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The Walking Dead gospel

11/1/2014

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If you open your Bible to the book of James, the author concludes his first chapter with the following verse:

27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.  (James 1:27, NLT)

The last two weeks of The Walking Deadhave taken place inside a church. The church brings up a variety of emotions and feelings to people around the world. To some it’s a place of worship and love. To others, it’s believed to be a place of judgment and hypocrisy. Sadly, some churches have lived up to that bad reputation, casting a dark shadow on churches across the nation.

What do your neighbors think when they drive past the church on the corner?

Four walls and a roof? Or a place that cares for orphans and widows?

When Rick and all his friends first walked in the church last week in Episode 2, they walked past various religious imagery, including the following verse:

9 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, NIV, close to the same version that was on the wall)

What does “doing good” actually look like in this fallen world?

That’s the big question this week, Episode 3, proposed.

This week Rick could have said, “I told you so” when they discovered Gareth, Martin and the other cannibals were back and in search of food. Just two episodes ago Rick wanted to go back and eliminate every one of these heinous killers, but the group encouraged him to forget about them and move on.

Sadly, “forgetting about them” didn’t work. Apparently it’s kill or be killed in this world. And that’s the dilemma our group is facing week after week. We’re witnessing this polarization in some of the characters. Tyreese is slowly transforming into the pacifist of the group. He’s the Martin Luther King Jr. He chooses peace whenever possible. Rick, however, does whatever it takes to insure the survival of the group. He’s the Malcolm X. “By all means necessary.”

The group came face to face with the ugliness of capital punishment when they confronted Gareth, Martin and the other cannibals in the church. Rick decided that assassinating them was the only choice that ensured the groups survival. So Rick keeps his promise to Gareth and uses the red handled machete to kill him. Rick, Michonne, Abraham and Sasha hacked and stabbed, spraying blood everywhere, turning the Lord’s house into a slaughterhouse, all in plain view of the inscription on the wall, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.”

But the anger and vengeance that poured out of Rick, Michonne, Abraham and Sasha made many wonder. “Are we becoming like them?” You could see the doubt on many of their faces. Maggie. Glenn. Tara.

Feeling the doubt, Rick justified their actions, “It could have been us.”

Enter “the church” stage left.

Reverend Gabriel, the same man who selfishly locked his congregation outside to die while he horded all the food, walks into the sanctuary horrified, “This is the Lord’s house!”

Maggie, a girl who grew up in a Christian home, quickly retorts, “No, it’s just four walls and a roof” (the title of this episode).

It makes us wonder. Did Rick actually “do good” by eliminating the threat that pursued them? In an interview about this episode shown on The Talking Dead, actor Michael Cudlitz (Abraham) contended, “The brutality of how we kill them is balanced by the brutality that they have been executing on everyone else.”

Is it?

Just as we all began searching our own morality for the answers to that question, the writers of the show turned an interesting corner. They brought us to Bob’s bedside to hear his dying words, and his words reminded us what Rick and their group stood for.

The scene begins about 50 minutes into the show (including commercials).

Bob: I just want to say thank you.

Rick: For what?

Bob: Before the prison, I didn’t know if there were any good people left. I didn’t know if anybody was left. You took me in. Cause you took people in. It was you man.

What I said yesterday, I ain’t revising it. Even in light of current events. Nightmares end. They shouldn’t end who you are. And that is just this dead man’s opinion.

Rick: I’ll take it.

In the midst of this living nightmare, in one dead man’s opinion, Rick hasn’t stopped being good. He selflessly “took people in.”

What a contrast to reverend Gabriel who selfishly left people outside to die.

SEASON 5, EPISODE 3 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.  This week we discovered that Gabriel locked out his congregation and his friends. Why do you think he did this?

2. Why was he plagued by that decision?

3. Why is it dangerous to “take people in” in this world?

4. Why do Rick and his friends take people in?

I can’t hear Bob’s words, “you took me in” without thinking of this famous story Jesus told in the book of Matthew:

Read the following passages from scripture:
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons, 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”  (Matthew 25:31-46, NLT)

5. What was the difference between the sheep and the goats?

6. What were the specific ways the sheep did good?

7. What might that look like in your world?

8. According to the passage above, who are you helping when you help “the least of these”?

9. Why do you think it’s so important to help people in need?

10. Why does Jesus tell this story?

11. What is one way you can reach out to “the least of these” this week?

This episode never answers whether killing is “good.” I’m sure Rick and Tyreese still sit on opposite ends of that debate. But this week’s episode clearly demonstrated the importance of taking people in. That’s what Jesus would do. That’s what he wants people in his house to do. That’s what “genuine religion” truly looks like.

