Why seek ye the living among the dead?
If you're alive, heck even if you're dead, there's a good chance that you watch TWD. It is one of the most popular shows on television, in addition, it is the most popular show among women. "TWD was just named one of the top 50 most-watched shows of the 2013-2014 television season. The AMC hit came in at No. 4, with an enviable viewership of 18.3 million." And no doubt within that 18.3 million viewers are some serious die-hard fans...that are also born again believers in Christ.
Wait...What!? But Surely this is not a show that Christians should be watching.
Maybe you're right, but before you scorn me for watching this show let me, A - invoke The Believer’s Freedom (1 Corinthians 10:23), and B - cite John M. Frame who wrote; "Some Christians may wonder how a fellow believer can give any support to the film industry, notorious as it is for anti-Christian bias and moral relativism. I would note that there is also a view on the opposite extreme: some Christian critics of culture insist that all Christians have a responsibility to become culturally aware, to become knowledgeable about cultural trends in art, music, literature, film, drama and so on. I reject both of these extremes. A more balanced position, I think, is to recognize that Scripture tells us to be “in” the world, but not “of” the world. That means that we not only may but should, be willing to live amid secular (anti-Christian) influence without ourselves compromising the faith. In this respect, it doesn’t matter whether that secular influence comes from film, or from involvement in business, labor, neighborhood, politics, or whatever. Nor, within the general realm of media entertainment, does it matter whether we are talking about Beethoven or modern rock, Jane Austen or William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway or Jackie Collins, news or business magazines, TV or film, Disney films or films by Martin Scorsese. To avoid non-Christian influence altogether, we would have to live as hermits (assuming that we could even find someplace in the world beyond the reach of modern communications and government). In all modern experience, there is a heavy component of anti-Biblical teaching and influence. But complete isolation is not a live option for biblical Christians. Even the Christian hermits of the ancient and medieval periods justified their existence as a life of prayer, and thus a life which was, after all, in and for the world. How can we pray for the world we know nothing about? We must not seek to isolate ourselves from the world, but rather to be “salt” and “light” in our fallen culture, to carry out our Lord’s Great Commission." That...I could not have said better.
So why do I watch this show?
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| To Witness |
Admittedly I have been a fan of The Walking Dead since its t.v. launch, only reading the comics (what the show is based on) after the show was introduced. And I will also admit that it was the "hook" - a group of people trying to survive the Zombie Apocalypse that got me to tune in every Sunday night. I am truly Necrophobic, ever since I was a little girl. And the idea of zombies more then terrifies me. But after watching the first few episodes, I realized that this was so much more than a freak show, the Zombies that I tuned in to in order to stare in horror quickly fell into the backdrop while the characters emerged with questions and dilemmas of the human condition - Total Depravity.
The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23
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| Consider yourself warned! |
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A zombie is indeed a metaphor for what a human would be if it was stripped of its soul. A conscience-less being, completely void of personhood, morality, and self-awareness. When the characters kill a zombie there is absolutely no moral dilemma. The writers of The Walking Dead, seem to most notably take a Naturalist worldview, yet they consciously mingle its self with Christianity, and I think, unconsciously touch on great matters of theology. What is God's role in this life, Is He involved intimately with us, is He merciful? Or is He indifferent? These are real questions that real people have. And I find that there are so few un-forcible moments to talk about these things, so if one of the most popular shows on television is addressing these issues of life and death, the survival of humanity and God, then I want to be involved.
This "mingle" with Christianity is first concretely confirmed in the episode "Tell it to the Frogs", where Merle is handcuffed to the roof of a department store by Rick and unwantedly left behind by the group. Unknowing that T-dog chained the door to the roof to keep the "geeks" (title for the zombies in this group) from getting at him, panic sets in and Merle starts to pray and cries out "Oh God, oh merciful Christ, please, please, please", he continues to plead with Jesus to help him. At this point the zombies start to try to break through the chained door, crying now, Merle tells Jesus that he knows he has been bad and he knows that he deserves to be punished. He then asks Jesus to "show me what to do", and in that moment Merle turns his head to see the hacksaw lying on the ground and determines that he no longer needs Jesus or His mercy because "he" can get himself out of this predicament and, therefore, tells Jesus "never you mind sonny Christ boy, I never begged you before and I'm not going to start begging you now".
