The Walking Dead - Part 1 - "We're all infected."

I never jumped on the whole Harry Potter collective broomstick.  I know, what kind of educator am I?? Then came the vampire renaissance (another), with bloody teenage hearts throbbing everywhere, and mecca became Forks, WA.   The end of the world as we know it.  Forks.  And technically, it might be west of California.

But then came ZOMBIES. Not that they ever really go away, but they got trendy again.  I admit my chronology is somewhat manufactured.  Still: "Left for Dead" billboards (shout out to Bellevue, WA).  Shaun of the Dead is a classic. Zombieland, 12 Days Later.  Another 12 Days Later.  One day last summer "zombie apocalypse" hit downtown Seattle.  There were zombie-fied people everywhere, and it wasn't Halloween. I think I heard it started in Fremont. Not too shocking. Fortunately, there were no naked zombie sightings.

The whole Zombie fascination captures me.  I am "infected."  When I was sick recently, I watched  all of The Walking Dead season 2.  It didn't help me feel better, but you know what they say about misery and company.  Moral:  It could be worse.

Zombies are an interesting contrast with vampires.  Vampires got all sexy thanks to Ann Rice and Brad Pitt, but that probably wasn't new.  Zombies, however, are NOT sexy.  Vampires shape-shift, talk in alluring voices, are super strong despite being dead.  Zombies are super strong when there is a mass hoard of them pushing through a fence or barn door. And they are not attractive.  The main thing they have in common, vampires and zombies: they're DEAD. Or UN-dead.  Well, and they like to bite humans - zombies, a lot less romantically though.

This is all by way of introduction - this whole post.  There really is going to be some meat here eventually (in case you're "infected," or just on a Paleo diet.)  It's one week exactly from Good Friday.  The Walking Dead  series reminded me of the interesting and artful ways that our deeply ingrained human anxiety about death has outlets in the culture and media. Good art asks and evokes good questions. And it often makes profound statements.  And so, I want to start this brief Easter series of reflections with one of the last lines of The Walking Dead, season 2.  (I don't think think this qualifies as a "spoiler alert.")  Rick says to the group, those still alive and on the run:
"WE ARE ALL INFECTED."

It's true, isn't it? About death. And we know it, despite distraction and denial. Paul Tillich addresses the modern problem of anxiety and fear and it's relation to death, and courage, in The Courage to Be.  More on that next time.  For now, it's worth thinking about this, one week before Good Friday...  Are we all infected?  All walking dead? 

And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” (Matt. 8:22)