I Missed the Avatar Blues (Part 2)

Wow! After watching this movie, audiences desire to leave their earthly life to participate in a society like the one in Pandora. As a member of the indigenous tribe, called the Na'vi, Jake Sulley had all the longings of the heart fulfilled that he could not find as a human. I will list the longings below and briefly comment on them.

1. A longing to worship: The people of earth in Avatar were humanists with no religion, and therefore, no value of anything sacred. They invaded Pandora with a Darwin philosophy of “the strongest survive”. Since man is god to the humanist, the quest for power, and the accumulation of wealth are noble pursuits. The Na’vi were very spiritual and sought divine intervention for direction and meaning in life. The people of earth were spiritually empty pillagers while the Na’vi found purpose from their deity.

2. A longing to be free: The people of earth were enslaved by their own greed. They had no peace in their hearts. The Na’vi ran and flew nearly naked in their environment, and were free to enjoy the beauty and wonder of Pandora, while ruling over the animals of their planet. They were not addicted to wealth and seduced by success.

3. A longing for a meaningful purpose: The people of the earth only lived for the moment. Their whole purpose was to pursue their insatiable lust for power and money. The more they gained, the more they had to possess. Jake Sulley, as a mighty Na’vi warrior, found purpose in protecting and fighting for his persecuted tribe. By living for someone else, he found a meaning in life more significant than trying to fulfill his personal desires.

4. A longing for love: The people of the earth were too focused on their own agendas to love one another. In other words, they were selfish and very divisive. The Na’vi valued finding their mate as a major part of becoming a contributing member of the tribe. Choosing a mate was synonymous with fulfilling their destiny in life.

5. A longing to belong: The people of the earth were corrupted by their humanistic philosophy that influenced them to do what was right in their own sight. This philosophy actually caused them to live in dissension as they pillaged Pandora. Not one person from planet earth was in love with somebody else in the movie. Jake Sulley got a new purpose and a new body as an Avatar. He also found meaning and new life after passing his tests and becoming a son of his Na’vi tribe.

Stayed tuned for Part 3!

I Missed the Avatar Blues

Okay, I admit it; I have seen Avatar more than once. In fact, I have contributed twice to the billions of dollars Avatar has grossed worldwide. Obviously, I enjoyed the movie if I went back to view it for a second time. Avatar, with its stunning visual effects, is a movie you have to attend at the theatre to experience it on the big screen.

After my first viewing, I left the movie both joyful and contemplative. I was joyful because I had just spent the night out with my wonderful wife. I was contemplative because I couldn’t help but notice the worldview being communicated in Avatar. It definitely portrayed the people of earth (mainly Americans) as greedy, selfish, divisive, deceptive and arrogant. It also displayed a combination of pantheism, Hinduism, New Age and Indian worship rituals as the way to create a utopian society. Christianity was completely left out.

A week after my first viewing of Avatar, I had a friend tell me about the “Avatar Blues” that people were experiencing after the movie. James Cameron's completely immersive spectacle "Avatar" may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.

So, after hearing about this phenomena, I went back to see the movie again wondering if I would experience the “Avatar Blues”. I did not, but I did get better insight into what is causing the “Avatar Blues”.

In their race to mine for Pandora's resources, the humans clash with the Na'vi, leading to casualties on both sides. The world of Pandora is reminiscent of a prehistoric fantasyland, filled with dinosaur-like creatures mixed with the kinds of fauna you may find in the deep reaches of the ocean. Compared with life on Earth, Pandora is a beautiful, glowing utopia.

According to a CNN report by Jo Piazza, a person named Mike wrote on the fan Web site "Naviblue" that he contemplated suicide after seeing the movie. Ever since I went to see 'Avatar' I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na'vi made me want to be one of them. I can't stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it," Mike posted. "I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in 'Avatar.' "

Other fans have expressed feelings of disgust with the human race and disengagement with reality. Ivar Hill posts to the "Avatar" forum page under the name Eltu. He wrote about his post-"Avatar" depression after he first saw the film earlier this month.

"When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed ... gray. It was like my whole life, everything I've done and worked for, lost its meaning," Hill wrote on the forum. "It just seems so ... meaningless. I still don't really see any reason to keep ... doing things at all. I live in a dying world."

Did you experience the Avatar Blues?

Stayed tuned for part 2 of “I Missed the Avatar Blues”.

Gaining the World While Losing Your Soul (Part 2)

As you watch players and coaches celebrate after winning a national championship, for a moment, it does seem like they have gained the whole world. According to those who win national championships, words can’t explain what a thrill it is to be the best in your sport. I just wonder how many coaches and players are losing their souls to gain a national championship.

How do you lose your soul while winning a championship? You lose it when you have to compromise your faith for success. You lose it when you have to neglect your family for extra work to gain a victory. You lose it when you have to cheat by breaking NCAA rules to get a top recruit. You lose it when your conduct on the field is unsportsmanlike.

In Matthew 6:24 Jesus said, “"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

When victories and money takes precedent over the glory of God in sports, they will become the master to be served. Victories on the field and money might give their recipient’s momentary pleasure and fame, but they will never produce eternal contentment in their human hearts. In fact, when victory becomes the master, winning championships actually becomes a curse instead of a blessing. After winning a championship, more money is given to the coach, and more expectations are placed on him/her to win another one. These modern day expectations are just not realistic, and detrimental to both the coaches and players they effect. The recent revelations of Coach Urban Meyer and his health concerns are our latest examples.

