If you hadn’t already watched it when you were a kid, you might have binged watched Avatar: The Last Airbender when it was added to Netflix last year. The show broke the site’s record for most consecutive days in the top ten list, and for good reason. Although the series was originally made for children, it touches on complex topics like war, genocide, and the importance of virtues like loyalty and forgiveness. Perhaps most importantly, however, is the fact that the show is deeply immersed in spirituality, and even has a great deal to say to a Catholic audience.
The show is set in a fantasy world where four nations (each based on one of the four classical elements: fire, air, earth, and water) co-exist. Certain citizens of each nation possess the power to “bend” their respective element, meaning they can move the element from a distance using martial arts techniques. Since the four nations are frequently at war with one another, one bender known as the “Avatar” is tasked with keeping the entire world balanced and at peace.
Since the show is deeply rooted in Eastern culture and spirituality, it can be an interesting tool for Catholic viewers to learn about foreign religious practices. The concept of the avatar, for example, is based on the Tibetan Buddhist concept of a lama. In Tibet, important monks known as lamas are considered to reincarnate on earth to continue their religious missions. In a similar way, the Avatar in the show is the same reincarnated person, who returns to the world to bring balance to each generation.
Furthermore, each of the four nations is based on a real-world culture and gives examples of different spiritual ideas. The airbenders, for example, are based on the Tibetan tradition and thus emphasize monasticism and ascetical practices, along with intense meditation and detachment from the world. The firebenders, meanwhile, practice a religion based on Japanese Shintoism. This animist faith believes that all natural things have a spirit, and thus firebenders are commonly seen praying before shrines containing natural elements like fire and fruit. The Earth Kingdom is grounded in the Chinese Confucian tradition, which concerns itself less with spiritual matters and more with hierarchies and worldly laws. As such, the earthbenders in the show seem much less concerned with spirits and more with politics and familial relationships.
Paying attention to these cultural elements is very useful for Catholics looking to expand their knowledge of the vast and ancient Eastern spiritual tradition. However, just because the show is explicitly based on the cultures of the East does not mean it has nothing to say regarding Catholicism as well. There are, in fact, a number of themes the show touches on that speak to the heart of many Catholic philosophical ideas.
In the first place, the show has an important message regarding the vain nature of materialism. General Iroh, a retired general who has the chance to fight for the throne and great power at the end of the show, instead opts to retire to a quiet tea shop and live out his days in peace. In contrast, many of the characters who seek tyrannical power end up deeply unfulfilled and unhappy. Thus, the show has a clear message: worldly power is no match for the happiness brought by living humbly and focusing on spiritual fulfillment.
Furthermore, the show has an interesting take on the relationship between religion and the state. The Avatar is a spiritual leader similar to the pope, charged with interceding between the spirit world and the human just as the pope serves as the Vicar of Christ on earth. And yet, despite the Avatar’s power, there is still a need for individual leaders of each of the four nations. This idea bears striking resemblance to Christ’s message to “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s.” The world needs both temporal and spiritual leadership to achieve peace, and the interesting interplay between these two realms is important for all Catholics.
Catholic viewers can also pay attention to the show’s commentary on the justice of capital punishment, on man’s ability to be redeemed after a lifetime of sin, and on the meaning of honor in a family and society. Although at first the show might seem to cover spiritual practices foreign to Catholicism, there is in fact a plethora of interesting topics covered in this remarkable show.
Photo courtesy of Nickelodeon
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