to go from the high school classroom to the Broadway stage. After a brief time in the Army, Jones would perform in his first role in New York City. The theatre where he first performed in 1958, The Cort Theatre, is now named the James Earl Jones Theatre. His life is a testimony to the fact that God has given each of us gifts to us, and to me, there is no doubt the voice of James Earl Jones was a gift. However, despite our gifts, life is challenging. We all experience obstacles and trials. If we are willing to work, struggle, and follow our God-given dreams, we, too, can use our gifts to bless others. James Earl Jones would say, “You find yourself with a weak muscle, and you exercise it. Sometimes, that becomes your strong muscle.”
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” -Hebrews 12:11
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