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows,
The next episode where the writers touch on faith is "What Lies Ahead". In this episode, you learn that Carol has the faith to pray. Carol's 12-year-old daughter has been chased into the woods by zombies, and despite Rick's heroic efforts to save her, she becomes lost. The group forms a search party and heads out into the woods, there they come across a chapel. After "clearing" it, Carol sits in front of a statue of the crucified Christ and prays..."Father forgive me I don't deserve your mercy", she continues with thankfulness and explanation of her circumstances and a Repentance; for knowing a darkness was growing in the soul of her husband causing him to look at their daughter inappropriately she wished for his death, "praying for Ed's death was a sin, please don't let this be my punishment, let her be safe, alive and safe...show mercy on her". Possibly inspired by Carol's faith, when the group reforms to head back to the RV, Rick re-enters the chapel to pray to Christ, " I don't know if you're looking at me with what?... Sadness, scorn, pity, love... maybe it's just indifference. I guess you already know I'm not much of a believer, guess I always just put my faith elsewhere. Family mostly, my friends, my job." He goes on to ask Christ for some help to keep them going, some kind of acknowledgment, an indication that he's doing the right thing..."a little sign, any sign will do." Shortly after this his son, Carl has a beautiful moment with a large buck, standing in the woods just a few feet away from each other, a hunter's bullet shoots clear thru the deer and into Carl. In the very next episode "Bloodletting", the hunter tells Rick to run to the farm where a man named Hershel will help him. Hershel Green not only saves the boy's life but plays a pinnacle role in the group's survival. Two episodes later, Hershel, "...one of the most believable, most compelling, and most beautiful representations of Christianity on television in a long time." speaks with Rick about God; "Take a moment to look, it's good to pause for an occasional reminder.", "Of what?" says Rick. "Whatever comes to mind, for me is often God. No thoughts on that? Rick turns and responses, "Last time I asked God for a favor and stopped to look at the view my son got shot. I try not to mix it up with the Almighty anymore, it's best we stay out of each other's way." Rick's response what just as anyone should expect because it's just as anyone would think given those circumstances. Hershel sees God's hand in Rick's life and comments, "...you were shot, yet you came out of it somehow, you did not feel God's hand in yours?... And in all the chaos you found your wife and boy, then he was shot and he survived, that tells you nothing?" Rick replies, " It tells me He's got a strange sense of humor".
My, how it must seem like that to the new Christian or unbeliever. But the Word reassures us;
Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD
A zombie is indeed a metaphor for what a human would be if it was stripped of its soul. A conscience-less being, completely void of personhood, morality, and self-awareness. When the characters kill a zombie there is absolutely no moral dilemma. The writers of The Walking Dead, seem to most notably take a Naturalist worldview, yet they consciously mingle its self with Christianity, and I think, unconsciously touch on great matters of theology. What is God's role in this life, Is He involved intimately with us, is He merciful? Or is He indifferent? These are real questions that real people have. And I find that there are so few un-forcible moments to talk about these things, so if one of the most popular shows on television is addressing these issues of life and death, the survival of humanity and God, then I want to be involved.
"The physical laws that govern our universe are constant, unchanging and essential for life—but the unseen spiritual laws are just as important."
~ Jeremy Lallier
This "mingle" with Christianity is first concretely confirmed in the episode "Tell it to the Frogs", where Merle is handcuffed to the roof of a department store by Rick and unwantedly left behind by the group. Unknowing that T-dog chained the door to the roof to keep the "geeks" (title for the zombies in this group) from getting at him, panic sets in and Merle starts to pray and cries out "Oh God, oh merciful Christ, please, please, please", he continues to plead with Jesus to help him. At this point the zombies start to try to break through the chained door, crying now, Merle tells Jesus that he knows he has been bad and he knows that he deserves to be punished. He then asks Jesus to "show me what to do", and in that moment Merle turns his head to see the hacksaw lying on the ground and determines that he no longer needs Jesus or His mercy because "he" can get himself out of this predicament and, therefore, tells Jesus "never you mind sonny Christ boy, I never begged you before and I'm not going to start begging you now".
