The Avatar State of Spirituality Pt.1

Avatar: The Last Airbender is perhaps the best cartoon series to ever hit Nickelodeon. It had action scenes the stuff of Naruto, and it had story and depth the stuff of Oscar nominated dramas. It was epic. I remember watching the first season and it bringing a brief resurgence in my break dancing (story for another day). For those of you who just crawled out of a cave here's what Avatar was about.

Benders.

Bender's were talented people who had the ability to manipulate a certain element. There were Earth Benders, who manipulated rocks, stones and the like. Water benders who manipulated as the name suggests, just like  Fire Benders, just like Air Bender's. But these Bender's could only manipulate one element. A Fire Bender could not bend water. There was only one exception; The Avatar, whom was granted the ability to manipulate all elements for the purpose of maintaining equilibrium in the world. The Avatar had a connection with his past lives. Past Avatars, and when he went into something called the "Avatar State" which is like a peak spiritual level, he had access to these past lives, their mastered bending skills and became virtually unstoppable.

Now, I know what you're thinking, what does a Bender and a Believer have in common?

Well, I'll tell you one thing. They're both meant to make an ordinary world extraordinary by bringing something extra to the table. The Believer like the Bender is supposed (theologically speaking) to be able to bend (manipulate) reality at will. It's called miracles , gifts of the spirit, etcetera, etcetera. We are supposed to do amazing things because these signs shall follow them who believe. More so, Post Christ and finished work, we are now on some spiritual peak dispensation where not only are we benders, we are Avatars carrying the full potentials of God on earth and some, because greater works than these shall ye do said The Christ.


But it's not the case is it? We've relegated the bending to a few select people called Pastors or if not officially titled-Spirit Koko and given up bending for good old fashioned preaching. The believer talks and talks and talks, we've become benders of words and it's kind of like lightning without the light or thunder. I should know, I'm one such believer, who only bends with his back against the wall, or involuntarily (Kind of like Aang  come to think of it, but focus) It isn't supposed to be like that. We were meant to bend, everyone, every way like the Avatar.


Now, having asked them myself, I know all the attendant questions that comes with being told you were made to do great and extraordinary things.



Q: Does God Still Work That Way?
A: Moses & Joshua The Water Benders

You know the story. Moses and his crew the Israelites fled Egypt till they became stuck between a river and a hard place. Moses talked to Daddy God, raised his staff and bam! Water bended. The river split in two, and the people of Israel pranced happily through it. Interesting isn't it? But despite his awesomeness Moses had to hand over the mantle to Joshua. And God says to Joshua something that applies to me and you today. He says to Joshua I will be with you as I was with Moses. Because every successor asks himself that question, can I fill the shoes of he who came before me, and God basically says, doesn't matter, I'll fill it with newspaper if you can't. We are the successors to the old testament believers, God is with us even more so than he was with them (because He's not just with, He's In us).



Additionally, like Moses Joshua had to lead his people through a great body of water. Moses had the Red sea, Joshua had the Jordan River. But Joshua is not Moses, just like I'm not you and you're not me. We are all distinctively similar, God won't work through all of us the same, but He will work. Joshua couldn't split the sea, but he could dry it up. That's water bending too init? So get over that excuse that God doesn't do the supernatural anymore, Acts 2 says you will receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and no that's not just the power to be saved or overcome sin, or prosper, it's also working of miracles, healing the sick, prophesying and so on, as evinced by the apostles in the rest of Acts.




Q: What If I Step Out in Faith, and For Some Reason, God doesn't Show Up?
A: Elijah, The Fire Bender




To be continued......