Masonry brings an individual from the dark to the light, from the vulgar to the righteous. In Masonry, the dark not only represents the lack of knowledge, but it also represents man operating on his baser instincts and desires. The light represents knowledge as well as Masons’ desire to dedicate their lives to truth, love, kindness, and serving their fellow man.
As Plato said, “so long as we have the body accompanying our reason in its impurities, so long as our souls are befouled by this evil admixture, we shall assuredly never fully possess that which we desire.” According to the Platonic tradition, the material world is limiting and possibly evil. Our bodies distract us from the higher, more virtuous purposes of life, that of thinking, and doing altruistic actions. This is echoed in the Calvinist and other Puritan traditions.
When Obi-Wan tells Vader that “if you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine,” Obi-Wan is telling Vader that he will be freed of the Platonic material limitations. Vader, like all Sith, believes that power comes from the ability to manipulate the material world.
St. Augustine wrote that God creates all beings in the universe, that they are not inherently good or evil. They have free will. Anakin Skywalker was not evil or good, he was like you and me, morally ambivalent, choosing his actions based on moral necessity. Anakin did not choose to be evil but was seduced by the dark side. When Anakin slew a tribe of Sand People, he says “I’m a Jedi, I know I am better than this.” He chose to do evil. This is his path to the dark side.
There is the light or good and there is the dark or evil, doing something purposely helpful or destructive being the difference. Moral evil is choosing to do what is harmful to others. The seduction by promises of a power beyond his gifts, Anakin moves down the path from his cultural norms. This choice is not wrong for him, but a necessary move to achieve what he believes is his right. Anakin seeks the significance that his ego says is his right. Proverbs 16:8 says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride and ego tell Anakin, he is the “chosen one,” thus, he fell.
A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor. Vader’s Redemption began with Luke’s willingness to die rather than fall to the dark side. Vader’s sacrifice of Redemption is when he surrendered evil and sought the light — to look upon Luke with his own eyes. Vader saw Luke touch the Dark Side in Return of the Jedi, yet reject it, seeking light and understanding.
Man has his hand in both the light and the dark. Masons are taught to cut away the superfluities of life, circumscribe our passions, and always act by the square of virtue. The shedding of Vader’s Ego and his willingness to forgo selfishness brought him to the Light. Likewise, Masons realize that Ego, Pride, and materiality are hindrances. As Milton said in Paradise Lost, rather shine the Celestial light inward so that “I may see things invisible to mortal sight.” Vader’s Redemption is to see the Celestial light of the Force.