THE MATRIX REVIVAL

Discovering Our Identity

2007-08-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

The Oracle
"I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Being The One is just like being in love. No one can tell you you’re in love, you just know it. Through and through. Balls to bones. Well, I better have a look at you. Open your mouth, say Ahhh."

Matrix

Once we discover God’s plan for us and his desire to establish a personal relationship with us and decide to submit ourselves to his guidance, we begin to discover our true identity. An identity that is founded in Christ and God's design for our lives. We start to view ourselves as the chosen ones. We are unplugged.

There is something in us that strongly testifies and confirms that we belong to Him. As we meditate on the truth of his Word, his promises and principles we begin to discover more about who we are and what we are called to do.

The Apostle Paul reminds those who have chosen to follow Christ, "you recieved the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" (Romans 8:15b-16).

Having been unplugged from the world’s system, we find freedom to be what we were intended to be in Christ. We begin to realize that we are citizens of heaven, chosen by God, a child of God, born of God, a stranger and alien in this world, forgiven for our sins, loved by God, a minister of reconciliation, a new creation, God’s workmanship and a joint heir with Christ.

The more we identify with what is true of us in Christ the more we will exemplify him in our lives. But if we don’t believe the truth about who we are in Christ, we will not reflect Him in our lives and not fulfill our heavenly calling and purpose. We are products of what we identify with. Finding our identity in the wrong places leads to disappointment and dissatisfaction. Identifying with what is true of us in Christ leads to inner peace, everlasting joy, hope, and freedom.

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." – Colossians 3:2-3 (NIV)

Know Thyself

2007-08-01T00:31:00.000-07:00

The Oracle
"You know what that means? (The Oracle points to a plaque hanging above the door) It's Latin.Means 'know thyself.'"

The Matrix

There is no doubt that society, family and our environment plays a big part in constructing our initial self-image. Every human being has the potential to blossom a personality and self-image that is filled with grace and beauty but many times something goes awry.

Sometimes when love is withheld from a parent or emotional support is deprived a child's self-image and personality are affected in a profound way. Traumatic experiences where abuse is present or where there is abandonment or rejection can deeply affect a child's self-image as well.

For instance if a parent tells their child that he (or she) is a nobody, or incompetent the child will many times project this image as reality and embrace it. This image can affect the child's social skills, grades, and emotional temperament. Another example of a situation that can affect a child's self-image is if a parent is not present in the child's life. The child may interpret this absence by stating to himself, "I am not worthy to be loved" or "I am not lovable."

Other factors that can affect self-image negatively are traumatic experiences with peers or romantic partners or people in authority. What typically happens is that we see ourselves through the eyes of others. Many of us use these images others have of us to define our own self-image. Other people's thoughts about us act like a mirror for us but the mirror many times is distorted. So how do we clean the mirror?

We must dismiss and get rid of the self-images that have been built around untruth. Only by examining our self-image (the messages that we believe about ourselves) can we begin to see what uplifts us and what brings us down. There are pages and pages of messages that we have told ourselves to this date. Some of them are true and some are not. It is wise to write them all down whether positive or negative.

Ruth Myers in her book Christ Life writes that it is wise do an inner identity album and to put labels on the negative messages such as "Unrealistic" and "Do Not Use" and on the positive messages to use the headings "Realistic" and "Use Often." By doing this process we can come to know our true self (without any distorted truth).

These positive images can make up what we would call a "Life Raft." When we are questioning our self-worth or doubting ourselves we can go to these positive messages in our Life Raft and allow them to pull us through the waves of deception and distorted thinking that wants to regain control of our mind.

The Lost Identity

2007-07-31T02:07:00.000-07:00

Cypher
“I don't want to remember nothing. Nothing. You understand? And I want to be rich. You know, someone important. Like an actor.”

Agent Smith
“Whatever you want, Mr. Reagan.”

The Matrix

Our society paints certain things (money, sex, power, etc.) as important and encourages us to pursue after them. Some of us find ourselves pursuing these things and doing so with a hope to fit in and look good before others.

In doing this, we may end up focusing more on what others think and in the process lose sight of what matters most and brings true joy. Things like our relationship with God, developing meaningful relationships with people, quality time with our family, acts of charity, etc.

Frederick Buechner describes the result of this tragic process of trying to please others and live up to the ideals of society: “Our original shimmering self gets buried so deep we hardly live out of it at all… rather, we learn to live out of all the other selves which we are constantly putting on and taking off like coats and hats against the world’s weather.”1

Because our peers, family, and society lure us to be a certain way we may find ourselves putting on masks to please different types of people. The danger is that we may begin to identify with what others think of us and forget who we really are and what we really want. The result is that many times our soul is left desiring more; and further away from the One who can restore us and make us whole.

We must break away from the desire to please others and discover what we really want; a connection with a God who helps us find our identity in him. Once we know this truth we do well to move closer to making
it a reality. By identifying our deep need and what can satisfy us we allow ourselves to move toward our purpose; which provides the motivation to live out the truth we have come to know.

