Why Is Pretending Trending Over Reality?

Not every thing that appears good is nice. In an age of manufactured personas and virtue signaling, it’s easier than ever to confuse a performance for real character. Russell Moore’s recent article in Christianity Today warns against this dangerous deception, what he calls the habit of pretending sin is virtuous. Years ago, “The Matrix” was a hugely popular film. Since it handled the difference between what was seen and unseen and the way the unseen was more real, pastors across America used the story of their sermons. That was 1999. In a recent television interview, Keanu Reeves shared an anecdote where he explained the premise of “The Matrix” to a friend’s children who hadn’t seen the movie. He described it as a story a couple of man living in a virtual world who discovers the existence of the actual world and begins to query and seek for what’s real. One child asked, “Who cares if it’s real?” Reeves found this interesting and galvanizing, replying, “Awesome.” What a difference twenty years makes. In an age of bots replying to social media posts or posting things and the expansion of AI and virtual interactions, the younger generation prefers the manufactured world to real experiences. This has only led to more anxiety, depression, and mental health problems. Perhaps we should always get back to what’s real. Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Averie Woodard