Avatar, Christ, and The Peace Child: Hidden Gems Of God's Presence

This week, I, like thousands (if not millions) of others became the owner of James Cameron’s newest box office hit Avatar. Sitting and watching it a second time (yes you read correctly SECOND time), I find myself learning about the Na’vi and the world of Pandora all over again. By the way, Kudos to the script writers for how we learn of the Na’vi. For as Jake Sully is schooled we to become akin to Pandoric lifestyle.

One question Jake asks his army buddies are about Eywa – The deity and life source for all things Pandora. The one thing from which all living things originated, and to which all things return upon death. This parallels the biblical teaching of all human life came from dust and will return to upon death (Gen. 3:19).

One of the first things we learn about Sam Worthington’s character Jake is that he’s a paralytic marine. Contrary to popular belief, Jakes paralysis doesn’t disqualify him from active duty. His heart and determination are displayed with his desire to keep up with his fellow marines despite his lack of mobility. When Jake first uses his avatar, we learn that life as a Na’vi warrior is drastically different then the average human.Not only is the genetic make-up of the Na’vi different, but Jakes first exercise as an avatar is exactly that – physical exercise!

We see the paralytic Jake Sully wiggling his toes, shooting hoops with his colleagues, and running through the fields of Pandora with exceeding joy – possibly recalling the days of old, prior to his paralysis and able to use fully functioning legs again! Revelation 21:4 says: God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. This is another of many examples of what Don Richardson calls redemptive analogies.

What is a redemptive analogy? Playing on the idea that God can use anything to communicate to people, it’s the theory that all people groups, including tribal cultures – like the Na-vi for example – have practices or understandings embedded in their way of life that can be used to illustrate the gospel. Don Richardson used this method of communicating the gospel to a tribal people in the 1960’s.

In 1962, he took his young family from Prairie Bible Institute to live with a group of cannibalistic headhunters known as the Sawi in The Netherlands and share the gospel of Christ. Don and Carol Richardson’s first attempts at sharing about Jesus didn’t go over so well with the Sawi people. As Don told them about Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus, the Sawi were inspired to be like Judas and Jesus became a laughing-stock among the tribe. They had success much later after witnessing a peace offering between the Sawi and two other warring tribes.

Each tribe would give up one of the infant sons to be raised by their enemies. Along with this trade, each member of the tribe would take a vow of peace as long as the child lived. There is no chance that a warring tribesman would kill the peace child as such an act was dubbed the ultimate sin. In this case, the ritual was especially poignant because one of the peace children was an only son . The Richardson’s were able to use this story as a parallel to Christ. Consequently, many decided to follow Jesus, and this led to a plethora of activities including having the New Testament translated into their native tounge. The Richardson’s mission in the Netherland jungle initially involved the young family showing the Sawi people that Christ had been imbedded in the tribes own mythology.

I wonder if the same could apply to the Na’vi of Pandora. From what we learn of Pandora, is there a Christ figure embedded in “the Na’vi way”? Where do you see Christ in Pandora and/or Avatar? Or even those who hold the same views about the natural world and humankind’s sense of being and existence. I see similarities between Pandora and the gospel of Christ, what about you?

Once It Began ...

Last night I told you how I began writing devotionals in March of '09... This is its continuation

During this time I was still in college heavily focused on finishing my internship and graduating Bible College. I started out the internship with a plan to bring people with disabilities to my local church. However, at the end of the first semester it was clear my first idea was a no fly zone. Fortunately the college and I came up with an alternative plan for the final semester.

From January to April my internship was to be a research project on the needs of people with disabilities in the city and how the church is currently responding to those needs. After the college and I decided this was the next course of action, we pooled our resources, developed an action plan and off I went.

Four months came and went and at the end of it I was juggling classes, homework, devotional writing and the extra demands that come with being a graduating college student. It was tough but at the end of April I was holding my college degree and a 12-15 page research paper on how the church at large can minister to people with disabilities in Calgary.

In May I had a real difficult time writing my devotionals for Got To Be There Ministries in Australia. After some prayer, we realized the Lord wanted me to pursue some healing in my life. During this time, my involvement in ministry (of any sort) was to temporarily cease. So off I went on a personal retreat.

In the midst of my pilgrimage, God was still at work. A friend of mine quite passionate about the church's need for inclusion of the special needs community, read my research and wanted to include it in an eBook he was writing. He contacted me during my retreat and asked if he could publish it as part of his eBook. Despite my reluctance and silence toward the topic, he took the initiative to include my research as part of his publication. (I should probably clarify that I don’t harbor bad feelings toward his actions but am rather grateful he did this).

Though my voice was silent and in seclusion, God's voice was loud and active. When I was trekking through what some called a "winter season" God was at work on my behalf. Because of it, I’m now a contributing author to One Table: A New Social Gospel

And now, at the end of my winter season, I stand with a better understanding of what my next chapter in life will be. Still possessing a heart, desire, (or as some may call it), a gift to minister to the special needs community in my city, and I’m going to seek out ways and opportunities to do so. Encouragement seems to be a predominant gift the Lord has blessed me with, accompanied by a newfound gift of writing. With these I’m going to seek opportunities to write, hoping that my use of language with inspire those who come across it.

Those are my two bits; I’m curious what are yours?