Our family’s recent Covid quarantine finally provided my husband an opportunity to introduce our daughters to Star Wars. Over several days, they dug into the space saga until we were all well-steeped in the story of good versus evil.
A few days later, we were rushing around the house scrambling to leave for a much-needed outing. As I called out instructions about shoes and sunscreen, my youngest daughter, Molly, sat on the arm of the couch, unhurried. “What are you doing?” I asked, wondering why she hadn’t jumped in to help speed our progress.
“I’m using the force,” she said, shifting her gaze from me to a point on the horizon, a small smile on her face. (For the uninitiated, the force is the unseen power used by Star Wars’ Jedi warriors; basically, it’s how they get things done.) Molly and I both knew the force wasn’t going to find her shoes, but the moment reminded me how appealing it is to know we have a partner, a source of strength ready and willing to help.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that around the same time, I started reading the Book of Acts with my discipleship group. Its main character—the Holy Spirit—is unseen but very obviously at work fueling the early church. After he arrived on the scene, people came to faith in Jesus every day (Acts 2:47), even many of the priests who had recently opposed him (Acts 6:7).
Even with that evidence, how easy it is for me to forget about the Holy Spirit or file him away in a box marked “unknowable.” And maybe this is a common predicament for a lot of Christians. Even Bible teacher Anne Graham Lotz, speaking during IBSA’s Priority conference a few years ago, confessed she’d been scared of the Spirit as a child because he was called the “Holy Ghost” in her church.
Thankfully, the Spirit’s character is clear in Scripture. He’s not like the force in Star Wars, neutrally wielded by good guys and bad guys like. He’s a gift given to all those who turn to Jesus for forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38), a helper sent by God himself (John 14:26).
I didn’t expect Star Wars or quarantine to remind me to be thankful for the Holy Spirit. But I’m glad God in his kindness, and by his Spirit, saw fit to do so.