Though more than a decade has passed since the hit movie The Matrix was released, its bold exploration of timeless, spiritual themes keeps it alive with fresh relevance—and still a topic of conversation.
In the film the lead character, Neo, visits a prophet in a futuristic world. When he arrives, he finds a room full of others who, like him, are spiritually gifted in some way. Neo has an exchange with one of them—a young boy—who is bending a spoon without the use of any physical contact or force. When the boy notices Neo’s interest, he gives him the spoon. Neo stares hard at the metal object—but nothing happens. Then the boy instructs him: “Do not try and bend the spoon. That’s impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth.” To which Neo asks, “What truth?” The young boy answers, “There is no spoon.” Upon hearing this, Neo is able to bend the spoon without physical effort.
Now we can’t be sure what the writers had in mind here—and there have surely been many different interpretations of what this brief interchange means. But looking at it in relation to the teachings of Christian Science, I found a helpful parallel. For example, in the Bible Moses goes through several experiences where matter behaves in ways that are completely contrary to the laws of physics. He sees a bush in flames, yet it’s not consumed; he sees a rod turn into a serpent—and then just as quickly turn back into a rod; his hand becomes leprous, and in moments the leprosy disappears (see Exodus, chapters 3, 4). Speaking of those occurrences in Science and Health Mary Baker Eddy writes, “The illusion of Moses lost its power to alarm him, when he discovered that what he apparently saw was really but a phase of mortal belief” (p. 321).
