IF & HG

 I write this as I’ve just watched the movie “IF” for the first time while flying on an airplane for my wife and my first trip away from our daughter. Yep, I cried. No helping it. Just could not hold it in. I loved that John Krasinski directed it and loved that the actress who played Mrs. Dursley in Harry Potter was the Grandma in “IF”. Such a lovely story about imaginary friends (IFs) and the role they have in helping their children even when the children are grown up. 

The story revolves around Elizabeth, who goes by Bea as she experiences the loss of her mother as well as the pending surgery for her father. Lots of an emotions for a 12 year old girl to go through. A big take away for me is that kids need their parents and kids need their imagination even if it is not an imaginary friend. 

Perhaps the imaginary friends could be representative of the Holy Ghost and how we need his influence and guidance throughout our lives. As a comforter, as a guide, and a teacher. It reminds me of Elder Bednar’s talk about receiving the Holy Ghost where he shares that this is an invitation that, for me, is a lifelong quest. While I don’t see the Holy Ghost, I know he is very real and I know that I need his influence every day, much like the grown ups in “IF” still need their imaginary friends at every stage of their lives.

The Horse and His Boy

Ever since the point where the baby could start to hear in utero (I think that's around 16 weeks?) I've been reading bedtime stories to her. I chose "The Chronicles of Narnia" to start. I figured I can get through all seven books before she can have an opinion on which bedtime stories she wants to hear. We're currently on "The Horse and His Boy" and I've gotta say it's my favorite. I know the most popular of the Narnia series, but it means a lot to me.

Short version of the story: I came home from my mission due to anxiety and during the time when I was figuring out if I could/would go back, I was reading through Narnia for the first time. I happened to be reading "The Horse and His Boy" on a particularly stressful day. But that made the reading all the sweeter.

Near the end of the book, Shasta (the main character) is lost in the mountain fog. His mission to warn the King of Archenland has been completed and now he's lost and depressed. Everything seemed to go perfectly for everyone but him. In the midst of his sadness, a talking Narnian creature joins him. This creature, who turns out to be Aslan, tells him that he has been watching over him all along his journey. Shasta was never alone.

As Aslan is meant to represent Jesus Christ, I find it interesting that all the times Shasta encountered him previously in the book guided him along, but in very different ways.

The first time Shasta encountered Aslan, he had appeared to be two wild lions. These lions had driven the two Narnian horses (Bree and Hwin) together along with their riders (Shasta and Aravis, respectively). With the four of them together, they were able to complete their journey, which would have no happened if they'd been alone. In a similar sense, I believe that the Lord will use the our trials to bring us together with the people that we need in our lives. It's not always fun. It's not always pleasant. But we wouldn't be the same people without them. If I had been where I wanted to be over the past ten years, instead of where God wanted me to be, I’d never have met some of my very best friends.

When Shasta encountered Aslan the second time, he had taken the form of a cat. In this calm and quiet form, Aslan kept Shasta company as he spent the night alone in the desert, after getting split up from his friends. As I think about how the cat comforted him, I think about the promise of the Holy Ghost as the “comforter” (John 14:26). This is also one of the roles that Christ played (John 14:18).

The same night that Shasta was alone in the desert, he heard jackals howling in the distance. He heard the roaring of a lion scare the jackals off. The roaring scared Shasta as well, but even while he was scared he was safe. Aslan had scared off the jackals, keeping Shasta protected. In the same way, I believe that even though God's will scares us sometimes, it's the way we'll be safe.

The next time Shasta was visited by Aslan was the last (chronologically) before the big revelation on the mountain road. While running toward Archenland and away from Prince Rabadash of Calormen, The horses were out of energy and couldn't run any faster. That was the case until a lion started chasing after them. The fear gave the horses new energy and because of that Shasta was able to make it to King Lune of Archenland in time. Likewise, sometimes trials, though painful and scary, push us to our limits we didn't know we could reach. If it wasn't for the Lord emotionally stretching me, I wouldn't know the strength and faith that He's blessed me with.

There was one more time that Aslan watched over Shasta that he told in the end. As a baby, Shasta had been left adrift in the ocean (you'll have to read the book to know why), but Aslan helped that boat with baby Shasta make its way safely to shore. He was found by a fisherman who raised him and, despite the abusive upbringing, it kept Shasta safe until he was called to save Archenland. Just like Aslan on that night, the Savior will gently guide us through our oceans to somewhere safe where He can prepare us for what's next.

I don't know what you're going through, but our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is watching over you, preparing you, stretching you, and caring for you. That much I know.

