“The matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes.”—Morpheus

Neither a borrower nor a lender be, For loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell. My blessing season this in thee.

Hamlet Act 1 Scene 3.

"And the truth will set you free. " John 8:32

—Jesus

I fell in love with Shakespeare during high school. My 11th-grade English teacher introduced the class to A Midsummer Night's Dream. Our class went to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada. I had never seen a live theatrical production filled with humor, wit, And plot twists. Soon after that, we would study Hamlet. I experienced a sense of belonging in the story by exploring this tragedy. I could identify with Hamlet but also with Laertes. Hamlet is going mad over his uncle marrying his father's wife after he had his father murdered. Hamlet later remarks that “something was rotten in the state of Denmark.   Hamlet's poor judgment in finding the truth leads to his demise.

Polonius is giving Laertes life advice. He advised laretes off hoe to live in this world but it would be advice that he would not practice but preach. “To thy own self be true, says Polonius.

Being true to oneself means embracing your whole body, mind, and spirit; you must stop talking negatively about who you are and whose you are.

Jesus says the truth will set you free, and I believe those words could not be more valid in our world. Individuals in this world treat their bodies like an amusement park. They abuse substances, Internet addictions and have lost the importance of going to church and being part of the Christian community.

The breakdown in the fabric of society is not about economics. It is not about the stuff you have. It is about not being honest with yourself.

If we could stop for 24 hours and unplug ourselves from our cell phones, Internet, and television, we would experience such peace that we would never use these devices again. The problem is we have become so dependent on technology that we no longer own technology, but technology owns us.

I have experienced over the summer while recovering from strokes that I have needed to be more honest with myself and God. It has not been an easy highway. In recovery from a stroke or two strokes, in my case, the brain is so complex that it takes time to heal. Typical healing from a stroke is two years. I am five months out from the event. Every time I have the feeling that I I am back to full health! I discover more deficiencies because of the strokes. This is not very pleasant, and sometimes I cannot handle processing it all. In my chaos, I have to stop and pause. And then that pause, I return to the 23rd Psalm where the Lord leads by the cool waters and the green grass. In my vision, I see myself coming up to the water and kneeling, cupping it with my hands, and putting it on my face, period. When I look up, I see Jesus in the water. He speaks the words Bishop Violet Fisher used to say: “beloved you are a loved child of God.”

Each day is a new day and an opportunity to come beside that water and put it on our faces. We need more moments like this when we unplug from the world and its trappings. Don't get me wrong; I'm not asking you to go out into the wilderness and become a hermit. I suggest that a real-time Sabbath from technology should happen as soon as possible.

In 1997, the Mayrix was a box office smash hit. Like Hamlet, Neo’s world is turned upside down when he discovers that he is living inside a computer program. Morpheus tries to free Neo from bondage, but Neo has to make the tough choice. Morpheus says to Neo, “the matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes.” That's the bad news. The good news is that God is still in control and meets us by the calm waters as

we refresh ourselves in God's grace. Lift your voices, dear friends, and be joy-filled knowing God has blessed you. Be honest with God and yourself. Tell the truth, and the truth will set you free.