Teachings,+Public+Service

Public Service
(Kai Stormwalker)

While the Jedi exist to study the ways of the Force, they are allowed to exist because they serve the public interest. Were they unable to use the Force - indeed, if the Force did not exist - the Jedi would go on serving, because this is their mandate. The fact that the Force is real, and that the Jedi are its most devoted practitioners, only strengthens their resolve to use it in the service of the common good.

A. Render Aid: A Jedi is obliged to assist those in need of aid whenever possible, and must be able to quickly judge the priority of doing so. Saving one life is important; saving multiple lives more so. This tenet does not require a Jedi to abandon other goals in every circumstance, but the Jedi must do his best to ensure that that those in need of aid receive it.

B. Defend the Weak: Likewise, a Jedi should strive to defend the weak against those who seek to suppress them, from one person suffering at the hands of another to an entire race held in thrall. A Jedi should always remember, though, that not all might be as it seems. The customs of other cultures should always be respected, even if they offend the Jedi's moral or ethical code.

C. Provide Support: At times, a Jedi must stand aside to let others render aid or defend the weak - even though the Jedi could perhaps do a better job. The Jedi should assist by word or by action as required by the situation, offering advice when asked for, warning when necessary, and argument only when reason fails. Otherwise, the Jedi must remember that he wields a marvelous and potent tool in the Force, and he should be ready to use it on behalf of a good cause.