One of the things I love about the internet, blogging and social media is the friendships built. I ran into Julie through a mutual friend and online conversations about worship. Julie is a worship leader and director of children's worship arts at Lynn Haven UMC in Panama City, Florida. She is also a mother of three AND a zombie lover. I asked her to contribute to the blog and she came through with flying colors. Thanks Julie!
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From George Romero's, "Night of the Living Dead," to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," video to the recent hit series, "The Walking Dead," I have had a fascination with zombies as far back as I can remember.
There are many reasons why I like to watch movies, TV shows, and read books in this genre. Do I like the tingle on my spine that I get when a tense moment comes in a film or book? Sure. Do I get a kick out of watching the inventive ways that desperate people come up with to take out zombies? Uh....Yes! Do I like the way my heart races when I am rooting for a hero or heroine to get out of a tough jam that is seemingly insurmountable? You'd better believe it!
But, the reasons I love the art that comes out of this genre go beyond the entertainment that I get when my husband and I settle in for an evening with our netflix account and a good walking dead flick. The themes running through these struggles to survive resonate with,
I would venture to say, EVERY person.
I would venture to say, EVERY person.
There are so many themes that run either intentionally or unintentionally through many works in this genre, we could spend hours talking about the themes in just one movie. But, for the purposes of this post, I will just focus on the themes that seem to run through many of the works in this genre and why they resonate with me, and hopefully with others.
Zombies are creatures that we love to hate, but tend to empathize with because they represent our fear of death and our fear of a life not lived. They are immortality, unrealized. They are a walking metaphor of a life lived without the beauty of Christ in it. All that is ugly, rotten and depraved about our human nature is personified in the depiction of a Zombie. (insert pic of rotten ugly zombie?) :)
These are creatures that have a hunger that is never filled. Many of us go through life hungering and thirsting for something, but filling ourselves on things that just won't satisfy. For zombies, it is an endless pursuit of human flesh. They shuffle around, seemingly alive, but they are dead and never filled. For the rest of us, it might be our pursuit of fame, money, power, or anything else that will rot as quickly. These things give us the temporary satisfaction that a small intestine might give a zombie, but rot just as quickly. This theme in the zombie genre reminds me what matters most...to fill my cup with eternal things.
We also see the darkest and the brightest sides of our human nature come out in many of the movies and books from this genre. There is almost always a character in these films and books that is willing to sacrifice him or herself for the good of many. On the flip side, we generally always see the one man or woman who will do whatever it takes to survive, no matter what the cost in human life or personal integrity.
This always gets me thinking, "Which kind of person am I and which of these people do I want to be?" I really hope when the time comes, I will make the right choice.
Until then, I will continue to enjoy many of the works in the zombie genre, for fun and thought.
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Thanks Julie!!