“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’” – John 7:37-38 (NIV)

Excerpt taken from Matrix Reflections: Choosing between reality and illusion.

Socialization and The Matrix

2007-07-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

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)

Discovering Our Purpose

2007-07-07T16:08:00.000-07:00

The Keymaker

"I know because I must know. It’s my purpose. It’s the reason I’m here. Same reason we are all here."

Matrix Reloaded

Once we find the truth of Jesus Christ and identify with him, we begin to discover our purpose. Colossians 1:17 tells us that "by him all things were created" and that "in him all things hold together."

It makes sense, then, to look toward our Creator for the reason that he made us. It does not make sense to look for the meaning of life and our purpose in any other place or ourselves. Only the inventor of a gadget knows why he designed the gadget the way he did. He may even provide a manual for operation. God also gives us the manual through his Scripture. There we find his plan to save the world through his Son. We begin to realize that we are part of something bigger than we could have ever imagined, a cosmic plan of God to redeem the fallen world.

C.S. Lewis writes in his last page of the Chronicles of Narnia: "For us this is the end of all the stories … But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world … had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read, which goes on forever and in which every chapter is better than the one before."

Lewis reminds us that we are invited to be a part of something that is beyond this world, a kingdom prepared for us from the beginning of time. A place where we find eternal rest for our souls; a place we often refer to as heaven. And before our time on earth ends we have a chance to be a part of God’s plan to save people and give them an opportunity to go to that place with us.

Our purpose becomes clear. We must play our part in the cosmic plan of God. Just as Neo knew that he had to unplug as many as he could and bring an end to the Matrix dream world. We must in a similar way unplug people from the system of the world and bring them to the truth. This becomes our mission.

The keymaker knows his purpose in life is to carry the key to the white door. This is the reason that he is here. This was his part to play in the cosmic plan to free mankind from the Matrix.

What is your part to play?

"Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!)

"It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." – Ephesians 1:4-5;11-12 (MSG)

Excerpt taken from Matrix Reflections: Choosing between reality and illusion.

We Are Not An Accident

2007-07-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

Morpheus

"All of our lives we have fought this war. Tonight I believe we can end it. Tonight is not an accident. There are no accidents. We have not come here by chance. I do not believe in chance when I see three objectives, three captains, three ships. I do not see coincidence, I see providence, I see purpose. I believe it is our fate to be here. It is our destiny. I believe this night holds for each and every one of us the very meaning of our lives."

Matrix Reloaded

Understanding that we have a purpose reminds us that we are not an accident. The fact that we are alive and breathing today is not a product of mere chance, luck or coincidence. Before the world was created we were already on God’s mind and precious to him. He was already thinking about how he could have a personal relationship with each one of us and lavish his love toward us.

Rick Warren writes in his book The Purpose Driven Life: "God left no detail to chance. He planned it all for his purpose … God never does anything accidentally, and he never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything he creates. Every plant and every animal was planned by God, and every person was designed with a purpose in mind. God’s motive for creating you was his love."

When we see life through this perspective we can begin to understand that everything that happens in our lives, good or bad, happens for a reason. There are no coincidences.

Just as Morpheus claims in Matrix Reloaded that the night before Neo goes to the Source is not an accident and that they are not there by chance, we will likewise encounter nights like these in our lives. Nights and days where we will know that our circumstances are not just a coincidence but the act of providence.

Knowing that there is a divine influence that brings purpose to every circumstance of our lives is reassuring. No matter what happens in our lives we can know that God is working through the situation for some greater purpose.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" – Psalm 139:13-17 (NIV)

Excerpt taken from Matrix Reflections: Choosing between reality and illusion.

The Red Pill

2007-06-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Neo

"Why do my eyes hurt?"

Morpheus

"You've never used them before. Rest, Neo. The answers are coming."

Matrix

We all demonstrate faith in our lives. Every day we are given circumstances where we must demonstrate faith in some way. For instance, when we sit down on a chair we do so because we have faith that it will support our weight. The main question we have to answer is not whether we have faith, but what we have faith in?

Neo had to trust Morpheus. He had to trust that he was telling him the truth and could provide the answers to his questions. Had he not taken a step of faith in trusting Morpheus he would never have learned the truth and experienced "the real." Because of the faith he demonstrated his life changed completely. The impossible became possible and the unthinkable became thinkable.

In regard to our spiritual pursuit, when a person puts his faith in God he opens the door to possibility and providence. If we can for a moment believe there is more to this world and place our faith in a God who saves we open up our hearts to receive the greatest of gifts.

Hellen Keller writes of her hunger to learn after having discovered the gift of language: "I left the well-house eager to learn. Everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a new thought. As we returned to the house every object which I touched seemed to quiver with life. That was because I saw everything with the strange, new sight that had come to me."

But before we can have this new sight given to us we must take the red pill. Remember Morpheus words, "… no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself."

