I have been, and would need to continue, pondering the saga on the most basic levels. To this point, I've almost completely disregarded the EU. I've paged through 'SITME' and read one of the Han Solo adventures. They were enjoyable and well written sci-fi, but they were affecting my perception of the OT. They seemed unreliable as a source of info about the trilogy.
My sources (before '86) were the movies, novelizations, and 'Dune' (my father gave me his copy in the summer of '77, without explaining why.) NF sources were 'Skywalking', Toynbee's 'A Study Of History', Architect Speer's 'Inside the Third Riech', documentaries, and other books on history and mythology. But, above all, what I saw on the screen.
The Force: It seems to be a mash-up of all religious traditions. But for the mono-theistic religions, it seems to be The Power or The Spirit with all aspects of "Personhood" removed. More recently, theologians and scientists have been describing the universe as a sort of "Energy Field" of rippling information (or Wisdom.) All the forces binding, present to preserve or save, everthing in the U is a manifestation of this "Force." It could be called "The Logos" by which all is maintained and kept from chaos and destruction. People who respect and abide by the wisdom find a right path to life, those who turn their backs on it create their own or other's destruction. It's amazing, the way GL was able to distill these spiritual insights for a movie.
I LOVE Midi-chlorians! Mitochondria-chlorophores, micro-scopic symbiotes that transform energy into forms useful to the host, BRILLIANT!! It is the most ingenius, and, at the same time, the most unfortunately employed metaphore/plot device in cinema history. I wouldn't want a PT fan-edit to be bogged down by the problem-but still- WOW!
The Prophecy: Shakespeare, Oracle Of Delphi, all great. We have witnessed so many failed prophecies and prophets that the business is very suspect. I don't think we understand the astounding, cosmic power one would have if a prophecy of the fate of the Galaxy could be proven demonstrably true to anyone of average or above rationality. Those who held such understanding in good time would hold the keys to the future. The Jedi were blind, confused, disagreeing, and discredited because of their inability to correctly interpret a true prophecy. Imagine the power and ability They would have held if someone had provided the correct, provable interpretation in time. Their Graces, whatever their faults, limitations and past failings, would have become the most powerful rallying point for every rational being of any good will they could contact throughout the Galaxy. They might have been able to prevent the cataclysm from the outset. Failing that, they might have greatly mitigated the horror for large regions of the galaxy.
The Jedi masters went down the wrong path because they accepted the prophecy on it's face. They were not certain that there might be another way for The Force to be true to itself and the galaxy. They insisted upon limiting The Force to their own pitifully limited understanding. In a sense, that is the most terrible form of blasphemy.