By Ashlie Miller

May the fourth is upon us, and chances are, even if you do not have a Star Wars nerd in your home, you will still hear someone exclaim, “May the fourth be with you!” I have several Star Wars nerds, so I am braced for it. 

The Force. Many have tried comparing it to the Holy Spirit. It is a tempting allegory. Even a casual observer will undoubtedly recognize themes of a great fall and redemption, allusions to a Chosen One or Messiah, and much more throughout the Star Wars franchise. But as with any metaphor, there is a lot of imperfection. Comparing The Force with the Holy Spirit is one of the most significant glaring imperfections. In fact, as I understand it, George Lucas did not really intend for his series to be a comparison to Christianity but rather an exploration of spirituality in general. However, for decades, Christians have tried to draw too many parallels, perhaps at the cost of correctness. Is it a reflection of how Christians have felt, or has it been a tool to wrongly direct unwary saints towards wrong impressions of who or what the Holy Spirit is?

The Holy Spirit is a person of the Trinity that many do not know what to do with. We hear “the power of the Holy Spirit” and envision believers summoning His power in their own efforts. But Jesus told His disciples that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, not usher Him in. We see personable evidence such as He is an advocate (John 14:16), gives life (Romans 8:2), enables others to speak the gospel (Acts 2:4, 8:29), convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11), and comforts and abides with believers (John 14:16-18). 

As Christians, we see the Holy Spirit as a giver of both gifts and fruit. He gives us gifts to build up the church and the kingdom of God. Likewise, the fruit of the Spirit we cultivate in a relationship with the triune God helps us deal with all humankind. These are indications of a personal being, not a force to manipulate for the benefit of gaining information from people or navigating life’s good and evils for righteous or nefarious ends. The third person of the Trinity is someone to know, love, and receive from, not an impersonal energy to use or master. 

Achieving balance with an energy field sounds like an exhausting amount of personal effort. Living in the presence of the Holy Spirit as a guide does require submission, but He does the work in our lives to make us more like Christ. It is not a work of our own doing, thus making it life-giving. 

Also, the Holy Spirit points to Christ alone. He speaks what He hears from God. He never points to Himself. Those filled with the Holy Spirit work as empowered by Him in a selfless, modest way, not pointing to one’s own filling or power but to the glory of God alone. A more mystical idea of who or what the Holy Spirit is can result in a self-focused and self-glorifying effort, puffing up one’s own ego or sense of spirituality.

Who or what are you leaning into this May the fourth? May you know the person and presence of the Spirit of the Lord!

Ashlie Miller and her family live in Concord, NC. You may contact her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.