23 Dec, 2009
Avatar: A Christmas Movie?
Avatar: A Synopsis
Jake Sully is a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. But despite his broken body, Jake is still a warrior at heart. He is recruited to travel light years to the human outpost on Pandora, where a corporate consortium is mining a rare mineral that is the key to solving Earth's energy crisis. Because Pandora's atmosphere is toxic, they have created the Avatar Program, in which human "drivers" have their consciousness linked to an avatar, a remotely-controlled biological body that can survive in the lethal air. These avatars are genetically engineered hybrids of human DNA mixed with DNA from the natives of Pandora... the Na'vi. Reborn in his avatar form, Jake can walk again. He is given a mission to infiltrate the Na'vi, who have become a major obstacle to mining the precious ore. But a beautiful Na'vi female, Neytiri, saves Jake's life, and this changes everything. Jake is taken in by her clan, and learns to become one of them, which involves many tests and adventures. As Jake's relationship with his reluctant teacher Neytiri deepens, he learns to respect the Na'vi way and finally takes his place among them. Soon he will face the ultimate test as he leads them in an epic battle that will decide the fate of an entire world. (20th Century Fox)
Synopsis provided by: metacritic.com.
Picture provided by: media.silive.com.
1 Thessalonians 2:8 (New International Version)
We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
John 1:14 (The Message)
The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
What does God's Story scripture teach us about God reaching out to us?
Both parts of God's story are beautiful pieces. They are both also challenges to us.
The first is from Paul's letter to a group of Christians at place called Thessalonica. Paul had established a church at Thessalonica, and was writing to give the people at this church guidance on certain issues. In the midst of this letter, Paul gives us a clear picture of how he introduced the people of this Greek city to Jesus. He showed them Jesus by living life with them and by loving them. He didn't just walk in and proclaim something and expect them to listen; he shared everyday experiences with them. In that, he made the difference.
The John piece comes from the gospel of John. He is one of the two gospel writers that tells us nothing about the birth of Jesus, but he paints an abstract and exciting portrait of what God was doing through Jesus. This verse is about the God who loved us so much that he wanted to share in life with us, so He took on flesh and became human to demonstrate His love for us. It a great abstract view of what Christmas celebrates.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
This is an easy question to answer today. The challenge is clear: Jesus was God in flesh so he could lead us to God. Paul walked side-by-side with the Thessalonicans to show them Jesus. We need to enter into life with our friends, not just stand on the other side of the street yelling at them. We must walk across the road and listen and understand what life is like on their side of the road. When we do that, then they are willing to hear about a God who has walked where they are and understands. They can hear about God "taking on flesh and blood, and moving into the neighborhood."
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and our story to others?
Avatar was a movie that struck me for its depth and beauty. As I watched, scriptures like the two listed today kept rolling through my mind. As I was taking a couple of student leaders home following the movie, I mentioned to them that 1 Thessalonians 2:8 kept rolling through my mind as I watched. How often, for the sake of our friends, is it important that we function like Jake Sully's character in this movie? He put on the flesh of the locals to try and get them to safety. He didn't give up even when all seemed lost, but he kept battling for the ones he loved.
This movie, though it isn't a "Christmas" movie, is an open door to talk about John 1:14. Just like with my student leaders, the conversation starts with, "As I watched this, I couldn't get this piece of the bible out of my head. Can I tell you about what I was thinking? You know how Jake became like one of the people, but at the same time was different from them? Well, God did something kind of like that for us."
Avatar was a great picture of what God did out of love for us.
Merry Christmas!
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