Plant vs Zombies: A Theological Reflection

  1. The literal act of planting is a cultural mandate.

Genesis 1:28 tells us to "fill the earth and subdue it." Subduing means cultivating a piece of land or a place to make it better than before we came. IT IS NOT simply putting everything under our control. Subduing should be our mandate in our present situation or with our present involvement(s) for the benefit of our co-sojourners and for generations to come.

  1. Zombies should not be allowed to eat our brains.

Zombies can take symbolic forms, metaphorical images, or literal realities in our lives. For sure, they exist! The zombies in our lives should be prevented from eating our brains, which means not allowing them to occupy our conscious and subconscious minds.

They can be emblematic of the irritants or horror stories in our workplaces and personal lives. In most areas of our lives, they take the form of proud, unwelcoming, and selfish people—people who are capable of hurting us. Zombies were not born zombies. They became cursed as a result of the painful and damaging treatments they experienced from other people in the past. They remained undead because of unforgiveness, hatred, and yes, because of the cry for justice. They, like us, are wounded and broken. We too can become zombies if we don't break the spell by planting seeds of peace, love, hope, understanding, and compassion. We must be tireless and unceasing in planting these seeds because zombies should not be allowed to eat our brains.

  1. Even Zombies can "push up daisies".

"Pushing up daisies" is an expression in the English language that means "dead". Someone who pushes up daisies is already dead.

We must understand that endless waves of zombies are before us, and their arrival is imminent. Our call as individuals (and as a group) is not to eliminate them all at once. In the book of Deuteronomy 7:22, Moses said, "The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you". This verse speaks of God's economy and management. This tells us that we can only expand according to how much we have grown inside. We can only be given what we can handle.

An oyster produces bigger and prettier pearls due to the irritations produced by its immediate surroundings—its own zombies. We are therefore challenged to be able to create something beautiful and precious from all the irritants around us—our own zombies. Zombies are an integral part of our growth. We can enjoy and be entrusted with bigger territories if we learn to understand that, though zombies can make our lawns messy, they too can push up daisies.

 

Comments

Popular Posts