I hope and pray Coach Meyer’s health is okay, and I hope and pray that young football athletes would not want to emulate the behavior of the Miami Hurricanes football team portrayed in “The U”. There is a better way coaches and players can conduct themselves as they work to be excellent in their sport.

Don’t get me wrong! I wholeheartedly believe you should try your very best to win when you compete. I am just convinced there is a better Master to serve while laboring to be a champion. His name is Jesus, and everything we do in life (yes, even coaching and playing football) should be done for His glory. This is the only attitude that will produce a supernatural peace and joy in the human heart, and this is the only approach that will earn a trophy that lasts forever.

Gaining the World While Losing Your Soul

On Saturday, December 26, 2009, Urban Meyer sent shock waves through the college sports world by communicating that he was resigning as the head coach of the University of Florida football team. The following day during a press conference at the Sugar Bowl, Meyer announced that he was actually going to take an indefinite leave of absence, but still remain the head coach. He stated his personal health was the main reason he was taking some time off from coaching. He also mentioned he wanted to reprioritize his life with faith and family being the main focus.

Immediately, sports commentators and writers began to talk about the stress and pressure that major college football coaches experience in their job. According to their reporting, Meyer is the type of coach who keeps the candle burning at both ends while building the Gator football program into a national powerhouse. This lifestyle was literally deteriorating his health to the point that he was experiencing frequent and severe chest pains. His doctors informed him that if he did not change his daily routine, it could be fatal.

What made this story so shocking was the fact that Urban Meyer has been the most successful college football coach in the 21st century. You would think that if anybody should be enjoying their job, and the benefits of success, it would be him. Is he gaining the world while losing his soul?

I spent almost ten years as a strength and conditioning coach for the Florida State Seminoles. I had the opportunity during this time to witness firsthand the amount of time coaches dedicate to their profession. Although it didn’t seem possible at the time, there are even greater expectations for coaches to produce championship teams today as coaching contracts and bowl payouts have reached the millions.

Recently, I watched a documentary on ESPN called “The U”. It was a story about the success of the Miami Hurricane football program during the 1980’s and early 1990’s. The Hurricane football teams during this time were known for their talent, swagger and unsportsmanlike conduct. In fact, their conduct on the field became so disgraceful, the NCAA had to implement new rules and policies to deal with their flagrant violations. Most, if not all, of the Hurricane’s players and coaches didn’t care about how they behaved on the field as long as they were winning. Were they gaining the world while losing their soul?

After watching this documentary and pondering Coach Meyer’s announcement, I opened my Bible and read the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:26. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus asked Peter these questions: What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

I admire Coach Meyer for pondering these questions, and trying to get his priorities right. Hopefully, he will be able to do this during his indefinite leave of absence from coaching.

Stay tuned for part 2 of "Gaining the World While Losing Your Soul".

The Decade From Heaven

According to the December 2009 issue of Time Magazine, we have just gone through the “Decade From Hell”. It’s interesting to note this assessment came from one of our national magazines instead of an angry judgmental religious figure. Time Magazine is using Biblical terminology to describe our current condition in America. Entering into a new decade, I want to ask this question:

How do we usher in the decade from heaven over the next ten years?

While asking myself this question, and praying for an answer, I began to discern the Lord prodding me to read the book of Micah. Micah was a prophet of God who prophesied concerning Samaria, the capital of Israel, and Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. The subjects of Micah’s messages reveal much about the society of the day. He constantly renounced the oppression of the poor by the rich. He characterized the rich as devising ways in which to cheat the poor out of their land (2:1-5). People were evicted from their homes and had their possessions stolen. Those who committed such crimes were fellow Israelites (2:6-11). The marketplace was full of deception and injustice (6:9-16). The rulers of the country, who had the responsibility of upholding justice, did the opposite (3:1-4).

Micah denounced the religious practices of the nation. He predicted the destruction of Judah as an act of God’s judgment. Other prophets, however, led the people to believe that this could never happen because God was residing in the nation and would protect them. Micah contended that the other prophet’s message was not from God. Instead, the message from God was the imminent devastation of Judah (3:5-12).

The people worshiped other gods. They did not quit believing in and worshiping the God of Judah, but they combined this worship with devotion to other details (5:10-15). The people believed all that religion required of them was to bring their sacrifices and offerings to the Temple. No relationship was acknowledged between their activity in the Temple and their activity in daily life. Micah attempted to correct this misconception by arguing that God is not just interested in the physical act of making a sacrifice but is supremely concerned with obedience that extends into daily life.

If there is a God who is involved in the affairs of nations we better take heed because the conditions of Israel and Judah were frightening similar to America today. Marketplace injustice, political corruption, apathetic faith, false prophets, idol worship and oppression of the poor are all symptoms that currently plague America, and invite the wrath of God.

In Micah 6:8 the prophet communicates what the Lord requires from those who want to please Him, and the three keys to ushering in the decade from heaven. It says, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with God are three character qualities that Jesus Christ exemplified. This is best demonstrated in the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11. It says:

3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" Jesus said, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

11"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Jesus upheld the justice of the law, which required the stoning of people who were caught in adultery, by telling those who were without sin to throw the first stone. Knowing no one would make the cut to throw a stone, based upon his qualifications of a sinless life, Jesus gave the woman a chance to receive mercy. And, in an amazing act of humility, Jesus did not condemn the woman either as he commanded her to go and leave her life of sin.

In the next ten years, let’s usher in the “Decade From Heaven” by emulating Jesus Christ, and acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with our God.

May God bless us in 2010 and beyond as we obey the words of the prophet Micah!