We have to make a choice, similar to the one that Morpheus gave Neo when he shows him two pills and tells him: "You can take the blue pill … the story ends and you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to. You take the red pill and find out how deep this rabbit hole goes."

When we choose the red pill we have to be willing to let go of our old life. We must risk all to see reality. When we can empty ourselves of all that stands in the way of faith we can boldly go to where the truth is found.

Soon after Neo takes the red pill he is baptized into reality. He is born again. This time having been unplugged from the Matrix. The answers are soon to follow.

For us the journey to the source (God) costs the same price. We are also given two choices. One leads to ignorance and the other to truth. The red pill and the blue pill that is offered to us in our spiritual voyage is the choice to believe and trust in the One or to reject the truth and pretend that He does not exist.

We cannot see reality until we take the red pill. For us the red pill equates to believing in Jesus and what he did on the cross and trusting him with our life (welcoming him in our inner man). We can do this by saying to Him, "I believe you have forgiven me of all my sins (wrongs) ... I trust you with my life ... reveal yourself to me."

Neo literally means "new." When we take the plunge and say this prayer or statement we begin the journey to truth and we see things in a new way. Everything becomes new because the One who makes all things new has touched us. The eyes of our soul and spirit are opened wide to take in what had been hidden. Yet, it may be a lot of information to take in and it may take time for this new found sight to adjust to the light of reality.

"You cannot take a hold of this gift – the Son of God – with your hand. The Son of God cannot be contained in a jar. He is only grasped with the heart and by faith. When this gift comes into your heart, when you believe in Christ with your whole heart, then you won’t be the same person. Even if you once were a thief, an adulterer, or a murderer, you will become a new person, for you have the Light in your heart." – Martin Luther

The Awakening

2007-06-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

Discovering truth can lead us into an awakening experience. When we allow ourselves to go beyond this world’s borders and experience an awakening, it leads to a new way of viewing our world and ourselves that can change the way we live forever.

From the moment we awaken from our illusion(s) we begin to experience reality. Our consciousness is awakened to something more … something real. It is as if we see everything with fresh eyes and a new profound perspective. We have a new birth, a spiritual awakening. A birth into reality and truth.

Helen Keller, who was blind and deaf, at one time only understood words as symbols for objects. She did not understand language and that the use of words could be used as an instrument for conceptual thought and communication. Then one day something happened to Keller that would change her life completely. She writes about her awakening experience:

"Someone was drawing water, and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over my hand, she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten – a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that ‘w-a-t-e-r’ meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers still, it is true but barriers that could in time be swept away.

"I left the well-house eager to learn. Everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a new thought. As we returned to the house every object which I touched seemed to quiver with life. That was because I saw everything with the strange, new sight that had come to me."1

Keller, despite being deaf and blind, knew not only that there was something to be seen and heard by a sense within her, but also that there was a way of communicating with words and thoughts by a sense innate in her. In a similar way we, too, by a sense within us, can understand that even though we cannot see or hear God directly, we can know that he exists and that he has a way of communicating with us.

When we can let go of our illusions and the distorted thoughts that attach us to them, we can begin to see reality. The road to receiving this new sight that lets us see reality is dependent upon humility. The journey to awakening to truth can be described in many ways. It could be described as being in a slumber and needing to awake or being in bondage and needing to be set free. Some have even described it as being blind and needing to see. Jesus says that we need to be "born again" spiritually to experience reality.

He also tells us we must be humble and open. He states, "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3-4, NIV).

It is by being humble that we can come to see what has been hidden and is hard to see. When we allow skepticism to take root we lessen our chance of discovering the gift of truth. Neo, in The Matrix films, allowed himself some room in his heart and mind to explore the truth and by doing so found it. The result is the freedom to live out his purpose and to live in the truth.

Keller says that the living word awakened her soul, "gave it light, hope, joy, set it free!" When a person finds God and finds union with him this is also how that individual will inevitably feel. Keller talks about discovering the mystery of language and how it was revealed to her. In a similar way, when the eyes and ears of our soul are opened we can see the revelation of God, because we were made for this very purpose; we have the innate potential for this specific end.

"We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’ – but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit." – 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 (NIV)

1. Hellen Keller, Political Questions: Political Philosophy from Plato to Rawls, Second Edition, Illinois, Waveland Press, Inc., 1993.

Waking Up From The Dream World

2007-06-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

Morpheus

"Have you ever had a dream Neo that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference and the real world?"

Neo

"This can't be."

Matrix

Had Neo not decided to see how deep the rabbit hole goes he would never have been able to get out of the dream world of the Matrix. The truth about the world and his existence would have been hidden from him. He would never have awakened to experience the difference between the real and the dream because he only would have known the dream as his reality. But Neo did discover the "real" because he chose to go after the truth.

The Matrix films are most definitely about having an awakening experience. An experience that leads to a totally new and exciting way of viewing our world and ourselves.

