Happy Monday, friends, and welcome to a new series of faith-meets-fandoms blog posts! This month, I’m really enjoying reflecting and studying the four elements of the ATLA world, and I’m sharing my learning here. This week’s element is ATLA earthbending. Hope you enjoy!
Fandom: “Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring.” – Iroh, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Truth: God is bedrock under our feet, unique in His holiness and ability to rescue us. Because of this, we are able to stand firm and build on a solid foundation that can withstand anything.
The fandom: ATLA earthbending
Earth is the third element that Aang has to learn in order to become a fully realized Avatar. Since he’s an airbender, this is one of the hardest elements for him to learn. While his instinct is to be light and adaptable, earthbending requires him to stand firm and resist the urge to run or jump away. Here are some more characteristics of ATLA earthbending:
- The key to earthbending is the use of neutral jing, which means waiting and listening for the right moment to counterattack. This is especially evident in Toph’s style of bending, in which she uses her connection to the earth to see the world around her.
- Earthbending is one of the most diverse of the bending arts, and individual bending styles reflect on the personality of the benders.
- Earthbenders are usually muscular, tough, and direct, and use a balance of offensive and defensive moves.
- When first learning earthbending, a student must learn to embrace confrontational techniques and brute strength – “stubborn, steady, and strong,” as Toph said to Aang.
- Earthbenders require a strong root in the ground, and one of their weaknesses is when they are disconnected from a source of earth or solid ground.
- Earthbending techniques rely heavily on the lower body, the foundation.
- Earthbending is based on the Hung Gar style of kung fu, although it also draws on Nunquan (Southern fist), which includes a variety of styles from Southern China. These styles may use a technique of maintaining conflict with an opponent in order to predict their movements, which is kinda like a real-life equivalent of ATLA earthbending and the use of seismic sense.
I learned all these things from Fandom.com’s ATLA wiki, and you can find the full article I used here.
GOD is: solid rock
Based on the technique of earthbending and the verses below, here are some observations about the character of God:
- God is an everlasting Rock, firm, steadfast, and secure
- God is our rescuer and Redeemer
- God is unique in holiness and ability to save us
- God is the foundation we can and should build our lives on
- God is able to bring water out of solid rock in the middle of the desert, and part giant bodies of water so that there’s dry land in the middle of them
We are: standing firm because of Christ
Here are some observations about what earthbending can illustrate about who we are in Christ and what we’re called to be like:
- We can stand firm against the Enemy’s attacks
- We remain steadfast in our commitment to Him because we know that He’ll never leave
- We are responsible for the receptiveness of our hearts – are we soft, good soil or hard and rocky?
- We put our roots into Christ and are able to stand firm in storms and winds
The verses: rock, fortress, steadfast, immovable
And here’s a shorter and more curated version on similar themes:
Who God is and what He does
He who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, [with its] fiery serpents and scorpions, and [its] thirsty ground where there was no water; He who brought water for you out of the rock of flint.
Deuteronomy 8:15
And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.
Joshua 3:17
These two verses summarize some of the greatest works that God did on behalf of His people. He showed that He is sovereign over all creation, willing and able to protect, rescue, and provide. In the first instance, while Israel was lost in Egypt, God told their leader Moses to simply speak to a particular rock (he decided to strike it instead) and bring forth water for the people. In the second instance, God parted the Jordan, one of the most dangerous and unpredictable rivers in the known world, so that His people could cross into their Promised Land. In both instances, Israel was in desperate need, and God came through on their behalf.
“The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and just is He.
Deuteronomy 32:4
I can’t help but think of Maui from Moana with this one (and it isn’t just because of “The Rock!” lol). It’s the fact that God actually created all the things, and He could brag about it all the time, but instead He chooses to let the creation speak for itself. Although He does remind us of who He is and what He’s done, God allows us to praise Him and give Him glory. And that leads us to trust Him as we realize that He really is who He says!
Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.
I have a mental image of this verse as a giant pillar of rock standing in the middle of a field, or a majestic mountain range looking out over vast fields and towns and cities or human civilization. The fact that all the things around it will change, but the pillar of natural stone or the immense mountains will stay the same. It’s an awe-inspiring reflection of the steadfastness of God.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my savior, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18:2
For on the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; He will hide me in the secret place of His tent; He will lift me up on a rock.
Psalm 27:5
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the mud; And He set my feet on a rock, making my footsteps firm.
Psalm 40:2
Be to me a rock of dwelling to which I may continually come; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress.
Psalm 71:3
These verses all compare God to a rock, a solid and safe place to run and hide or defend from attacks. I love that each time, the act of rescuing is described in a different way. In some verses, God is a rock to run to; in others, He lifts the writer onto a rock, safe from unsteady ground or enemies attacking. And I love that Psalm 40:2 adds the extra detail, “He makes my footsteps firm.” As in, when we are relying on God to rescue and defend us, connected to the bedrock under our feet, our footsteps become firm.
