The Regeneration of Avatar

In these days in which they have just given out the Awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, it's easy to allow oneself to be dazzled by the glamour of the stars of the seventh art and forget that they are made of the same earth as the rest of the people and that they need to be regenerated, like everyone.

At the end, the movie "Avatar" was relegated to the background, and the American society once again rewarded its soldiers, recognizing that which it sees as the courage and sacrifice of these anonymous heroes who day after day risk their lives in Iraq and in other armed conflicts throughout the planet.  The movie "The Hurt Locker" was the evening's grand winner.  "Avatar", however, had already won its own prize by achieving the greatest benefits at the box office, with millions of viewers and a great media impact.  It's evident that the Oscars at times recognize the excellence of the art and other times they are just the expression of the moment, the recognition of a trend or interest of an influential group.

In the cinema, we can admire the genius of the actors and actresses, allow the directors to carry us away to unimaginable worlds and change us for a time into indiscreet observers of others' lives.  We can investigate new ideas, get to know new landscapes, be emotionally moved, cry, laugh, everything is possible seated in front of the screen.  But sooner or later the movie ends, we get up from our seats, leave the theater and continue with our own reality.  For some, sad, frustrated, empty; for others, happy and meaningful, but for all, real and fragile, like that of Jake Sully in "Avatar".

The director of "Avatar", James Cameron, proposes to us "regeneration" as the solution for a selfish and violent human race, which only seeks to exploit whatever the cost to feed a limitless ambition.  In "Avatar", the human being can't be fixed and only through a total transformation, dying and being regenerated into a new species, is there hope.  It seems as if the scriptwriter, who in this case is also Cameron, was inspired by the Bible for Jesus Christ also spoke of death and regeneration: "unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God" (John 3:3).  In fact, the concept of "rebirth", of "a new humanity", of "death-resurrection" is the essence of Christianity.  The difference is that Jesus Christ didn't talk about fiction, but about reality, not about far-away planets, but Planet Earth.  The diagnosis matches up: humanity is fallen and depraved.  We are all guilty and are heading toward our destruction.  The solution is another, and really the only one possible, it is in repentance and the personal decision "to be born again" asking Jesus Christ for this.  Our world needs a change.  Our planet needs a new humanity.  You are the leading character of this reality and nobody else will play your role.  Accept Jesus Christ's proposal and begin to construct your new world beginning today.

- José Pablo Sánchez (March 10, 2010)