The Gospel According to Wachowski
( Originally published April 9, 2012) I just watched the Matrix Trilogy. I remember a few years ago, so many churches around the world were using clips from the movie to illustrate points from the Bible: Salvation, Death and Resurrection, the Trinity, Neo, Faith, Humanity, etc.. The parallels abound in all three movies, with a great mix of CGI and martial arts to boot. Nevertheless is the Matrix a Christian movie?
The trilogy has been co-opted in other religions also, Buddhism: illustrations of reality and illusion. "There is no spoon," a child tells Neo in the first movie. Nevertheless is the Matrix a Buddhist movie?
I will gladly concede the matrix is a movie. I will not concede the Matrix is Christian, Buddhist, or any other dogmatic adjective we would like to put in there. My first point would be: Christian is a pronoun. A pronoun, linguistically, is a pro-form that substitutes for a noun. Christian, entymologically, comes from the Greek word meaning "annointed one" with an adjectival ending derived from belonging to, as in slave ownership. Christian means one who belongs to the annointed one. Does the Matrix belong to the annointed one? Far from it. I am sure Time Warner would not appreciate someone else getting that residual income check.
It is no less a great movie and powerful for use a teaching instrument as any of the other parables God has used in the past to reach out to us. At this point I want to state my thesis. God is still reaching out to us in parables. When I look at the diverse and wonderful ways in which God reached out to people in times gone by: from the famine that drive Israel into Egyptian care, to the exodus that brought them out; from the ruling Judges, to the dividing of the nation; from the fall or the Temple to the fall of the Temple to the fall of the Temple again; from Calvary to Calgary God is reaching out to His people.
Jesus used stories, pictures in the other persons head, and objects, pictures in front of the other persons eyes, to teach lessons regarding the real world. We who belong to the annointed one could surely do the same. Yeast still exist today (Luke 13:20-21). People still get beat up on the streets (Luke 10:30-37). Are there still coins, trees, fools, friends, and lost objects to be found (like the remote control we tear the den up trying to find)? Not everyone will get you stories, but don't stop telling them. When we get together, tell a story. This would be a great job to have, Master Storyteller. I would apply. In the job description would include the disclaimer that people will not understand all of your stories (Matthew 13:10-17).
The Wachowski Brothers did a great job telling a story. A story that points the mind and heart toward things above. It could have began, "the Kingdom of Heaven is like" or "Long ago in a galaxy far, far away" or even "In the beginning". Go out there and tell a story that makes the listener hear and see (Matthew 13: 16). Stories that kids will want to imitate, with costumes and live out your story. Maybe they will want to be a part of your story so much they will learn it and then go tell it to others.
Have we not done the same?