In the films, there is no doubt that there is a dream world that many people are plugged into. This is the premise of the movies. The whole point is to bring as many people to a realization of the truth and to awaken. This is Neo's purpose.

The films also challenge us, the viewer, to examine our lives and see if there are any illusions that we have believed in and have converted into truth. Illusions are easy to believe in and difficult to destroy. In order to shatter an illusion we must realize that everything that we have believed in (regarding this distortion of truth) until now is a lie. This is not easy to do.

Denis Diderot said, "We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth that we find bitter."

When Neo discovered the truth about himself and his world he initially denied it and said it could not be possible. It took him a while to accept reality. It wasn't until near the end of the first film that he realizes that he is "The One."

When illusions are destroyed they leave us naked and vulnerable before the world. Especially if our whole way of life may have been run by them. That is why it is so tempting to clothes ourselves with them over and over again.

Brennan Manning writes in Abbas Child, "Losing our Illusions is painful because illusions are the stuff we live by. The Spirit of God is the great unmasker of illusions, the great destroyer of icons and idols. God's love for us is so great that He does not permit us to harbor false images, no matter how attached we are to them. God strips those falsehoods from us no matter how naked it may makes us, because it is better to live naked in truth than clothed in fantasy."

Challenge: How will you respond to the illusions that have been constructed in your life? How long will it take for you to accept reality?

The Problem with Postmodernism

2006-02-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

Postmodernism has some good things that it brings to the table such as the idea that the truth can be found in more ways than solely on human reason (a good reminder to us all) and an increased concern to value all opinions and accept everyone. Yet, what we are beginning to see is that truth with a capital "T" (or fact) is getting lost or snuffed out with a new belief that truth is relative.

The relativist belief is that there is no objective absolute truth. What this does is it elevates opinions and feelings to an equal plain with truth (many times with the objective to not offend anyone). It is true that all viewpoints should be on the same playing field and equal, but they should not be converted to truth just because someone thinks it so.

"Truth" under this premise can become what one wants it to be even if it goes against logic and reason. Hence the statement, "Something can be true for you, but not true for me" comes to play. The danger is that we can blur reality and lose many of the principles and truth that have helped our society thrive through the ages.

The Matrix films mirror our societies postmodern times. It is important to note that society has constantly been changing its view. Hence, there were societies that were premodern, modern and now of course we are in postmodern times. So, for the next generation the question beckons, "what will most of us believe then?"

For more information on the evolution of postmodernism feel free to check out my website and the postmodernism 101 heading.

Postmodernism and The Matrix Films

2006-02-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

I think it is obvious that the Matrix films are a postmodern work and I don't think it was an accident that it was made this way (since we live in a postmodern world). This was a great way for the Wachowski brothers to connect with most people and get them to identify with Neo and the Matrix. I think the Matrix Trilogy is in a big part a reflection of our times and our societies' view. A beautiful mixture or quilt of the various religious ideas, philosophy, mathematics, psychology, etc.

When examining and studying the Matrix films it is wise to be careful. Because there is so many different ideas presented in the films it can be confusing to come to discover reality or truth. There is definitely truth to be found in the films but also fiction. We must learn to differentiate between the two or we can fall into the danger of confusing the two. It is definitely easy to look at the films and see what we want to see. It takes humility, and open mind, hard work and study to discover reality in the films. That's what the purpose of my book Matrix Reflections is all about (discovering reality).

Postmodernism Defined

Postmodernism simply defined is a movement or set of movements that have grown out of the modernism movement. Hence the term "post" means coming after or later.

The modernist movement really emphasized the importance of science, facts and logic. The postmodern does not feel compelled to rely on these as much as subjective truth.

Currently, this term (postmodern) is becoming more widely used by philosophers, social scientists, art critics and theologians to describe our culture, contemporary art, economics, and our present social conditions. In short, it is many times used to describe the way that most of the world is currently thinking.

What is the Postmodernism Movement After?

The postmodernism movement is born of the idea that human reason should not be held as the main source of finding truth. It is skeptical of society giving reason a privileged position over other ways of finding truth because it can lead to depriving other mediums of the truth from being heard. It contends that modernism has put too much emphasis on human reason as a way of finding truth and by doing this created a bias against other cultures that resulted in their views and beliefs being ignored or not put on the same plane. The postmodernist desires and hopes to level the playing field and make sure that all cultural and minority beliefs are given a voice in public discussion.

It states that there are other ways of discovering truth other than human reason such as feeling, experience, stories, metaphors and intuition. The postmodernists are more open to finding truth through feeling and experience. They believe that truth is relative (with no absolutes) and accept and respect all beliefs as true and equal.

V for Vandetta in IMAX Theatres

2006-02-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

The Wachowski Brothers new film project, V for Vandetta, will be released on March 17, 2006 in theatres and simultaneously to IMAX Theatres. The film, directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski Brothers, will be starring Natalie Portman.

