Avatar...imitation adventure

Avatar is now the number 2 top-grossing film of all time, second to Titanic. It has now made over $1 billion dollars, and it’s only been out in theatres for 3 weeks. Reports say that Avatar will beat out Titanic’s $1.8 billion since it still has a few weeks left in theatres. I saw this movie last weekend, it’s only the third movie I’ve seen in theatres since I’ve been married- 7 months, so it was kind of a big deal to go to a movie. I didn’t know what it was about before I went to see it, I’d seen commercials but they were a confusing mess of jungle and fighting, so I didn’t know what plot I was about to become immersed in when I walked into the theatre. I should warn you that if you have not seen the movie and still want to see it, you should not read further. I am about to lay it all out for a discussion of a higher topic.
A few years ago, I heard that any great fictional story ever told will parallel the story of Jesus Christ. I believe C.S. Lewis wrote this, but all I remember is that my dad said it to me, quoting someone else and I have since begun to believe this is true. I look for parallels in fictional movies and books, however I’m not really very good at it. It’s a hard concept to master, I think, because it is dependent on whether or not God decides to reveal the parallel and bless you with the wisdom and eyes to see it. I don’t think it’s something you can take credit for.

So this is something I look for when engaging in fiction- Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Nicolas Sparks’ books, etc. As far as I can tell, Avatar contains no parallel to Christ’s sacrifice, grace, overcoming of evil or hope in eternity. So what makes it “so good”? Why are so many people drawn into this movie, such that collectively we have paid over $1 billion dollars to see it? (I should also clarify that while I was entertained by Avatar, I’ve not added it to my all-time Top 10 Favorite Movies list, nor has this movie changed my life, nor will I see it again or buy it when it comes out on DVD. I’m very indifferent, which I think makes me able to write this blog from a real perspective.) I personally think the movie has become such a success because it calls out to the desires in each of us that God created to be there.

My thought is that while each person watches Avatar from his or her seat, I suspect that they are picturing themselves as one of two characters, and I believe which of the two is based on their gender. The men watching will envision themselves as the main character Jake, experiencing a great adventure that overcomes their physical means (the main character is a paraplegic who becomes an Avatar who can run, jump, climb, and harness a pterodactyl). Many men that I know harbor the desire to conquer their own physical limitations, possess supernatural physical strength and defeat an epic enemy that threatens them. Jake appeals to the men as he does all of these things.
The women will envision themselves as the lead female, Neytiri (I had to look that up in Wikipedia, as well as how to spell pterodactyl). Why? Because many woman fantasize about the day that a man will rescue them from this broken world that we live in (P.S. your husband cannot be this man, we are looking for Christ). Neytiri attained this fantasy by finding a man who left the human race, gave up everything, to become a part of her culture. He saved her people from the enemy (humans) and they lived happily ever after. Finally, I think that in all of us, we are looking for something greater. Period. We desire to be a part of something bigger than a 9-5 work day that results in a mortgage and a stack of bills with laundry piling up each weekend. We are drawn to things we don’t understand because they are bigger than us. The movie sets up a “bigger than understanding” setting by creating another planet “Pandora” with a new race “the Na’vi” and showing the Na’vi worshiping a form of mother nature that is completely not understood to us but successful to them. (I read somewhere this week that this is a form of paganism and I totally agree…worship of the created, not the creator). The plot is bigger than our understanding and caters to this desire for something greater that we don’t understand.

Now my description of Jake, leaving the human race and giving up everything for his bride initially sounds like a parallel to Christ. However, when I thought about it more, I decided this was an inappropriate parallel, because it made the bride the center of the story. While we are considered Christ’s bride, we are not the center of the story…He is. Christ did not give up deity to become one of us permanently…he ascended and is still the living God. Avatar shows the main character giving up his previous identity for a better one. That is in 100% contrast to God humbling himself to become a human to save us from ourselves. Avatar is an amazing cinematic creation, meaning that it really captures your senses visually and grabs your attention with effects and animations. And for that reason, you should see it. However, I hurt for people who are settling for the adventure of Avatar, instead of being romanced by Christ and finding that life with Him is such an adventure. Being a follower of Christ is the biggest picture we can be a part of, it was what we were created to do.

Something new that I’ve been doing is when engaging in fiction like Avatar, my first question to myself is, “where do I see Christ in this film/book (or which character or concept is Christ)”? If the answer is nowhere, I don’t need to ask the second question. If I do see Christ, then the next question is “which one is me”…this is usually the broken, small, insignificant, undeserving character. Finally, after all of these questions are answered, I ask…Is this for my good? Is it for our good to spend $1 billion dollars on an imitation of the adventure God created us for? My thought is no. Maybe God has revealed a parallel to you? What is it? I’d love to be able to see Christ in all things, even Avatar.