Upon listening to the story, the listener's intuition is prompted to find meaning. So very often, a single parable can hold more than one truth depending on the experiences one brings to it. Like a diamond, a parable's quality can often be determined by the number of facets it contains. And it is entirely possible that a listener can divine a purpose out of a parable that greatly differs from what the writer intended.
Therefore, parables hold great promise to those who crave to define their experiences. As spiritual beings, we all desire to seek meaning in our lives. For some, there is an even greater need to flesh out what that meaning would look like. Indeed, some individuals go so far as to strive for an explicit philosophy all their own. Because they deal with such abstract concepts, it is often difficult to truly convey them in a manner that seems practical or real. In order to share with others what their spirit and minds' eye see; they seek out all the media they can. I am one such person.
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For me, movies can become the materials I need to build a parable. They have been an excellent way for me to describe feelings, philosophies, or perspectives that would be nearly impossible for me to put into words. Movies can provide a common framework in which to present something that would be otherwise hard to explain. I can simply ask if they have seen a particular movie, and proceed from that as a point of reference. Throughout my life, there have been a number of movies like this. But none have been as remarkable as the ongoing Matrix trilogy. .
The Matrix is a parable to me. It holds both meanings I can relate to others, as well as those I have yet to decipher for myself. I can watch The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded over and over. When I watch them, I can see how far my philosophy has developed. But more often than not, I scramble to find new facets that will propel me in the new directions I long for.