The film is about a young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) who is rescued from a near death situation by a man known as "V." This mysterious, masked man (Hugo Weaving) stands against tyranny and oppression and starts a revolution that is carried out with terrorist acts and violence. "V," who will use any means to attain his goal to bring freedom and justice back to his society, is well trained in the art of combat and deception. As Evey comes to find out the truth about "V" and his mysterious background, she also uncovers the truth about herself and ends up becoming his ally.

The film, like the Matrix films, appears to be intellectually stimulating and filled with great special effects. For more information visit www.vforvendetta.com.

Jesus' descension into Hades

2006-02-03T01:46:00.000-08:00

"... In which also He [Jesus] went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison ..." - 1 Peter 3:19 (NAS)

This is a very intriguing verse. It tells us that when Jesus died and resurrected his spirit went to proclaim God's victory over Satan to the spirits in either Hades (what we often refer to as Hell) or Tartarus. The "spirits" could refer to dead human beings or to fallen angels who were disobedient. This has been long debated.

Ephesians 4:9 tells us that Jesus "descended into the lower parts of the earth" referring to Hades.

So from these two verses we know that Jesus definitely went to Hades and possibly Tartarus, a place where the fallen angels are kept (2 Peter 2:4-5, Jude 6).

In Luke 16:19-31 we are told of a story of a certain rich man and a begger named Lazarus. In this story Hades is described as having a gulf that divides the underworld into two sections. One section is described as place where the saved saints reside and the other a section of torment.

In all of these references we find that Jesus can travel from one realm to another and back and forth again. In the Gospels we are told that the disciples see him resurrected and walking the earth again. And we even find that he ascends to heaven after 40 days (this was possibly alluded to when Neo ascended into the sky at the ending of the first Matrix movie). It is interesting that in the Matrix films Neo also has the ability to travel from one world or realm to another. At one point he even finds himself stuck in the train station (in between worlds).

"God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you." - 1 Peter 1:20 (NLT)

Rescued from the Religious System

2006-01-31T16:42:00.000-08:00

"[He] gave Himself for our sins that He might rescue us out of the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father..." - Galatians 1:4 (Recovery Version)

In this verse we are being told that Jesus died for ours sins that he might "rescue us out of the present evil age." The present evil age here most likely refers to the religious system. The religious system was flawed and insufficient when the Apostle Paul wrote this letter (and still is). Matter fact, as he was writing the letter there were some Judiazers who were trying to "pervert [distort] the gospel of Christ" and return to the religious ordinances of the time.

Jesus sacrifice on the cross rescues us from the heavy burdens of the Jewish religion (or any religion) and its ordinances. Before we had to do many religious activities to try to be justified by the law and we were measured by how much we did--always falling short. Now there is a new covenant that presents a new reality: grace and truth (John 1:17).

Just like Neo rescues people from the dream world, a system of control, Jesus liberates us from the religious system. The religious system is an illusion and an enemy of the truth--the reality
that is now being made known to mankind. This truth is that we can now have personal access to God and eternal security by simply demonstrating faith in his beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; Not of works that no one should boast (RV)."

The Galatian church and other churches were reverting back to the Old Testament law to justify themselves and make themselves right with God. Something that does not work.

Paul is surprised by what is occuring and writes, "I marvel that you are so quickly removing from Him who has called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel (Galatians 1:6, RV)."

What the Galatians were doing could be likened to people going back into the Matrix and choosing to take the blue pill once having discovered the truth. They were choosing the illusion over the reality. Many times we do the same. May we not be tricked by those who want to bring us back to following religious ordinaces and rules to earn our salavation! Paul calls these people "the false brothers."

He writes, "And this, because of the false brothers, brought in secretly, who stole in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into slavery (Galatians 2:4, RV)."

May we not become slaves of religion and stuck in viewing ourselves as people who have to keep climbing a mountain of works to be right with God. As we look for God and a personal connection with Him we should be reminded that it is not contingent upon doing things, rather it involves believing into Him and receiving what he has freely given to us. When we do this He arises in our hearts and creates new desires and longings that transform us from the inside. In our soul is where the God magic begins to work. Once touched by God we become "His masterpiece; created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10, RV)."

The Signs That Call Out

2006-01-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

“Wake up Neo … The Matrix has you … Follow the white rabbit. Knock knock, Neo.”

Matrix

There are signs all around that call out to us. Whether it is a beautiful sunset, a majestic waterfall, a near death experience, a deep longing, or a friend with advice, the signs are out there. They call us to something more … something magical and mysterious.

The question is, will we listen and look for the signs with our heart or miss them? These signs are intended to guide us into truth. They cannot show us the truth. We must choose to find the truth ourselves.

We must also beware of false signs. Some signs can be confirmed as trustworthy signs. Some cannot. We should not pursue signs that cannot. We should look for some confirmation to avoid being led astray by false signs.