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows,
that he will also reap
Galatians 6:7
The next episode where the writers touch on faith is "What Lies Ahead". In this episode, you learn that Carol has the faith to pray. Carol's 12-year-old daughter has been chased into the woods by zombies, and despite Rick's heroic efforts to save her, she becomes lost. The group forms a search party and heads out into the woods, there they come across a chapel. After "clearing" it, Carol sits in front of a statue of the crucified Christ and prays..."Father forgive me I don't deserve your mercy", she continues with thankfulness and explanation of her circumstances and a Repentance; for knowing a darkness was growing in the soul of her husband causing him to look at their daughter inappropriately she wished for his death, "praying for Ed's death was a sin, please don't let this be my punishment, let her be safe, alive and safe...show mercy on her". Possibly inspired by Carol's faith, when the group reforms to head back to the RV, Rick re-enters the chapel to pray to Christ, " I don't know if you're looking at me with what?... Sadness, scorn, pity, love... maybe it's just indifference. I guess you already know I'm not much of a believer, guess I always just put my faith elsewhere. Family mostly, my friends, my job." He goes on to ask Christ for some help to keep them going, some kind of acknowledgment, an indication that he's doing the right thing..."a little sign, any sign will do." Shortly after this his son, Carl has a beautiful moment with a large buck, standing in the woods just a few feet away from each other, a hunter's bullet shoots clear thru the deer and into Carl. In the very next episode "Bloodletting", the hunter tells Rick to run to the farm where a man named Hershel will help him. Hershel Green not only saves the boy's life but plays a pinnacle role in the group's survival. Two episodes later, Hershel, "...one of the most believable, most compelling, and most beautiful representations of Christianity on television in a long time." speaks with Rick about God; "Take a moment to look, it's good to pause for an occasional reminder.", "Of what?" says Rick. "Whatever comes to mind, for me is often God. No thoughts on that? Rick turns and responses, "Last time I asked God for a favor and stopped to look at the view my son got shot. I try not to mix it up with the Almighty anymore, it's best we stay out of each other's way." Rick's response what just as anyone should expect because it's just as anyone would think given those circumstances. Hershel sees God's hand in Rick's life and comments, "...you were shot, yet you came out of it somehow, you did not feel God's hand in yours?... And in all the chaos you found your wife and boy, then he was shot and he survived, that tells you nothing?" Rick replies, " It tells me He's got a strange sense of humor".
My, how it must seem like that to the new Christian or unbeliever. But the Word reassures us;
Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD
delivers him out of them all.
Thankfully, God has our back, and He will deliver us from these afflictions. We must ask for that deliverance like Rick did, when he asked for help in leading his group. Rick, for being a man of "little faith" turned to the Almighty with honestly. Rick is leaning back onto his original faith - family and friends, because simply put, he does not know Christ to trust in Him. Many, like Rick, do not see that there is another element at work in our lives, which is pointed out to us in Ecclesiastes 9:11, "I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." While many of our problems, whether small or great, are caused by our weaknesses or irresponsibility, other mishaps, and bad events can occur due to no fault of our own...nor God's, its just simply "time and chance". Truly Rick has not just been left to just time and chance as Hershel pointed out to him. God is certainly involved in the affairs of men, and especially His people. God individually works with us. Jesus asked His disciples, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”, Matt. 10:29-31.Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9
And through season after season we see the group, now a family, doing well. They struggle like we all struggle; with our faith, our grief, our hope, our humanity. But they need a reminder, as we do. And that is...we all should rest in God's promises.
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| Season 5, "Them" |
Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.
God is the epitome of good; and to those who have faith in Him, He offers protection and help. He is a refuge, a fortress, a stronghold against the troubles of this world—especially the unprecedented times of trouble prophesied for the end time. No trouble is a match for our all-powerful God.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
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