Avatar and Eywa

In the movie Avatar James Cameron presents an extensive spiritual community in the Na’vi. The Na’vi worship the goddess Eywa. Eywa is in many ways similar to the worship of Gaia on earth. Eywa promotes ecological balance and initiates many protective measures to keep the planet in a balanced state. The Na’vi worship Eywa and communicate with her through the tree of souls and the tree of voices. These two trees provide a neural link with the planet Pandora, the dwelling place of Eywa.

In the movie Jake Sulley, in his Avatar state, is located and saved by Neytiri. When she is trying to decide whether to leave him in the forest Eywa speaks to her through the seeds of the Tree of Souls settling upon Jake, testifying that Eywa has special plans for Jake. Neytiri takes Jake to the Hometree where she is examined by the priestess and Jake is allowed to stay and learn the ways of the Na’vi.

Jake is taken through an intensive learning experience and is introduced to the spiritual world of the Na’vi. Jake is happy to learn these things as a way of getting his legs back in his human currently crippled body. Jake is touched by the respect for life, the humility required in the taking of an animal’s life to support the people. His heart is moved as he recognizes the positive qualities of the daily life of the Na’vi and he begins to wish he could be a part of this people.

As Jake continues to develop in his understanding of the Na’vi culture, including their devotion to Eywa, he draws closer to Neytiri and his heart starts to bond with the people. As he begins to understand what the corporation intends to do, at all costs, he casts his lot with the Na’vi and seeks to deliver them from the plans of the earthlings. After leading the Na’vi to victory he is granted the gift of his consciousness, his soul, being transferred fully into his Avatar body and physically and spiritually joins the people, as Savior, husband, and leader of the people, through the gift of grace from Ewya.

One of the interesting events that have come from watching the movie Avatar, is the desire to be a part of a spiritual experience like Jake had on Pandora. People are looking for a way to have this experience in real time. Since it is clear that there is not a literal place like Pandora is there a way to literally have a spiritual experience like that of Jake? The answer is that the true spiritual experience, symbolized by the fictional experience of Jake Sulley, is literally available to each and every person on Earth, and more. All of the symbols used in the movie Avatar, are symbols of the real. Ewya is a fictional Goddess, but there is a real God, who made a real Garden of Eden, and who wants us to return to Him so that He can return us to that real Garden of Eden.

Eywa, is similar to the name Yahweh, one of the names of the God of the Bible. Yahweh was the Creator of all life on earth, and in Colossians 3:13-18, is the Creator of the entire universe, and put everything into the universe. This Creator is also identified as Jesus Christ in His New Testament name. Jesus Himself claims the title of the “I Am” in John 8:58 to be the same God as Yahweh/Jehovah.

In the beginning of Earth God had designed the Earth to function as a totally safe environment for Mankind. He wanted nature to be able to communicate with and be subordinate to Man. God’s original intent was for Man to live forever by being able to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Life. Nothing was to hurt one another and the very animals, including Lions, and beasts of prey, were to eat straw like the bullock. Isaiah 65:17-25. God did not want death of any kind to be present on the earth.

It was through sin that death came to Earth, not through the plans of God. Once sin entered into Earth, it has been God’s plan to return each and every person to the position where they could return to the Garden of Eden and be satisfied with God’s plans. He does not want to recreate Eden and populate it with people who want to harm and kill God’s people or God’s animals. All of the original promises to Man God wants to fulfill for His people. In order for this to happen Man must be changed to meet God’s promises. This plan is called the gospel – or the good news.

The gospel was originally initiated with Adam and Eve in the exchange of garments. This symbolism – garment exchange/life change – runs all through the Bible. All of the Bible stories retell this gospel story in enough ways that any person, in any culture, in any time, would be able to see and understand what God wants to do for us and in us. Every person has this faith built into him or her, it is our form of instinct. We all hear the call to come back home to Eden and God will use any form of communication available to complete this call. Avatar was done in the spirit of commercialism, but God has used it to call His children. For those who go to movies Avatar has had a profound effect on them. They have heard the call, and many want to go to Pandora, or some facsimile of it. Many want to go literally to Pandora, many want to have an experience with God like Jake’s. God will make this experience available to anyone because that is what God is like. What Eywa was to Pandora God is to the universe, including Earth. God has promised to return all that want to go to the Eden state. To get there one will have to have an experience with God that is symbolized by the experiences of Jake. Yahweh/Jehovah/Jesus is more merciful, more powerful, and more creative than Eywa. But only a faith experience with Him will bring that experience to pass.

The story of redemption, the ability and desire of God to return His people to His original plan, is the focus of this blog site. God is calling all to come back to Him. He has used the movie Avatar to stir up the old memories. He wants us to think of Him and to return to Him. Respond to the call while it is fresh in your minds. Ask Him today to start the process of bringing you back to Him, and then ask Him to finish this call as well. Thank you God for your great and tender mercies.

“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith…” Hebrews 12:2