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The world that The Matrix presents as "real" is the phony one. It is made in the image of a vague romantic idea that "facing reality" means embracing grim, unpleasant truths, and beauty is a trap to distract us. But God clothed the lilies of the field in splendor, because it shows what he is like, and indicates what he has in mind for us too. Creation has not been made beautiful in order to distract us from uglier truths, but to awaken our desire for the one who himself is Truth. Reality is not opposed to beauty. Beauty is the secret of God's living, breathing presence in our midst.

Frederica Mathewes-Green is the author of Gender: Men, Women, Sex, Feminism, The Illumined Heart: The Ancient Christian Path of Transformation, At the Corner of East and Now, and Facing East: A Pilgrim's Journey into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy.

The views expressed in Speaking Out do not necessarily reflect those of Christianity Today.

Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Other Matrix dicsussions:

Speaking Out: Looking for God in The Matrix | Neo's return reminds us that a fallen world full of people is a world worth saving. (May 16, 2003)

Film Forum: Talking About Revolutions | What religious critics are saying about The Matrix Revolutions... (November 6, 2003)

Exegeting The Matrix | A lot of spiritual stuff went into The Matrix films, but not as much as some authors think. (November 6, 2003)

The Dick Staub Interview: Why We Are Drawn to The Matrix | Chris Seay, coauthor of The Gospel Reloaded, says the first movie was about finding belief and the second looks at walking that path. (May 27, 2003)

Film Forum: Matrix Sequel Flaunts Flashy Effects, Tedious Talk | Christian film critics find little enthusiasm for The Matrix Reloaded, Down with Love, or Daddy Day Care, but they are impressed with Man on the Train. (May 22, 2003)

The Matrix Reloaded | Christianity Today Movies did not review this film, but here's what other critics are saying … (May 15, 2003)

Liberated by Reality: The Matrix | Tony Jones (September 1999)

The Matrix Trilogy Bible-based Discussion Guide | What do these ground-breaking films say about the nature of self-knowledge, faith, love, reality, free will, and destiny? For personal use or as a group series, download this Reel-to-Real study to look deeper at these challenging moral and philosophical questions.

Mathewes-Green is a columnist for Christian Reader and Beliefnet.

Frederica Mathewes-Green's earlier Christianity Today articles include:

Tex-Mex Orthodoxy | A former Southern Baptist, Dmitri Royster is now a maverick of the Orthodox Church (May 16, 2002)

Whatever Happened to Repentance? | We've come to think our faith is about comfort. It's not. (Feb. 22, 2002)

Brother from Another Planet | When a 15-foot-high stranger told Howard Finster to paint for God full time, he listened (Dec. 11, 2001)

Judgment Day | God promised that calamity would follow disobedience. So why are we quick to dismiss it as a reason for the September 11 attacks? (Sept. 25, 2001)

Chasing Amy | God intervened in a NOW activist's unlikely conversion (Jan. 27, 2000)

Wanted: A New Pro-life Strategy | Twenty-five years after Roe, and 37 million abortions later, we have to admit we are losing the fight (Jan 12, 1998)

Men Behaving Justly | It's clear that men and women need each other. You would almost think someone planned it that way (Nov. 17, 1997)

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May (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47