Airbending and the Spirit

Disclaimer:  This post has spoilers of the Legend of Korra season 1 finale.  If you are sensitive to spoilers and haven't seen the finale don't read this.  Otherwise, please read on.

Poster for the season finale of The Legend of Korra.

It's no secret I love Avatar: The Last Airbender and the Legend of Korra spin-off series.  Charming characters, cool martial arts, and intelligent story development.

Those familiar with the series know that it takes a lot of it's ideas from eastern lore and religion. When I watch the series I don't expect to find spiritual allegories for this reason.  However, the first season finale of Korra surprised me with an allegory on the spirit.

It's important to have some Airbending Lore knowledge before I get into this allegory.  

The thing you should know about the Air Nomads is that they are the most spiritual of the four nations. The Air Nomads would travel around the world and were the most peaceful of all the nations. 

Their style of martial arts is very defensive.  When you look at it, it looks like a dance.  It is excellent at evading.  Although it does stop opponents it is the least lethal of all the fighting styles.

The cool thing about air is that you can't see it.  Fire, Water, and Earth are all clearly visible and tangible. Airbenders use an element that in of itself is not seen but effects are.  The spirit and influence of Christ is very much the same.  When you go to share your testimony, act in service, or speak kind words, you can feel presence or influence of the Holy Ghost.  Even though it can't be seen, it's effects solidify truth.

What makes Korra so interesting as a character is her difficulty with Airbending.  Korra has mastered the other three elements of Water, Earth, and Fire.  In fact, she excels at the physical responsibility of being the Avatar.  While her talents in martial arts are incredible she has very little connection to the spirits of the earth, the past Avatars, and her self.  Aang, being an Airbender, was the opposite.  He had visions and was connected to his spiritual side from the beginning of the first episode.

Korra's struggle to connect to spirit makes up most of the first season.  Her decisions are sometimes rash and she desperately wants to connect with the spirit of Aang (the previous Avatar) but with little avail.  Her personality is arrogant in her abilities.

After Korra's up-hill-battle to learn Airbending she loses all ability to bend from Amon's Bloodbending powers in the season finale.  (Quick Tangent:  It's interesting that Amon, the bad guy in the show, is an expert Bloodbender.  Bloodbending essentially takes away a person's agency and tortures them.  There's a whole other allegory here I would write about more about but kind of already did in a previous post. The best antagonists in storytelling will be so similar to the adversary.)

Korra loses so much more then her ability to bend.  She feels like she loses herself.  Korra, the expert bender who has prided herself on her abilities, her identity as the Avatar, has lost all of it.  Mako and her try to escape Amon but he quickly recovers from Mako's blasts to bloodbend Mako right to Amon's feet.  While Mako is forced to kneel down, Amon reaches for his forehead to take away bending from the talented Firebender.

Korra loses her ability to bend the elements to Amon!

Korra is humbled and weakened from Amon's attack.  Seeing her love in danger she lashes out with any energy she can possibly summon to unleash a fierce wind that sends Amon backwards.  "I can airbend?! I can airbend!!"  Because of her humility and love for Mako, Korra connects to her spiritual side and is able to bend the element no one can see: Air.

This is what I get from Airbending and what it says about the Spirit and righteousness.  The first is that evil always underestimates the power of God.   The bad guys in this show always underestimates Air.  It is the soft yet powerful force of Airbending that defeats Amon.  The first time Equalist Chi Blockers try to capture Tenzin's family of Airbenders they are caught off guard by a form of bending they haven't faced before.  The same is the case for the power of God in our own life.

The spirit of God works when everything else fails.  Amon was able to take away all the powers Korra had except Airbending.  I wonder if Airbenders can even be effected by Amon's ability.  You'd think Korra's bending ability would be for any element.  But Air was strong when the others failed.  In our own lives we can always rely on the principles of the Gospel and the promptings of the spirit when we lose jobs, family members, or other hardships.

Korra in the Avatar State having finally connected with her spiritual self.

In fact, it was when Korra was deep in hardship that she was able to tap into her spiritual side and unlock her ability to bend Air.  Later, the spirit of Avatar Aang tells her, "When we hit our lowest point we are open to the greatest change."  Trials are rough but they are often blessings in disguise.  I know for me, if it weren't for the trials I faced I wouldn't be a solid friend, close to my Savior, or have the other blessings I have in my life today.  When we are humbled, like Korra, we can unlock potential inside of us only our Father in Heaven knows exists.

I really hope you enjoyed The Legend of Korra as much as I did.  I know that as we hit that lowest point we can always rely on the spirit of God to help us out of it and unlock our potential.

-Stephen