The Gift of the Spirit

The “harmonica” and “music” appear as symbols of “dynamic Hope.” They represent a return to the “Golden Era” before the Fall when there was harmony and unity between the Divine and human; that very special time before the “music died.” Red’s mention that he “played a mean harmonica as a younger man” is a “Cosmic” or objective allusion to an earlier time when the “sweet music” of Paradise resounded.

            Andy’s gift is a symbolic offer to “re-connect,” “re-learn,” and awaken the “music” that Red recalls in his comment. On a practical level, it is an invitation to forms of interior prayer that establish a deeper resonance and connection between God and the soul; the paradoxical harmony that St John of the Cross once termed “silent music.”   

            In terms of the Hero’s Journey, this point represents the “Call to Adventure.” It is a summons from the “powers that be” to enter the mystery of interior transformation. Red’s initial denial to “play” the harmonica also denotes the most common response: the refusal of the call.