See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me

I know I am way late writing about this – but I really enjoyed the movie Avatar. I have read blogs and reviews about it and I have talked with friends who have seen the movie, and everywhere I turn people either love the movie or they hate it.

In case you missed it, there are a boatload of corollaries between Avatar and Christianity. Following the lead of movies like Star Wars (The Force), The Matrix, and others, James Cameron chose to play up spiritual themes in his latest blockbuster. I’m not sure if he, like others before him, thought doing so would add depth to the movie, or attract more viewers, or both. Unfortunately the end result is usually a soupy mix of Zen Buddhism, Pantheism, Christianity, and more.

But that’s not why I’m writing about Avatar. As I watched the movie I kept noticing something the Na’vi say upon greeting one another and during conversations. The Na’vi, by the way, are the blue beings that live on the beautiful planet Pandora that the humans (who look, sound, and act like greedy corporate Americans) are trying to destroy. This phrase the Na’vi frequently use is “I see you.” In saying this, they mean more than that they physically see the person they are conversing with. They mean something deeper than that. The phrase means something more like "I understand who you are, " or “I see your soul.” It means they acknowledge the “other” as someone not unlike themselves; someone of worth, someone with a viewpoint. Someone with a soul who is a child of God like they are.

I’m probably reading way too much into a movie, but seeing this reminded me of my need to be present and “in the moment” when I am with someone else. Sometimes, even though I am physically present with someone, I’m not really there. Other times I pretend to understand someone, but I really don’t. Other times, honestly, I really don’t care about understanding the other person, or about their point of view; as long as they see me and mine. That’s unacceptable and I know it.

Call me silly, but I think I have a lot to learn from the Na’vi: To really be there and to listen and really care. It’s something Jesus frequently recommended as well; that we have “eyes that see” and “ears that hear.” That just might be a great discipline to practice during Lent this year….hmmm