The white rabbit tattoo on the woman’s shoulder was a confirmation to Neo that the message on his computer was real and not a delusion. False signs will lead us away from love, logic, peace, intuition and the wise counsel of others. These are things that can confirm true signs.

Neo chose to listen to the trustworthy signs before him. He could have chosen to ignore them and rationalize them away as a strange dream or just mere coincidence. Instead he followed the white rabbit and in doing so found the answers to his questions. What will we do when signs come our way?

“He replied, 'When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” – Matthew 16:2-3 (NIV)

Excerpt taken from Matrix Reflections: Choosing between reality and illusion

The Animatrix and The Tree of Knowledge

2005-12-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

In the Animatrix (Renaissance Part 1 & 2) it is implied that both the machines and mankind ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (a picture of an apple is shown). Both sinned. We even see that man creates the machine in his own image. We see man wanting to be God and rule over the machines. And just as fellowship and peace with God was broken when Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge so the fellowship and peace was lost with the machines when both man and machine ate of the same tree.

Since man (Adam and Eve) ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil described in Genesis he has tried to become like a God. It is clear that the Wachowski's are making a direct reference to this story.

Thus, I think it can be stated that man ate of the tree (as the Animatrix implies) and then tried to be like God and created the machines in the image of himself. The result was that he became the "architect of his own demise." All of this a result of the Fall. We see a domino effect going on all the way until we come to Agent Smith; who also wants to become God.

Trinity's Role and The Power of Love

2005-12-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

When Neo chooses to save Trinity in Reloaded he chooses love. It is love that helps him find his way. Just like love can help us find our way. If we go against love we are most assuredly going against what is right. We also see that Christ chose this road as well ... the road of love is what lead him to the cross to die for humanitys' sins.

For Neo choosing love meant staying true to the path he had chosen. To have chosen the other alternatives would have gone against everything he was called to do. He would have gone against love, his pursuit to save Zion, and his call to end the war. Love helped Neo to stay true to the path.

We also must remember that love brought Neo back to life in Matrix 1 when Trinity whispered in his ear the truth. It was as if Trinity's kiss breathed life into him.

Trinity with her words and bold kiss must have reminded Neo of the truth of who he was and breathed new life into him. Much like we can imagine the Holy Spirit breathed life into Jesus as he resurrected from the dead.

The function of the Holy Spirit living in us is to reveal truth and guide us into it. Jesus describes the Holy Spirit in this way in John 16:13: "When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."

I and many other philosophers (who have examined the Matrix movies) believe that Trinity represents the third face of God or the Holy Spirit. Neo represents Jesus (the Messiah figure) and Morpheus the father (he guides Neo and is called a father in the first film).

Anyhow, my point is that Trinity played the role of encourager, counselor, and helper to Neo (exactly what the Holy Spirit's role is described as in the Bible). She played a very important role in the films. Also, I think it was great that the Wachowski's had a woman play this role because I think it is appropriate that people begin to see a femine side to God. Man and woman were created in His image. That means God has femine qualities.

Finally, when Trinity dies in Revolutions I think it is consistent with Scripture. Jesus cried out on the cross, "Father why have you forsaken me." Because he took on the sins of the world God the Father and the Holy Spirit had to be separated from the Son. For he had to take on the sins of the world alone and pay the price alone. Neo had to finish the job alone just as Christ did. It was appropriate for the Wachowskis' to allow Trinity to die in the end.

King Nebuchadnezzar Symbolism

2005-12-03T14:23:00.000-08:00

King Nebuchadnezzar, an Old Testament figure that was a great Babylonian king, demanded that his dreams be interpreted by the magicians and wise men of his time. None of these men could interpret his dream. Only Daniel, a servant of God, was capable of interpreting his dream.

It is interesting that in the films we find the Nebuchadnezzar hovercraft searching for a Messianic savior who can liberate people from the dream world. It is as if the reference to Nebuchadnezzar symbolizes that only God can reveal the reality of what is hidden from us. Hence it is Morpheus, the captain of the Nebuchadnezzer who reveals what is hidden to his crew and Neo. Neo also goes on to reveal what is hidden to many.

Someone recently also made me aware that Morpheus is able to be reached inside the Matrix by calling the Daniel Institute of Dreams (according to Enter the Matrix).

I must add that there is much more that can probably be dissected from the reference to the Nebuchadnezzar. Hopefully this tidbit is interesting and informative.

The Myth and the Real Deal

2005-12-02T18:48:00.000-08:00

Morpheus:
"But you've never believed in the one."

Niobe:
"I still don't."

Morpheus:
"Then why are you doing this?"

Niobe:
"I believe in him."

Matrix Revolutions

It is definitely important to distinguish between the myth and the real deal. Niobe realizes this and does not believe in the myth but comes to believe in what she can see is true. She sees that Neo is worthy of her trust based on what she has come to know about him. Morpheus on the other hand believed in the myth and then came to believe in Neo.

