I (finally) saw the movie Avatar yesterday with my lovely wife. A confession must be said: it has been some time since a movie affected me so deeply. That is why I felt the need to release my thoughts into public...
First and foremost, never have I wanted so badly to be disconnected from a country that would inspire such greed. Maybe American greed has not quite made it to the level of the "Sky People," but it is close. I felt like it was an accurate portrayal of the direction the country is headed. I must (ashamedly) also admit that I do not even know the origins and means of acquiring the goods that I use.Who knows by what means we have the products we have? Could justice and love be far from the practices of resource acquisition?
Even greater than the Sky People's greed for money was their ignorance of another culture. Alas, how I wish these parts were fictional. Part of me watched the absolute callousness of the invaders and thought that there is no way a human being could possibly think that way while another part of me mourned because there is...
I have heard it said that the best way to get someone to listen to you is to listen to them. I must wholeheartedly agree with this statement.
We have millions of little "Bible tracts" to hand out and wonder why people hate us, even Christians in particular. When we don't give a damn about how someone else lives differently than us. I wonder how it would be different if we never spoke of our God until asked, all the while loving someone and seeing their world and learning their ways. Loving someone takes time and effort, love being more than a short "decision."
And yes, the cynic in me speaks to the mirror as well. I too see the shortcomings of the country reflected in myself. However, I want to change. I am just sad it takes a fictional world to show me the depravity of the real one.