27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.  (James 1:27, NLT)


This post was written by Jonathan McKee.  For the original post, go to:  http://www.thewalkingdeadgospel.com/2014/season-5-episode-3-walls-roof/#.VFKdtr69G98





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The Walking Dead Gospel

10/25/2014

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The gang is back together now, as evidenced by the trademark Reservoir Dogs slow-mo strut shot. Other than Beth, who is still MIA, everyone is accounted for. So for the first time in a long time, the group pauses to take a breath in an abandoned church. It’s during this “pause” that many of the group seek to collect their thoughts and prepare themselves mentally and psychologically for what might lie ahead.

Episode 2 tackles the theme of overcoming our past. Father Gabriel is introduced as a reverend of a small church who has somehow survived since the dead began walking the earth. Gabriel is plagued by guilt for something, and we can only guess that it has something to do with the fact that he survived alone in the church while countless others perished outside.

It’s always intriguing when Hollywood introduces religious characters. Most often, these individuals are depicted as the archetypal hypocritical, unloving Christian. I’m curious to see if they defer to this overplayed stereotype.

The jury is still out on Father Gabriel (even though 78% of Talking Dead viewers voted that he is dangerous and shouldn’t be trusted), but so far, his refusal to confess what’s bothering him is making the group a little leery of his actions. That’s probably why Rick not only asked him the “three questions” (a la Season 4, Episode 1), but basically told him, You endanger my people, I endanger you.

But Gabriel isn’t the only one struggling to find penance for sins past. Carol, Michonne and Tyreese each express the individual desire to squash bad memories in search of a new beginning. Carol and Rick even share a moment where the two of them make things right.

Let’s face it. People don’t like to carry around secrets. These secrets become burdens, weighing them down emotionally. Daryl feels this struggle from Carol, and even though he’s not pressuring her to confess, he makes it clear that he’s willing to listen.

America agrees. 86% of Talking Dead viewers voted that Carol should tell Daryl.

Confession feels good.

Perhaps that’s why Tara approached Maggie, burdened with the guilt of once standing with the Governor (a path she already navigated with Glenn in Season 4, Episode 10).

The scene begins about 50 minutes into the show (including commercials).

Tara: I was at the prison, with the Governor.

Maggie is speechless, realizing what Tara is confessing.

Tara: I didn’t know who he was or what he could do, and I didn’t know who all of you were.

Maggie processes Tara’s words.

Tara: I just didn’t want it to be hidden that I was there.

Maggie: You’re here with us now.

Tara smiles. Maggie hugs Tara.

SEASON 5, EPISODE 2 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.  Why were so many people searching for forgiveness?

2. Why do people feel the need to disclose sins of the past?

3. How would you have responded if you were Maggie, especially after losing your father to the Governor?

4. Was Maggie right to forgive Tara?

Read the following passages from scripture:

21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone[b]who sins against me? Seven times?”

22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22)

Then Jesus tells a story about a guy who was forgiven much by a king, but wouldn’t forgive someone else even a little. The ending of the story is a little sobering:

34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” (Matthew 18:34,35)

5. Why does Jesus tell Peter “seventy times seven” (which basically meant, “infinity”)?

6. What does God do if we won’t forgive others?

7. Why won’t God forgive us, if we won’t forgive others? (A tough answer to a tough question: God is willing to forgive us if we are willing to put our complete trust in Him. Part of that complete trust is the willingness to give up our own selfish desires. That includes “grudges.” God welcomes us to him when we are ready to let go and give ourselves completely to him.)

Are you holding onto a grudge that you want freedom from?

Pray and ask God to give you the strength to give up that resentment to him. Ask God to take that grudge from you and free you from bitterness.

This post was written by Jonathan McKee.  For the original post, go to:  http://www.thewalkingdeadgospel.com/2014/season-5-episode-2-strangers/#.VEf7Rr69G98





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The Walking Dead Gospel

10/18/2014

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Last Sunday night over 17 million people gathered around the glow of their TV screens to watch a mishmash of human characters scrape a survival out of a world overrun by the walking dead.

The show is aptly titled, The Walking Dead. However, week after week, this zombie infested drama has proven to be less about the dead and more about humanity… or the lack there of.

It’s no secret. This weekly 42-minute drama is offering something that resonates with America; because it’s not only breaking records for viewership, beating out everything else cable or broadcast… it’s trumping Sunday Night Football! (And what’s more American than that?)

And when the show stops, the chatter doesn’t. The Twittersphere lights up with favorite quotes of the evening, questions, and plot speculation. Social Media begins buzzing. Dedicated fans even devote another hour to the subject at hand the same evening, watching The Talking Dead, a talk show where actors, producers and celebrities (this week it was Conan O’Brien) unpack what they’ve just seen and ask questions like, “Was Tyreese right when he killed Martin?”

