A Deceiving God

Oracle: But you already know what I’m going to tell you.

Neo: I’m not The One…

Oracle: Sorry, kid. You got the gift, but it looks like you’re waiting for something…

You may recognise the above from the film the matrix, the scene where Neo goes to the Oracle. The Oracle is the prophetess of the film, an all knowing, all seeing, all predicting type of character. It’s interesting that the Oracles words in the film are taken as gospel, that she will tell you what will happen. She tell Morpheus he will find the one, which is does, she tells Trinity that she will fall in love with the one, which she does.  Yet in the above segment she miss leads Neo into thinking he isn’t ‘the one’, when we all know he is. Why does she do this?  

When we watch out the film we see that its Neo understanding that he isn’t ‘the one’ which leads him into the matrix to save Morpheus and discover his destiny.  Listen to Morpheus words to Neo before he visits the Oracle:  

Neo: And she knows, what, everything?

Morpheus: She would say, she knows enough.

Neo: And she’s never wrong?

Morpheus: Try not to think of it in terms of right and wrong…She is a guide, Neo. She can help you to find the path.

Is this a role God sometimes plays?

Does God sometimes tell us what we need to know, rather than ‘the truth’?

In reality can we handle the truth? 

Is everything said, or given to us, not as right or wrong, true or untrue, but as a path, as guidance, or a direction to something better?

Where is the truth?

This post has been inspired by my good friend matt, who has started his own blog, check it out (http://matthink.wordpress.com). 

Life seems to be about a search for what is true. (Truth is a word overly used in the next sentences, perhaps I need to sit down and think what is this truth I talk of.? What would it look like?) 

We converse about religious truths, scientific truths and so on. At the end of it all we all have a longing for what is true, or at least what is true for us. We all search for something, which we think, is truth. Weather that be a belief in a god, an understanding of science or simply that you live in a house and have a stable job. 

Take a look at the diagram. Here A, which is the large central circle, represents all truth everywhere. The smaller circles, B, represent people’s individual truths or communities of people bound by the same truth. I think of truth like in this diagram. Everyone, every religion, science, culture, etc although not necessarily equal, does have real value and essentially holds an element of truth.  

When I think of things like this I realise that things aren’t black and white, all the questions aren’t answered and there is still a lot of mystery to be found. It makes me appreciate other people and know that they can teach me, not just the other way round.

This depresses me, because I want to know everything now, I want to know that I am right. 

But this fills me with hope that there is much more to be found. I’m excited about seeking, searching and slowly uncovering more and more. It’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it. I’m not finished yet. 

To finish this post I’d like to list some qualities of what Brain Mclaren, in his book finding faith, calls good and bad faith. These are a great way of helping us all further a search for truth: 

Bad faith is:           

·based on unquestioned authority                       

·based on pressure/coercion                       

·based on a need to belong                       

·appeals to self-interest                       

·arrogant/unteachable                       

·dishonest                       

·apathetic                              

·a step backward 

Good faith is:           

·humble/teachable and inquisitive                       

·graceful                       

·honest                       

·communal                       

·active                       

·tough                       

·relational