Who we are as believers and what we’re called to do
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and [yet] it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell–and its collapse was great.
Matthew 7:24-27
Isaiah 26:3
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.
These verses speak to our choice of what to build our lives on. What underlying beliefs do we have that dictate our behavior? What happens when external circumstances are less than ideal?
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
Matthew 16:18
This verse is so, so good to me. The apostle Peter was like the poster child of Humanity, constantly talking a big talk, then failing to follow through. He denied Jesus and ran away from Him in His moment of need, after promising that he would go to the Cross with Him! But Jesus likely knew this about Peter when He called him the Rock on which the church would be built. This phrase might also refer to the fact that Jesus is the Rock, the cornerstone of our faith, and Peter’s confession of Him as the Messiah just before this verse.
Here’s a commentary with more insight into this passage.
Therefore, my beloved brothers [and sisters,] whom I long [to see,] my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
Philippians 4:1
Therefore, my beloved brothers [and sisters,] be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not [in] vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Be of sober [spirit,] be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. So resist him, firm in [your] faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world.
1 Peter 5:8-9
Each of these passages speaks to our call to remain steadfast in the faith, refusing to give way in the face of the Enemy’s attacks and all of the conflicts and temptations we go through. I love that Philippians 4 shows a group effort, all the people in Philippi’s church coming together to stand firm. 1 Corinthians 15 is a fantastic chapter to go familiarize yourself with; it summarizes the importance of the Resurrection of Jesus and how none of what we believe makes sense without it… But we never have to worry about that! Knowing that our foundation is firm, we can stand strong and refuse to stop working to advance the Kingdom of God. And 1 Peter 5 speaks again to the reassurance that, when we are suffering “trials of various kinds” as James 1 says, we can take comfort that we aren’t alone.
Connecting ATLA Earthbending with the Gospel story
I believe that the Gospel message, or the steps of becoming a believer and receiving the gift of salvation, can be broken up into three parts:
- I am. Who is God? What is He like? Who are we, and why are we here? Is there more to life than just the time between our birth and our death?
- God is the Creator and Lord of everything that we know. He is light, He is absolutely perfect, and He is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is also love, and He created each and every one of us to live in relationship with Him. We, on the other hand, are hard-wired to resist that relationship. Because of the rebellion of the first humans, our nature is to resist God’s rule, and we are therefore separated from Him. This separation is called sin. Our sin causes us to feel a void or emptiness that we try to fill with other relationships or pursuits (like pleasure or success), but that can only truly be filled with the relationship with God that we were meant to have. For more thoughts on this, check out this post.
- With you. How can I “fix” my sin problem and find joy, peace, and a relationship with God?
- There is only one way to restore the relationship that we were always meant to have with the God who created us, and that is Jesus. As we already discussed above, Jesus, the Son of God, came as a human to rescue and restore us while we were weak, helpless to fix ourselves. He showed the love of God for us by subjecting Himself to all of the indignities and suffering of the Cross, and died a criminal’s death, even though He had done no wrong. Because of His perfect sacrifice, Jesus was able to end the eternal separation between us and God, and now gives us the choice to receive His gift of salvation and eternal life. For more thoughts, see this post.
- Always. God shows His faithfulness and steadfast love for His people (originally Israel, now including all who believe in Him) throughout Scripture. He will always be with us, and gives us reminders of His presence and His truth through Holy Spirit, who inhabits every believer. Through Him, we have eternal forgiveness of sin, access to His throne room through prayer, and the ability to grow into the people we were always meant to be, free from the power of sin. After we die, we have the promise of Heaven, where we will see our Lord face to face and never have to suffer or be separated from Him again. For more thoughts, see this post.
I think it’s clear that ATLA earthbending connects with the “I am” part of the Gospel story. God proves to us that He is the only unchanging, eternally steady and strong being in all the universe. He is sovereign over the physical world, and He wants to rescue and protect us from both physical and spiritual dangers. Because of this knowledge, we can choose to trust God, building our lives with Him as the foundation and digging deep into Him to grow strong and steady roots.
If you’ve ever felt that there’s something missing from your life, that you’re constantly on a roller coaster of instability and uncertainty, I pray that you’ll ask God to give you the stability you need. If you’ve never done so before, consider the words above. Then pray and ask God to forgive you of your sins, rescue you from the attacks of the Enemy, and come into your heart as Savior and Lord. He will give you victory, and the assurance of a firm foundation! I can’t wait to see what He’ll do in your heart.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post on Avatar the Last Airbender and the idea of earthbending as a symbol of the stability of God in us. What did you think? Have any ideas for further study or reflection?
Happy fangirling!
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