It was early September of the year 1979. Me and my good friend Sharmon Shintani decided to head to the theater to see the re-release of ‘Star Wars’, arguably the greatest sci-fi adventure fantasy of all time. Before we hit the theater, we stopped in at a ‘Mr. Submarine’ on Ontario Street in St. Catharines for a quick bite to eat. Back in those days, there were really only two decent submarine sandwich shops in St. Catharines, one of which was Mr. Submarine and the other being ‘Mike’s Subs’ on Lake Street. I once tried Mike’s but to be honest, even though they loaded up their subs with more meat than their competitor, something was missing. Extra meat does not necessarily equal extra flavor. The thing about Mr. Submarine that in my opinion made all the difference was their zesty sub sauce. For me, it made all the difference in the world. To this day, Mr. Submarine in my opinion is still the best of all the sub-sandwich franchises, hands-down. Sorry, I lied. To quote Master Yoda’s words in a scene from Empire, ‘There is another’. The Grimsby Sub Shop across from the CIBC on Main Street make fantastic subs. Owned by the same Greek family for about 45 years, they are second to none. Only one thing, and that is you must say hi to the matriarch of the family who is lovingly known as ‘Mama’ as she sits and watches customers come and go.
One of the things that I always loved about going to a movie theater was the smell of freshly popped popcorn. It is amazing how much of a difference it makes when the air is filled with an aroma which brings back the memories of our youth. Come to think of it, when one walks into a Mr. Submarine, there is the smell of fresh baked bread, which greets the nostrils and stimulates your appetite. Also, the smell of freshly sliced onions stands out in my memory, once again, making me want to take a trip to a local Mr. Sub, and plunking down close to $15 of my hard earned money to once again relive one of my most beloved memories from my teenage years.
Now back to the theater. If I’m not mistaken, it was at the Pen Center, which was aptly named Pen Cinemas. After approximately five minutes of chitchatting prior to the opening of the movie, the lights began to dim. Suddenly, without warning, the screen exploded with the classic Star Wars logo on the horizon, gradually moving towards the viewer with stars streaking by as it approached. This was accompanied by a very familiar and dynamic piece of music borrowed from the soundtrack of the original motion picture, with narration by none other than Harrison Ford (Han Solo) speaking in a breathless, anxious manner, creating a mood of great anticipation and excitement. What we were witnessing was the first teaser trailer of the greatly anticipated sequel to the original Star Wars movie titled “The Empire Strikes Back “. Immediately the adrenaline began to course through my veins as a spectacular chase scene of Tie Fighters pursuing the famed ‘Millenium Falcon’ through a field of tumbling asteroids unfolded before my saucer shaped eyes. For approximately the next two minutes, scene after scene of brand new footage carried me on a wild roller coaster ride that I never wanted to end. To be honest, I’m not even sure that I breathed a single breath during that unforgettable two minutes of my life. It is no wonder that when one looks up that trailer on YouTube today, it is titled “breathless”, in description of Harrison Ford’s breathless and thrilling delivery of the voice-over accompanying the exhilarating first glimpse of the upcoming motion picture, which was heralded to be “Coming to our galaxy,next summer”
Speaking from a Christian point of view, should we also not be breathlessly anticipating the spectacular second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ? Should we not be anxiously looking forward to the “Release Date” of his ultimate return “to our galaxy” on a date that is only known to God the Father? I would most certainly think that if we truly are a fan of the Lord Jesus Christ, it should be on our minds constantly both night and day, similar to my anticipation of ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ was back in the year prior to the movie’s release on May 21st, 1980. Perhaps we need to replay the trailer over and over again to remind us that something truly wonderful and amazing lies ahead for us to participate in, unless of course, we deep down, have given up on the hope the sequel will be released, due to the length of time which has transpired since he ascended to heaven.
In that case we need to remember that the Bible teaches that with God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. In other words, don’t fall into the trap of believing that God hasn’t kept his word and failed to keep the promise he made what seems like such “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away”, no pun intended.
Glory be to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
If, statistically speaking, every year that has passed represented a number indicative of the chances against the likelihood of Christ returning again, perhaps your hope may dwindle to nearly nothing. But a quick reminder from the scriptures concerning God’s track record might rekindle that hope. When God steers our lives into an ‘Asteroid field’ much to our horror, do not be afraid. When God says confidently ‘Never tell me the odds’, you might as well fasten your seat belts, hang on tight, close your eyes and believe, knowing that Captain Jesus is at the controls!
Monday September 29, 2026
By Mr. Lou Pianné