Brief Star Wars Monogram
Those final words on Mustafar:
A: “You’re either with me or against me.”
O: “Only a sith deals in absolutes.”
In a sense, Anakin is closer to the truth than Obi-Wan—just as the devil, even in the midst of his own evil, must understand much more than even the wisest human beings.
Can we not hear, if we are listening closely, a kind of tedious, flabby, ineffectual relativism in obi-wan’s words? There’s something very “eat/pray/love” about them (not to mention that the statement itself an absolute). This is the decadent pseudo-spirituality that destroyed the Jedi—this is precisely why Anakin was lost.
Anakin is higher and lower than Obi-Wan. Higher because he is right—in this world, you really are either for or against (in secular terms: you either do the right thing, or you don’t. Wanting to do the right thing, wishing you could, etc.—that doesn't count for anything). There is no refuge in relativism or “spirituality” over faith; there is no hiding place in lukewarmness. These measures, which seem like safe havens, only delay the inevitable (that is, they are “against”). Anakin understands this (probably due to his high midichlorian count or the “chosen” status that it represents)—Obi-wan, on the other hand, doesn’t really understand anything (his remark should evince that much, but I think it’s also important to note, in the rest of the prequels, the near-total absence of any moments of wisdom in his character. He is certainly not as spiritually engaged as Yoda—who, it is worth noting, is not at all averse to "dealing in absolutes:” “Fear leads to the dark side,” “Do or do not, there is no try,” etc.)
Yet, despite his ignorance, Obi-Wan, in doing good (by not killing children, essentially) has really maintained the "high ground” against Anakin—but he cannot save him.
What this means: a well-meaning idiot, as long as he does good, is superior to the devil.
In secular terms—a good fool is better than somebody who has all things but goodness.
Now, you might feel justified in saying to me: What good is this advice? We knew this already.
But did you really know it? Well, suppose you did. Even if you did, it’s healthy to be reminded of it from time to time, especially through the medium of a story, where everything contributes to getting the message across on a level that is deeper than conscious awareness.
The Christian worldview corresponds to the world like a globe: you may take in the whole at a glance, but nevertheless, you cannot really see everything at once.
Wittgenstein’s ad absurdum is the greatest argument for it I have ever heard: If Christ did not come back to life, that means that his body decayed… and that is too terrible to imagine.