I believe the same should be true for us. We should follow Niobe's example. When Jesus came his own people rejected him because they focused too much on the myth and who they thought he should be. It was the people who were not restrained by the religious traditions and the idea of the Messiah who were able to see him and believe in him. We are told that the pharisees were blinded by their ideas and missed out and did not accept the real deal. (John 5:36-40)

We should not believe blindly in things. That is why God sent us his Son to experience the real deal. Just like Niobe was able to come to the conclusion that Neo is worthy of believing in so can we now (if we seek to) put our trust in Jesus.

Morpheus comes to see the real deal because he allows his idea of Neo to be shattered. Before we come towards the Bible and God we should let go of our preconceived conceptions of God and just get to know Him.

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." - John 17:3 (NIV)

Cast of Characters from The Matrix Trilogy

2005-11-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

Morpheus - Neo's instructor and guide. May be viewed as the one who prepares the path for the One, similar to the role of John the Baptist. He also may represent the Father role in the Godhead.

Thomas Anderson - Neo's original name. Thomas was the name of one of the disciples of Jesus who is known as “Doubting Thomas." Anderson when translated means “Son of Man.”

Neo - The hero and savior of Zion. Neo is referred to as the “One” in the films. Neo literally means “new.”

Trinity - Neo's companion and encourager. May portray the third face of God, the Holy Spirit.

Cypher - The traitor. Literally means “zero”or having no influence or value.

the Oracle - A prophetess who can see into the future and is used to help Neo and others find their path. Also referred to as the mother of the Matrix.

Agent Smith - One of many sentient programs. Neo’s archenemy.

Keymaker - He has the key to the door that Neo must go through to get to the Source and meet the Architect.

the Architect - A computer program in “human” form created to design the Matrix. He created the first version of the Matrix that was supposed to be “a perfect human world” and then created the current Matrix.

Commander Lock - In charge of Zion’s army.

Councillor Dillard - A member of the Council of Zion.

Niobi - Morpheus past love interest and captain of the ship The Logos.

Kid - A young man who is unplugged from the Matrix by Neo and is very grateful to him.

Matrix Quiz: What Matrix Person are you?

2005-11-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a cool Matrix quiz I just discovered. Find out what Matrix person you are and post the results. You can also e-mail the quiz to your friends.

http://quizilla.com/users/trinitykills/quizzes/What%20Matrix%20Persona%20Are%20You?/

Japanese title of "The Matrix"

2005-10-31T17:06:00.000-08:00

If you have watched the Matrix films you might already know that the symbols on the computer screens consist of reversed letters, numbers, and Japanese katakana characters.

The Japanese title of "The Matrix" is "Matorikkusu." "Matorikkusu" is written katakana, which is one of the three Japanese writing scripts.

There is an interesting artice at
http://www.japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa052103a.htm

Agent Smith Explanation

2005-10-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

When man ate the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil he was trying to "be like God." He was already created in the image of God but that was not enough for man. His pride was his downfall.

Richard Neibuhr writes in Man, State and War: "Man is a finite being with infinite aspirations, a pigmy who thinks himself a giant. Out of his self-interest, he develops economic and political theories and attempts to pass them off as universal systems; he is born and reared in insecurity and seeks to make himself a god. The seat of evil is the self, and the quality of evil can be defined in terms of pride."

Scripture tells us that Satan was an angel from heaven who chose to rebel against God. He was the first to betray his ideals for his own selfish notions. It is interesting that he wanted man to take the same path he had chosen. Usually when we sin we also want others to sin as well to make ourselves feel better. Regardless, we find that man chooses to rebel against God as well and thus encounters the painful consequences of his actions - separation from God.

In Matrix Reloaded we see that Agent Smith, after having been defeated by Neo, chooses to not return to the Source. Instead he chooses to replicate himself and make everyone conform to his image. This is what Satan is trying to do as well. Smith
is, like Satan, totally consumed with himself and doing what he wants. He will go to all lengths to get power and to become a God. Only one person stands in his way - Neo. Just like Christ is the only person who could defeat the Devil and win back mankind, Neo is the only person who can defeat Smith.

It is amazing how we (mankind) still choose the path of the Tree of Knowledge and try to become like a God. Many times we are so manipulative that we even create God in our own image so that we can do as we please. There are two choices given to us. We can choose to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil or to eat from the Tree of Life.

When we choose selfishness and sin we choose to eat of the bad tree and when we choose to follow the truth and God's way we choose the Tree of Life. Scripture tells us that Jesus is the Tree of Life and that we cannot serve two masters. We either follow the ways of the prince of this world, Satan, or God.

“Still there is a chronic temptation to reduce God to human dimensions, to express Him in manageable ideas. Human reason seeks to understand, to reduce everything to its own terms. But God is God. He is more than a super human being with an intellect keener than ours and a capacity for loving greater than ours. He is Unique, Uncreated, Infinite, Totally Other than we are. He surpasses and transcends all human concepts, considerations, and expectations. He is beyond anything we can intellectualize or imagine. That is why God is a scandal to men and women—because He cannot be comprehended by a finite mind.” – Brennan Manning.

