This Christian Life

I Am in the Matrix

Tomorrow night, I’m going to see The Matrix Reloaded. I’m excited to see it because I assume it will have the same effect on me as the first one did. I loved the first one. It was a joining together of everything in my life that means something: Christianity, technology, special effects, mind-boggling storytelling, thrill, and, I got to see it with my best friend. It instantly became one of my personal classics.

Since then, I’ve done a lot of thinking about the impact of media on my life. As you can tell by a lot of the posts on this website, I struggle very often with the idea that all of us are numbed and coerced by a great influence of violence, frankly evil. To quote one of my favorite Christian Artists, Steve Camp, “…don’t you know the world will tease you, it will seize you, it will squeeze you and pour you into it’s mold…” I have an incredible tension inside me between this and my desire to enjoy the movie. My matrix is a complex web of media, experiences, friends, pressure, politics, technology, right and wrong, and God.

Is this simply a tension between flesh and spirit? Or is it just part of keeping up with the things in the world so that I be better prepared to help others who may not have a clear way out of this world’s trap?

Squeeze
words and music by Steve Camp and Rob Frazier
© 1983 Birdwing Music/Cherry Lane Music/Libris Music. All rights reserved.

I see the Hollywood in your eyes
You hide behind the things that money buys
You love the power, you love the control
You step on people ‘cause you want it all

Don’t you know the world will squeeze you
It will seize you
It will squeeze you until you’re into its mold

The world was a very good friend of mine
It promised everything I wanted in life
It came to me with its passion and gold
I bought it for awhile
It nearly cost me my soul

Don’t you know the world will squeeze you It will seize you It will squeeze you, pour you into its mold Don’t you know the world will tease you It will squeeze you It will squeeze you until you’re into its mold

Generation in temptation
Don’t you realize your situation?
But be of good cheer
Jesus Christ is here
And He overcame the world you fear
Once a week you go to church just to escape
You get your spiritual fix
Now you think you’re safe
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind
You’ve got to live like Jesus on the firing line

Don’t you know the world will tease you
It will seize you
And it will squeeze you until you’re into its mold
The world will tease you
It will seize you
Oh don’t let it squeeze you until you’re lifeless and cold
Oh the world
Don’t let it take you now
It looks so nice to you now
But it will tease you
Seize you
Until it squeezes you and then
You’ve lost your soul
You’ve got that Hollywood in your eyes