May 2026 Edition: Reality
by Mia Burke
I recently watched a panel discuss the difference between a great awakening and a revival. One commentator lamented that young people face an ongoing existential crisis about their identity and purpose, observing that this generation must figure out who they are and why they’re here, despite having spent much of their lives behind screens. It caused me to reflect on my own experiences, where I sometimes struggle to find clarity about who I am and what matters to me, especially as so much of life happens online. I began wondering how deeply our digital lives shape our sense of reality and purpose.
“In a world shaped by perspective, culture, and competing truths, we’re left asking: Is reality something we define, or something God reveals?”
Another panelist mentioned a rising trend in online chats: the belief that we’re living in a simulation. This train of thought leads some to believe that everything they do is preordained and that free will is an illusion. In this line of thinking, since we lack free will, should we just go with the flow or act on our feelings? I couldn’t understand how one could come to this conclusion—living in a world where choices don’t matter, and actions are part of a prewritten script, feels wrong. This mindset makes our sense of purpose seem like an illusion created by a simulated reality. For me, believing that our lives have meaning and that our choices matter is essential to understanding myself and my place in the world.
This month’s edition of Bible+PopCulture asks, “What is Reality?” What is it, and how do we know? In a world shaped by perspective, culture, and competing truths, we’re left asking: Is reality something we define, or something God reveals? As we navigate what feels real, this edition invites us to consider what is ultimately true—and how knowing God reshapes the way we see everything.
These questions brought to mind the Disney+ series Loki (2021-2023), a mind-bending exploration of what’s real. In the show’s opening episode, “Burdened with Glorious Purpose,” Loki, the god of mischief, finds himself out of time and place after jumping from the Battle of New York with the Tesseract in 2012 to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia in an unknown year. There, he is arrested for being out of his timeline, which, in the TVA's (Time Variance Authority) words, makes him a “Variant.”
The Weight of Becoming (2017). Painting acrylic on canvas by Emily Yen.
Over the Deep (2017). Painting acrylic on canvas by Emily Yen.
After his trial, there’s a great philosophical conversation between Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), as he tries to get a handle on this new reality.
LOKI: Trust is for children and dogs. There’s only one person you can trust.
MOBIUS: Yourself? I like it. Slap it on a T-shirt.
LOKI: If the TVA truly oversees all of time, how have I never heard of you until now?
MOBIUS: ‘Cause you’ve never needed to. You’ve always lived within your set path.
LOKI: I live within whatever path I choose.
MOBIUS: Sure you do. Okay, come have a seat.
Word Made Visible (2017). Painting acrylic on canvas by Emily Yen.
“As you reflect on this month’s articles, take a few minutes to notice when you feel most grounded or truly present in reality. Why? What are you basing these feelings or knowings on? Small acts of curiosity and reflection in these moments, in light of God’s version of reality, can move us closer to understanding what is truly real and meaningful in our lives.”
Later in the scene, Mobius shows Loki a projector reel of his life, calling it “a sampling of your greatest hits, if I may.” Loki watches the curated scenes: his battle losses against the Avengers, his killing of Agent Phil Coleson, his acts of murder and terror, and his future betrayal of his mother, all through Mobius’s perspective. Loki’s reality cracks, followed in quick succession by denial and rebellion—weak attempts to protect his ego. In truth, what he thought was reality wasn’t, isn’t, and won’t be. Then Mobius hits him with the harsh truth of his life,
MOBIUS: You weren’t born to be king, Loki. You were born to cause pain and suffering and death. That’s how it is, that’s how it was, that’s how it will be. All so that others can achieve their best versions of themselves.
Ouch. A broken Loki returns to the projection room to watch his reel further—future conversations with his parents, Freya and Odin, and his brother, Thor. His perspective and reality are altered by the viewing: He is loved, accepted, and needed. (**Spoiler) Best of all, he does have a glorious purpose through his sacrificial death at the hand of Thanos. After seeing the future, he has a choice: to live out Mobius’s definition of his reality or to change it.
This new perspective shifts everything. Loki spends the rest of the series testing Mobius’s assessment of him and his new reality, fighting off his old self and old point of view. That is reality for us, too. We also have a choice because of Jesus. We are no longer doomed to be who we were, to believe the old reality, or live without hope for a future. By His grace and as we follow the Spirit’s leading to, in Mobius’ words, “achieve our best versions of ourselves.” Consider,
Romans 6:7-20, Paul explains that through Christ we are set free from the law of sin and death and embrace new life.
Romans 8:1-2, Paul invites us to explore the vibrant freedom found in a life led by the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:21-28 Paul reminds us that in Christ all will be made alive, and we become part of God’s redemptive purpose.
Together, these passages build a biblical foundation for understanding our new reality and identity in Christ. And this is good news.
Join us this edition as we explore what is real, how we can tell, and the importance of a central, physical, undeniable truth: God’s reality is truth. As you reflect on this month’s articles, take a few minutes to notice when you feel most grounded or truly present in reality. Why? What are you basing these feelings or knowings on? Small acts of curiosity and reflection in these moments, in light of God’s version of reality, can move us closer to understanding what is truly real and meaningful in our lives. Happy discovery as you Explore. Engage. Enjoy.
WORKS CITED
“Burdened with Glorious Purpose,” Loki, S 1, E 1. Herron, Kate, aired June 9, 2021, on Disney+.
Resources
We’ve created a free downloadable PDF to explore the article deeper. It contains discussion questions about the topic in general terms that will give you a jumping-off point for beginning a conversation.
The second page contains a way to see the topic from a biblical perspective.
And finally, to go deeper into the subject, we have chosen a few curated resources to explore from other authors’ and thinkers’ research or perspectives.
Read. Engage. Enjoy!
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Depending on how a gem is held, light refracts differently. At B+PC we engage in Pop Culture topics to see ideas from a new angle, to bring us to a deeper understanding. And like Pastor Shane Willard notes, we want “…Jesus to get bigger, the cross to get clearer, the Resurrection to be central…” Instead of approaching a topic from “I don’t want to be wrong,“ we strive for the alternative “I want to expand my perspective.”
So, we invite you to engage with us here. What piqued your curiosity to dig deeper? What line inspired you to action? What idea made you ask, “Hmmm?” Let’s join with our community to wrestle with our thoughts in love in the Comment Section! See you there!
