Zombies, Hope & Resurrection

Did you ever think about why there are so many movies about zombies?  

The first zombie movie ever made was White Zombie in 1932, inspired by Haitian lore about witch doctors creating zombies out of unsuspecting victims.  However, George Romero's 1968 horror film Night Of The Living Dead brought zombie films into popular culture. 

By the way, my favorite zombie movie is Shaun of the Dead. It's definitely not for kids, but it's hilarious and awesome.  

I think that as a society, we are fascinated with the idea that mass amounts of people could become mindless, bloodthirsty, horrific creatures, all moving as one with one purpose: to destroy life.  

I won't get into this fascination's psychological and sociological foundations here. But I am certain it comes back to the nagging fearful questions about how ordinary people can become convinced to do horrific things en masse. 

So, consider your image of zombies and their appearance in most films.  They are slow-moving, glassy-eyed, oblivious to almost all stimulation.  

Now consider the following quote from the late Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh: 

Some people live as though they are already dead.  There are people moving around us who are consumed by their past, terrified of their future, and stuck in their anger and jealousy... If you look around yourself with mindfulness, you will see people going around like zombies. 

Many of us know people like this, and maybe (if we're being honest with ourselves) we have sometimes felt like zombies, too.  Even though this seems like a pretty harsh thing for a peaceful Buddhist teacher to say, keep reading:  

Have a great deal of compassion for the people around you who are living like this.  They do not know that life is accessible in the here and now. 

This is both a beautiful and challenging thing to hear.  It's beautiful because it is filled with grace and peace.  It's hard because it's tough for us to do. Which is why Hanh goes on to say this: 

We must practice resurrection, and this is an everyday practice. 

As you might imagine, I love this. Hahn always had an affinity for the Christian story and Jesus' teachings. His inclusive teachings of Buddhist thought and tradition were often framed in language accessible to Christians, who find intersections between the two faiths.  

He is absolutely right about practicing resurrection every day. After all, this is the truth at the heart of the resurrection; through Christ, God is constantly making all things new, including us. 

We practice resurrection when we seek mindfulness, self-compassion, and peace in our hearts and with the hearts of others. We practice resurrection when we resist the harmful desire to live in the past and worry about the future.  

We practice resurrection with hope and optimism that cannot be diminished.  We practice resurrection when we do everything we can to make here and now part of eternity.  

Find ways today to practice the kind of mindfulness and self-compassion that leads to resurrection.  Renew your mind every day, as the Apostle Paul taught.  Put your ego and selfishness aside and "die" to it so that you can be reborn and renewed. 

May it be so, and may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.