Opening our Eyes - lessons from the Matrix

As God spoke to me through the Lord of the Rings, He reminded me too of the Matrix movies and hence my thoughts in this blog. I have heard that these movies were meant to be anti-Christian, but the message they present has spoken to many Christians that I know. Two key elements emerge in the Matrix. The first is that humanity is living a lie, thinking they are free but unaware that they are actually imprisoned in the most horrendous lie in which their very life feeds the enemy. They are blind to the false reality that surrounds them. The second element is that the hero of the movie shows what is capable when one is set free and able to see the reality of what opposes humanity. Even as he faces life-threatening opponents, he is always confident of winning. How many of us as Christians have forgotten that the bible teaches us that our lives are ones in which we face powers and principalities? How often do we forget to ask God what is going on when we face hostility and trials? Do we remember that He sees all things? I am tired of seeing people hopeless in life and especially tired of a church that offers a weak gospel. Jesus came to restore life, to grant salvation, not only after death, but now, in life. In losing sight of this we are in danger of allowing our faith to be infected with the leaven of the Pharisees and Caesar. We grow religious, expressing our faith in rules and laws, condemning those who contrast us, protecting our view of God, even God Himself, as if God relied on us. Our expression of worship is limited to what pleases us and we disdain others. Judgement, self-righteousness and passivity in the face of injustice start to work their way into our lives. We are numb to the reality of spiritual dullness that lurks over us and we are non-threatening to Satan who can leave us in our churches and communities confident that we will not advance in power against him.

We can also turn to our intellects; this great gift from God in which He delights. We can lay claim to great understanding and truths and yet, like the Pharisees, can have the King stand in front of us, offering us life and completely miss him. Elijah did not invite the prophets of Baal to a debate, nor did Paul threaten the Corinthian leaders with an intellectual discussion. Both these men knew God intimately and both relied on the power of God to verify them and their God-inspired message. I do not claim that displays of God’s power are proof of His approval, but a complete lack of His power, a totality of intellect, does not reflect the biblical example set before us. We can of course also turn to social justice, working our faith out in service to the poor, a great witness to the love of Christ. But here too we can slip so easily, losing sight of the spiritual reality that surrounds us and forgetting to match physical acts with spiritual power and bring people into everlasting salvation.

In my last blog I commented that the second aspect that had emerged from my research into acts of hostility and hatred against Christians is my concern for Christians’ blindness at what is occurring around them. This is perhaps the church’s greatest weakness and I was again reminded of it in my March meetings in Washington. I have spoken to leading barristers and religious liberty advocates who cry out about the church’s blindness. We are not only blind to subtle and open attacks on our faith, but also to the spiritual foundation of these attacks. We forget that we are soldiers in enemy territory, called to take this territory for our King. I see four key choices that Christians face in terms of how we respond to the world and hostility. We can huddle in churches, hiding from the world, trying to keep ourselves apart. Or we can adapt ourselves to the world, prostituting ourselves and losing sight of God in the process. Third, we turn to religion, not hiding, but openly declaring that we stand apart and judging all who fall outside our definition of what is Christian, revealing God’s law but doing little to bring people into knowing and meeting Jesus. The fourth option is to step outside our churches, seek God’s will and then act out this will as Jesus did, with acts of love and power, transforming people and bringing them life. We are called to re-present Jesus to the world, bringing people into relationship with the Father and only this fourth option can achieve this.

If we do not step out into the world then we cannot be light where it is dark; and only the forces of darkness gain in this. If the world withdraws from God’s guidelines it will suffer judgement, not from a wrathful God, but because sin begets suffering. Less of God will always bring more of suffering. The church which adapts to the world will be “safe” but will allow the world to suffer. The church which judges and the church which huddles will not be secure but will still allow the world to suffer. The church that steps out will also suffer, but if we are to face persecution, let it be because the light shines from us, let it be because we love so greatly. Let us be able to say, as Jesus did ‘I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me’? (John 10:32).

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