“…On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse…” – Revelation 22:2-3 (NIV)

What is The Matrix?

2005-10-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

Morpheus

"This is the world that you know. The world as it was at the end of the twentieth century. It exists now only as part of a neural-interactive simulation that we call the Matrix. You’ve been living in a dream world, Neo. This is the world as it exists today... Welcome.. to the desert.. of the real."

The Matrix

By coming to understand what the Matrix is Neo comes to know that the world has fallen into the hands of the machines or A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). A rebellion and war occurred between man and machine and the result was a world that came to exist through a neural-interactive simulation called the Matrix.

Neo discovers that he was living in a dream world built to control him and enslave him; that he was nothing more than an energy source (battery) for the machines. As long as he was plugged into the system he was unaware of this horrifying reality.

The reality for us is that we also live in a Matrix. It may not be a computer generated dream world like in the films, but the Matrix does exist and we are entangled in it. It is all around us and it is always pulling on us. It fogs our view of reality and our perception of our world and our place in it. It is an illusion filled with many more illusions. Are you curious to know what it is?

I must warn you. It is not easy to understand what you are about to find out. Your mind will want to resist the truth at first but let it settle and you, too, can join the group who have been unplugged.

There are a lot of illusions out there and there are a lot of books and websites written on them. They sometimes even classify these as "The Matrix." I am not talking about all the lies that are out there - and there are a lot out there. I am talking about the biggest lie of them all that has been told to us. I am talking about the Great Illusion when I am talking about "The Matrix."

The Bible tells us that mankind is in a lost state and separated from God since the Fall of Man. The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis depicts a time when mankind had everything needed to live and more. It explains that Adam and Eve both were tempted by Satan and sinned by eating of the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Satan told Eve that her eyes would be opened and that she would "be like God" (Genesis 3:5).

By eventually deciding to eat the fruit Adam and Eve both defied God’s authority, pushed him aside and decided for themselves what was best for their lives. In essence they thought, "we can decide what is best for us because we will be like God."

From this moment that man chose to live a self-directed life and not listen to God, everything was to be different. Man chose to be his own God and do things his own way. The rebellion against the Creator began and sin entered the world. Mankind would be for now on tarnished by sin and under the rule of the prince of this world, Satan. In the Matrix films Artificial Intelligence was in control of mankind, in our world it is Satan.

The Bible says that he influences the ways of this world and that those who are not yet unplugged follow the ways of the world. Romans 12:2 states: "Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

And 1 John 2:15-17 states: "Don’t love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you cannot love the Father. Our foolish pride comes from this world, and so do our selfish desires and our desire to have everything we see. None of this comes from the Father. The world and the desires it causes are disappearing. But if we obey God, we will live forever."

So, what is the Matrix?

It is a belief that has been passed on to us by the Great Deciever and our ancestors that blinds us from seeing the truth. It creates a world and a false reality that dictates how we live and it enslaves us to its creator, Satan.

The Matrix is a world where we can believe that we can be our own God and live a self-directed and self-centered life. Where there are only our rules and our wants. The Matrix is an illusion created to keep us under control: under the control of sin, selfishness and the popular ways of the world. It is a system that we are plugged into that leads us to a lifestyle of self-indulgence, instant gratification and pleasure. Where everything revolves around us and how it makes us feel. It is a place where truth and Jesus are not welcome.

We can only be unplugged by the "ONE." By believing that Jesus is the "ONE" who died for our sins and accepting him into our lives we can be freed from the system of this world. Jesus, like Neo, brings peace. Instead of peace between man and the machines he brings peace between man and God. Man was created in the image of God and when the fall occurred that image was shattered. Jesus restores that image in us so that we can reflect the glory of God and live out our purpose. The ancient scriptures prophesied his return and were fullfilled when he intermingled with humanity 2000 years ago.

An explanation of what has been hidden from mankind.

Something is Wrong

2005-09-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from Matrix Reflections, page 5

Morpheus

"What you know you can't explain. But you feel it.You felt it you're entire life.That there is something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is but it is there; like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about."

Neo

"The Matrix?"

Matrix

There comes a point in life when we realize something is wrong with the world. We may not be able to put our finger on it but the knowledge of this fact is with us.The reality that there is murder, terrorism, rape, incest and many other forms of evil in the world make it an inescapable conclusion.

Even when we look at our own lives we see a battle within each of us to do good or evil. Many of us find ourselves ashamed of the choices we make that hurt ourselves and others. Mark Twain wrote: "Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to." 3

This knowledge of evil in the world brings us back to The Question and the need to know why things are the way they are. For those of us who want to know the answer this knowledge brings us a feeling which becomes like a splinter in our mind.

"As it is written:'There is no one righteous, not even one.'" - Romans 3:10 (NIV)

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." - Romans 3:23 (NIV)