I have a confession to make. When I first sat down to brainstorm ideas for a post on the Holy
Spirit the first thing that came to my mind was Mr Miyagi from the 80’s movie ‘The Karate
Kid.’
So, whilst Stina and Padre are over on the Living Fullness podcast having a more intelligent
discussion about docility to the Holy Spirit from a theological and biblical perspective, I’m
picturing a serene karate master instructing a reticent teenager on the finer points of waxing
a car.
No, I haven’t completely lost my mind. Partially yes but not completely. I mean, I am a
mother of 8 after all, there is some deficit of sanity that directly correlates to sleep
deprivation. But I can’t help feeling that the ‘inspiration’ for this blogpost, concerning a movie
I haven’t viewed in at least two decades, might have come from another source altogether.
I mean, the entire relationship between Daniel-San and Mr Miyagi could be viewed as a
metaphor for being docile to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. And if we view it as such there
are lessons here for all of us!
- You can life like a disciple before or after Pentecost.
Prior to meeting Miyagi, Daniel was new in town and was ruthlessly bullied. He lived in fear
and was desperate to fight back. Miyagi might be teaching him the finer art of karate, but
Daniel will be forever changed by this influence in his life. From now on he has a choice, to
live in fear for the rest of his life, or to live as a better version of himself.
The same is true of us. But we already have our own Mr Miyagi residing within us, and
unfortunately, often we tend to ignore his voice or direction in our lives. Taking the time to
reacquaint ourselves to the third Person of the Trinity, who’s temple we are, might just
unleash new opportunities that we never expected. - You might not understand all that is required of you, but do it anyway!
Daniel initially feels like he’s getting a raw deal and is just doing menial labour for Miyagi. When he
questions his mentor, Miyagi replies: “Hai! Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on,
wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don’t forget to breathe,
very important.” He later goes on to explain that although the menial tasks seem redundant,
they actually served a greater purpose than Daniel had imagined: strengthening his muscle
memory for defensive blocks.
It’s a lot easier to say this than to actually do it. If we are really actively listening to the Holy
Spirit, chances are that we’re not always going to understand the why of what is being asked
of us. Take Saint Bernadette Soubirous for instance. She started digging in the dirt at
Lourdes, washing her face with it, while an incredulous crowd milled around and taunted her.
Now, of course, Lourdes is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the world. Maybe the
Holy Spirit isn’t asking us to play around in the dirt, but He is asking something of us. We’re
only going to grow in holiness if we do what that something is. - Progress in the spiritual life requires balance and right ordering.
One of the concepts Miyagi teaches his young protégé is that of balance. In his words: “Better learn balance. Balance is key. Balance good, karate good. Everything good. Balance bad, better pack up,
go home. Understand?”
Listening to the Holy Spirit, really listening, is not going to change our life with a click of the
fingers. Much of the spiritual journey is gradual and requires effort. We cannot give over all
of our time to spend waiting for the Holy Spirit to speak – but regular silence is something we
can work towards.
But maybe, like Daniel-San, cultivating a solid relationship with our mentor will result in a
change of heart, a strengthening of our faith and resolve to live a Christian life. We might just
go from being a hesitant disciple to one on fire for Christ.
Wax on, wax off.
Go on, try it. You know you want too.
Emily Shaw – VM Writer and Graphic Designer.
Wife of one, mother of 8. Tackling growth in virtue one (baby) step at a time.