Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 1

Dear friend, 

I write to you considering a story with fantastic glimpses of the Gospel. 

Most people would write this children’s show as nothing special, but I truly see the Gospel, and I hope you do too. 

The Setting: A far-off world where the elements of water, earth, fire, and air can be formed and manipulated by people called ‘benders’. 

Each bender could only control one element except for the Avatar, they were responsible for keeping all the elements in balance. 

Each of the nations lived peacefully until the fire nation attacked, and when the world needed him most, the Avatar vanished without a trace. The fire nation then wreaked havoc and war on each village and nation for 100 years. 

Our story begins with Katara and Sokka, a brother and sister in the Southern Water tribe, they go out to get some food for dinner when they come across this ginormous ice globe. Inside is a young boy, an Airbender monk. 

This is Aang, the long-lost Avatar, and he is our first primary character. 

The problem is pretty straightforward externally, the Fire Nation is trying to obtain complete control of all the nations, and they will do so by any means necessary.

The internal conflict that Aang wrestles with is the constant pressure of being the savior. To be the mediator and the warrior that everyone expects him to be, and yet he falls short time and time again. He cannot meet everyone’s expectations. 

There are many villainous characters in this story, but there is one I want to focus on. 

Prince Zuko our second primary character, he is the son of Fire Lord Ozai, and he was formed out of pain and torment from his father. 

He was banished from the Fire Nation until he found the Avatar and captured him. We follow Zuko and his Uncle Iroh as they attempt to track down and capture Aang. 

As for the guide characters I want to draw out two realities in this story, Aang has many different guides. He is a reincarnated version of the past Avatars so he can speak with them when he visits their shrines, (Eastern mysticism is a heavy theme in this story.) but he does reflect to the wisdom from his teacher at the Air Temple, Gyatso. 

Zuko on the other hand has Uncle Iroh, and Iroh is the epitome of a perfect mentor. He is gentle and kind. But firm on what is true and what’s a lie. He walks with Zuko into his banishment and stays by him speaking wisdom in every situation. 

The Truth that Aang needs to believe is that redemption isn’t time-sensitive. 

The truth that Zuko needs to believe is that he doesn’t need to earn love. 

The lie that Aang believes is that he’s too late to right any wrongs. 

The lie that Zuko believes is that he’s unworthy and unlovable to those around him. 

As Aang travels (in the first season of the TV Show) we see him come to terms with what is within his power to do, and what he needs to let go of. He accepts his downfalls, makes them clear to Katara and Sokka, and pledges to make amends with whatever he’s able to do. 

Zuko’s redemption doesn’t happen in this first season. We get small glimpses of his heart and the scars inside and out. But he still believes in the lie that he needs to earn love. 

The Climax and Resolution go hand in hand with a big fight. Aang lays down his life for the sake of a village, but someone else does the same thing which counteracts his sacrifice.  

Aang sets out to become more powerful in order to become everything he needs to be for this world. 

If you couldn’t tell Aang’s struggle with being a savior is the glimpse of the Gospel I see. 

Jesus wrestled with being the savior, yet he knew that it wasn’t optional. He was all-powerful, and he never made mistakes as Aang does. I think that is what I enjoy about Aang, is he is an imperfect glimpse of a perfect savior. 

I’m not saying Jesus is the Avatar, this is just a fictional story altogether. But as we consider that Jesus is our savior and he is all-powerful in every way, he had to wrestle with the idea of everything that he needed to be on our behalf. 

Our Mediator and Friend. 

Our Lord and King. 

Our Servant and Example. 

I hope you can see this as I have. Let the character of Jesus be clear to you today. Ponder what it would have been like to walk as He did, and remember that we are called to walk in the same manner. 

Not as a savior, but as a servant who is eager to point back to the goodness and grace of his king. 

Sincerely 

Your Fellow Avatar Wannabe,

-Mitchell