And that’s the beauty of the show. No other show cultivates so many water cooler conversations about morality.

That’s probably why The Gospel According to the Walking Dead blog emerged. Conversations about morality open doors to conversations about Biblical truth. Every week this blog provides conversation, scripture and discussion questions unpacking the prior week’s episode.

Consider the dissection of good and evil in the Season 5 Premiere this past Sunday. Tyreese, one of the lead characters who has been carrying and protecting a baby through the post apocalyptic chaos much of last season, becomes engaged in a conversation with a sociopathic killer named Martin:

Martin: I don’t have any friends… I used to have em. I used to watch football on Sundays. I went to church. (Chuckles) I know I did. But I can’t picture it anymore. It’s funny how you don’t even notice the time go by. Horrible sh*t just stacks up day after day. You get used to it.

Tyreese: I haven’t gotten used to it.

Martin: Of course you haven’t. You’re the kind of guy who saves babies.

It happens every week. Humans are put in situations where they have to make choices. And the audience can’t help but wrestle with the morality.

Was he right?

I’ve met countless parents who watch it with their teenagers. When the show ends, “you just want to talk about what you just saw.”

I don’t know. Do you wish your kids wanted to talk with you about morality?

This post was written by Jonathan McKee.  The original post can be found here:  http://www.patheos.com/blogs/afewgrownmen/2014/10/god-and-the-walking-dead/

For resources for talking to your teenager about The Walking Dead, complete with discussion guide, go to:  http://www.thewalkingdeadgospel.com/2014/season-5-episode-1-sanctuary/#.VEA39L69G99



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Christian Zombies

12/20/2012

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Zombies are everywhere. Ever since the classic “Night of the Living Dead,” the undead have shown up in movies. Zombies now are featured in top-rated cable TV shows, and in apocalyptic novels and survival guides. An entire genre has ignited around the concept of adding zombies to classic literature (“Pride and Prejudice with Zombies,” etc.). But why are we drawn to these gruesome figures?

In the New York Times, columnist Amy Wilentz reminds us why zombies scare us, and why we can’t help but watch through our clenched hands covering our eyes. The zombie myth is rooted in something quite real, and quite terrifying. The zombie stories emerged in a Caribbean context of brutal slavery. The zombie’s horror is that he is, she writes, a slave forever. After all, if even death cannot free you, you can never be free.

That’s exactly the point, and here’s why it should matter to Christians.

Zombies are horrifying not simply because they’re mean and aggressive. They are horrifying because they represent what ought to repulse us: the rotting decay of death. But they still walk. And, beyond that, they still crave. In their search for human brains, they are driven along by their appetites, though always under the sway of a slavemaster’s will.

That’s our story.

The biblical story of the Fall of humanity is one of a humanity that comes under the sway of death by obeying the appetite. God places a fiery sword around the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3 tells us, so that the primeval humans wouldn’t eat of the Tree of Life and live forever. Why? It’s because God didn’t want to consign humanity to a never-ending existence of this kind of walking death. He sentences us to the curse of death so that, ultimately, we can be redeemed.

The Gospel tells us that, apart from Christ, we were walking in the flesh, that is slavishly obeying our biological impulses and appetites without the direction of the Spirit. As such, we were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). But we weren’t inert. We instead, though dead, “walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). We were walking dead slaves.

And, in our death, our appetites weren’t silenced but instead drove us along. This walking death, the Apostle Paul writes, was driven along as we “carried out the desires of the body and the mind” (Ephesians 2:3).

Caribbean people could resonate with the horror of zombies because they knew what it was like to be enslaved by evil people, with no hope of escape. And maybe our culture pays attention to zombies because we know what it is like to be dead inside, but unable to find peace, unable to stop walking.

The Gospel doesn’t just extend our lives forever into eternity. That’s what we, left to ourselves, think we want. The rich young ruler asks Jesus how he can inherit eternal life, but Jesus points out that he wants to eternalize his present state rather than to be hidden in the life of Jesus Himself. That’s a zombie walk, and Jesus loves us too much for that.

Jesus offers instead life, and that abundantly, as we eat of His flesh, drink of His blood, share in His triumph over the accusing slavemaster.

So let’s have some sympathy for the zombies. And next time you see the trailer for a zombie film, or see the picture of a walking corpse on the cover of a novel, remember that that was your story once, too.

This post was written by Russell D. Moore who is dean of the school of theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. This column first appeared on www.russellmoore.com.


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