Socialization and The Matrix

Neo

"... I have these memories from my life. None of them happened. What does that mean?"

Trinity

"That the Matrix cannot tell you who you are."

Matrix

There are so many unhealthy messages that our society disseminates through the media and other mediums. This information may trickle down to us through the avenue of our culture, our upbringing, and our peers. And when we buy into and follow these errant messages we find ourselves lost in an ocean of illusion; many times becoming a mirror image of our society.

A society is a group of people. It could be thousands of people or just a few people who we associate with. There are also secret societies. Regardless of how many people and how secretive, the impact is the same--powerful. Very often we become like those whom we associate with or identify with. This process is often called socialization. Our identity is formed by the people who we surround ourselves with and the messages that we hear and observe.

As Neo realizes that all his memories and events that occurred in his life were not real he is left with confusion because it influenced and helped construct who he used to be. Now he looks back and says, "What does this mean?"

Trinity gives him a very insightful response. She says that the Matrix cannot tell him who he is and define him. The same is true for us. No one can tell us who we are, not even our society. We become who we choose to become. Unfortunately many blindly follow the messages given to them and like puppets mirror their society.

The goal of the Christian life is to die to these past affiliations that constructed our old identity and no longer find our identity in them.

For instance, many of us found our identity in success, money, material things, careers, relationships, power, an addiction, a certain lifestyle, violence and fame. Because we believed we could find our identity in those things we found ourselves desperately striving to attain them. And even though we now realize that these things, when they become the focus, can lead us away from the truth we find ourselves still battling with our desire to give in to our past affiliations.

Like an anchor they weigh us down and keep us from emerging into the light. They maintain us in the darkness that we have lived in so long—the place where we have found comfort and false security in the past. We hear the voices say, "Ignorance is bliss." "Party hard." "I need this person to make me happy." "Being popular is what is most important." "I need money to be happy." "You are stupid." "Nobody loves you." "I need to drink alcohol." "You can’t succeed." "I need to get revenge." "I need to fit in."

All these voices come in search for us when we try to change our lives. They will not let us identify with the truth and leave them behind. They must regain our loyalty and identification before it is too late. If they win they will take us down the same path that Cypher chose; the path of ignorance and compromise. They will lead us back to the illusion.

We must die to these voices and lose our old identification with them in order to find our true identity. In the stillness of prayer and meditation we will begin to hear the other voice that calls us to truth and love. We must stay focused on this voice and trust it. It will lead us to the place where we can find God and our true identity in him.

"If you are guided by the Spirit, you won’t obey your selfish desires. The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting with each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should." – Galatians 5:16-17 (CEV)