“To be known is to be loved, and to be loved is to be known...”
--Chris Kinsley and Drew Francis
Who turns their own face into an Avatar? A nerd? A geek? A sci-fi fanatic? Or perhaps just another narcissist on the internet. Well, being a photographer and a Photoshop fan, when I first saw the movie poster for Avatar, I couldn’t help but notice the eyes. Eyes can say so much, can’t they? Although my eyes in the picture above have been manipulated, they are still my eyes. What do you see? Do you see a nerd, a geek, or a scif-fi fanatic? Or do you see more? Do you see... me?
I was deeply touched by Chris Kinsley’s and Drew Francis’ monologue called The Woman at the Well, a soliloquy based on the Samaritan woman whose life was changed by her encounter with Jesus. In it the girl said, “To be known is to be loved, and to be loved is to be known...” When the Na’vi in Avatar greet one another with “I see you”, it is more than a greeting... it is an acknowledgment... a knowing.... an understanding. The Bible says that we love God because He first loved us. He knows us and has made the effort to make Himself known. [Warning: If you haven’t yet seen the movie, you might want to skip down to the next paragraph, because this post contains a spoiler.] At the end of the movie, Jake’s avatar body went limp, because the colonel had damaged his pod inside the science station. Neytiri assessed the situation and desperately searched the station for the real Jake. When she found him, she immediately knew it was him even though she had never seen his true physical form and even though he was unconscious. She knew he was her Jake. *sniff* She could see him.
Earlier today, a young friend and I shared a brief exchange on Facebook. He’s a witty young man, but he argued that I was funnier. He’s wrong. You’re wrong, Jesse. I’m really not funny. I wish I was, although I have had that occasional moment in which I’ve made someone laugh. It’s a nice feeling. I mean, who doesn’t like to laugh... well, except maybe someone with a broken rib. Anyway, our exchange reminded me of one of my favorite quotes. George Bernard Shaw said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” I guess transforming my face into a Na’vi is one of the ways I play. Even though I’m nearing the crest of life’s hill, I’d like to think I’m still young at heart. Can you see that in my eyes? Can you see me?
I was deeply touched by Chris Kinsley’s and Drew Francis’ monologue called The Woman at the Well, a soliloquy based on the Samaritan woman whose life was changed by her encounter with Jesus. In it the girl said, “To be known is to be loved, and to be loved is to be known...” When the Na’vi in Avatar greet one another with “I see you”, it is more than a greeting... it is an acknowledgment... a knowing.... an understanding. The Bible says that we love God because He first loved us. He knows us and has made the effort to make Himself known. [Warning: If you haven’t yet seen the movie, you might want to skip down to the next paragraph, because this post contains a spoiler.] At the end of the movie, Jake’s avatar body went limp, because the colonel had damaged his pod inside the science station. Neytiri assessed the situation and desperately searched the station for the real Jake. When she found him, she immediately knew it was him even though she had never seen his true physical form and even though he was unconscious. She knew he was her Jake. *sniff* She could see him.
Earlier today, a young friend and I shared a brief exchange on Facebook. He’s a witty young man, but he argued that I was funnier. He’s wrong. You’re wrong, Jesse. I’m really not funny. I wish I was, although I have had that occasional moment in which I’ve made someone laugh. It’s a nice feeling. I mean, who doesn’t like to laugh... well, except maybe someone with a broken rib. Anyway, our exchange reminded me of one of my favorite quotes. George Bernard Shaw said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” I guess transforming my face into a Na’vi is one of the ways I play. Even though I’m nearing the crest of life’s hill, I’d like to think I’m still young at heart. Can you see that in my eyes? Can you see me?
