Matrix - scene with the Architect

I understand the conundrum that the problem of causality poses. The whole issue of the freedom of the will and causality goes back to the simple question which has no easy answer. Do we live in a world which is wholly deterministic - i.e. everything that happens is always governed by circumstance and the laws of nature, or is there really freedom of choice - are we free to shape our own destiny. Most people prefer to think the latter if they ever think about it at all. There is something innate in us which hates the thought of being the product of time and chance; of blind fate; of being unable to shape our destiny; of living in a closed mechanistic universe. Early science would lead us to the conclusion that everything is governed by fixed laws - that the universe is a closed system - that is until the study of atomic physics began to look at the quantum world of the atom where simple physical laws no longer apply!


Neo is faced with the choice of either accepting the mechanistic world of the architect and effectively returning to what must prove to be the oblivion of the source or continuing to believe that his destiny is to live as a free man. The final words of the architect are significant. "Hope - the quintessential human delusion - at the same time your greatest strength and your greatest weakness." The architect views hope as a delusion, but to live without it is not to live at all. The opposite of hope is despair and nobody can survive long in despair. Yet the architect recognises that hope is a source of strength as well as weakness. To live in a closed, mechanistic universe is to lose all hope, all sense of destiny.

St Paul knew this when he wrote his epistles. He saw the importance of three essential human elements - faith, hope and love and also saw that love is the greatest of these three. Love is the true anomaly that lies at the foundation of human reality. It is the unexplainable element in all our lives. We encounter it; we are sometimes showered with it - unasked for and maybe even unwanted, but we cannot but be affected by it. It's illogical, unreasonable, unpredictable, and powerful. It springs up in us or upon us at the most inconvenient times. It forms us and shapes us and influences us and it is unquestionably the most glorious and puzzling aspect of our lives. To know that we are loved, to love someone, to be in love - what wonder, beauty and glory and grace is this! (It is a huge part of Neo's experience and a huge influence on his actions).

Hope is built on the foundation of love - "hope springs eternal in the human breast" someone wrote. Love engenders hope. Hope does not fix itself upon the present but it looks forward to the future. To become reality true hope as opposed to false hope must be built on a secure foundation. Neo refused to accept the mechanistic closed world of the architect. His love for Trinity and her love for him plays an important part in what he is and does and thinks. Hope is not a delusion to Neo - it's based on solid foundations and ultimately proves not a weakness but his greatest strength. It gives him purpose.

This is where the third element of St Paul's trilogy comes in - Faith. (Incidentally notice that science has no category for any of these three - as far as science is concerned they are just indefinable human emotional responses). To have faith in someone is to a) believe that they exist and b) trust what they say and c) act upon it. That is precisely what you find in the scriptures. In Hebrews chapter 11 the writer says simply "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." In a different translation it says "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see." and also "It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him." And in regard to the latter the major theme of the bible is that God is love and that he both created and cares enough to respond. His love motivates everything that he does.

So if we a) believe in God and b) trust what he says and c) act upon it then we truly have faith and to have faith is to have hope and purpose.

So what does God have to say? First and foremost, he created us and he loves us. We were created to be at one with Him and He at one with us - this is the position of greatest blessing / happiness / joy - to know that we love and are loved. How can this be when we are so totally 'other'? We don't really want him - we view him as being an inconvenient nuisance - why do we have to choose between believing Him or disbelieving Him? Why should it be such a point of importance? Isn't it better just to push the whole business to the back of our minds and live for the moment, the day, the immediate pleasure?

That's what King Solomon tried to do. He wrote a book called Ecclesiastes ("the seeker - one who is on a quest") and in one way it's a bit of an anomaly in the Bible. It doesn't have much to say about God - it's mostly about trying to live without God. He sees life as just being "under the sun" - in other words he's a materialist living in a closed mechanistic universe - fate rules and the conclusion is that everything is pointless - the product of time and chance. "I returned and saw under the sun that—the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favour to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all". And yet he acknowledges that "He (God) also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy]" The implication is "What a nuisance that we have this sense of the divine and destiny and purpose - why can't we just be left to enjoy the moment - live for whatever pleasure we can get without having to worry about morality, sin, guilt, judgment, responsibility. If we party hard enough we can push it all to the back of our minds - but when we are alone with our thoughts...............

So the choice comes down to 1) accept the closed world of the machines and live in despair and no purpose 2) accept that there is a Creator and that he is pure love (not the dispassionate architect seeking only perfection of the matrix with no anomalies) and live in faith, hope and love. A Creator who is transcendent above his creation and yet cares enough about it to love all the anomalies and to do something about their plight - because he has entered his creation and demonstrated his love for those who accept their anomalousness (new word?) - Jesus, Emmanuel (God with us) demonstrating what God is like and faced with the ultimate choice of saving his own life or of giving it in order to save a world of God-hating, rebellious anomalies he chose to die. And his death was not in vain for dying in apparent weakness, seemingly at the mercy of the evil in this world, he conquered evil and death and its power and rose again triumphant to ascend to the throne of the universe.

This world is broken and marred in so many ways - and almost all of them because of man's selfishness and greed. But it has a glorious future! Even now we see hints of the glory of the Creator in the wonders of creation. Now we see the (imperfect but real) beauty and glory of what men and women were intended to be in those who have put their trust in their Creator and found their lives transformed by his love and power - men and women with purpose and destiny who have discovered the truth of God's love and kindness and live in its light acknowledging that they deserve nothing but guilt and condemnation but have found mercy and have not been dealt with as they deserve. Acknowledging that there is nothing about them which has in any way contributed to their peace and joy in believing but rejoice in the grace (the undeserved favour) that has been and continues to be shown to them by a God who loves them. This is what makes life in this world so wonderful. To be loved with everlasting love. Flash