Over the Christmas break my family viewed a few movies together. Several of them were science fiction adventure thrillers. The first three movies we viewed were the original first three Star Wars movies (which eventually became IV, V and VI in the series): “A New Hope”, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “The Return of the Jedi”. Neither my husband nor I, nor our two teenage daughters had seen any of the Star Wars movies beyond the original movie.

We enjoyed these well-followed movies and were introduced to all manner of fantastic creatures and unlikely galactic populations. We were treated to state-of-the-art (now dated) special effects. And we followed the story with interest as Luke Skywalker grows and meets a series of challenges and surprises. We thoroughly enjoyed these futuristic fantasies and were glad we took the time to watch them.

We finished the third movie on Christmas day. And sometime later in the day my husband said to me, “You know, even though these were science fiction fantasies filled with cool technologies and special effects, they really told a story about family.” How true! Luke finds father. Luke finds sister. Luke works to reconcile and win and save father. Luke and father reconciled. That is very human and very satisfying.

Another science fiction movie we watched, “Jurassic Park”, turned out to have the same overarching theme of family. In the face of and juxtapose to all the scientific breakthroughs, possibilities, dreams and dangers, family is the bottom line most important thing.

I didn’t expect family to be the returning point of these exciting movies. I was surprised and pleased. In my life, amid the techno-gadgets and smart phones and self-driving cars, amid possibilities both wonderful and dangerous, family is a value worth living for. It is worth the dangerous journeys to uncharted places. It is worth the pain of learning how to love through dark places.

Family is a grand value. The human psyche has been created for the adventure, the challenge and the resting and growing place called family. It is a place to be, to belong, to launch from, to return to. As our lives travel forward into the future, hold on to the grand value of family. It is epic.