Avatar!! Easily see why it's reportedly the most expensive movie made

Avatar!! Amazing movie theatrics.

An obvious sense of wonder with the world of Pandora they “created”. The flora, fawna, and geological phenomena would truly have been breathtaking at first step onto the planet. Could easily see why the Segonia character was captivated by the scientific research of this cosmos. I could so get into exploring and studying all the life there on that planet of Pandora – that’s the B.S. coming round again to rear it’s little head.

As I was pouring through my copious notes, taken during this movie (yeah right) I began to feel like I was back in high school writing a literary essay for my Honors English class; maybe I’m expecting too much from these musings, eh? But in the course of the evening, was also taken back to a similar experience I had some 25 years past, where another parent took their soph/junior in HS to see a movie. We saw the Killing Fields; the occasion was the night before running in Bloomsday in Spokane. The question asked by my mom (the English/Lit teacher as we exited the theater – Well, How was it? - - -Reply: Oh, it was good. Walk, blink, blink, walk. That’s it??! Anything else??!? - - - Uh, I liked it? Thanks? Uh.

I’m rather amused to say that this parent/child exchange was not to be repeated in the ensuing drive home at the close to this Daddy/Daja night out. TheDaja was quick to point out the story threads drawn from the European conquest, invasion, or ‘landing’ (to be sanitized about it) of the Americas – (to which I would add - every other colonial occupation). We pick ed up and talked on more contemporary occupation dynamics –relationships regarding Iraq, Afghanistan. I was taken back to the WTC collapsing as the home tower was brought low by the ‘Flying People’. Images of ‘the People’ gathering on sacred/holy space in the wake of the destruction – for comfort, guidance, direction – healing – were all too familiar. I’ve been there.

There are moments in Avatar where I find my historical feet walking in the shoes of the invaders, simply wanting the resources, w/o care for who, what where when is destroyed; cause well, there heathen, barbarian, less than – why should I care? Sadly I confess this my historical shoes. And then there are moments where I’m very much in touch with the feelings, the desires, the emotions of The People, just wanting to be safe, for life/relationships to get back to ‘normal.’

Rather than the movie-scape being two dimensional, flat – it’s got texture, nuance, subtleties (and it’s not simply because it was viewed in Digital 3D) It seemed very much like a crystal that one could hold up to the light and see oneself from a variety of perspectives and roles; with a rotation of the movie scape – I find myself in a different local, from a different vantage.

The spiritual oneness of the People and the whole of creation provides the scientific motivation for ceasing the mining operation – not “it’s wrong to destroy” because it’s wrong, but rather because we might be able to exploit the creation in a yet unforeseen way. Give us time to study to see if there’s a better way of recouping our financial losses. Either way - exploitation is exploitation is exploitation.

But as to the spiritual connectiveness of the People, in some ways it’s envious. To be able to link together, by what can only be described as fiber optic filament would make the reliance on the Divine so much easier. I mean really – if all you had to do was plug yourself into spiritual hub (read USB 2.0) in order to talk to, receive validation from, feel the presence of – that would solve a lot of problems of perception. The otherside of that – what happens when the fibers are severed? Or one can’t find a dataport to connect through? Maybe that’s when we’ll truly see the wonder of Wireless Spirituality. (This could so use some more thought and discussion. )

Just some my musings on the movie Avatar. Go see it – don’t go see it. I liked it – intriguing, thought provoking, confessional, baptismal, resurrectional, and redemp - - - AS I think on the issue of redemption, I’ll have to think on it more. How does redemption play out – does it play out within the crystalline movie-scape of Avatar? Look forward to hearing some thoughts.

Peace

Rev.