How Zombies can save America

This week at church we read James 5, which starts with a tongue lashing for the rich who have stepped on people rather than served them. The accusations come to a point, saying "you have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you."

Recent events in America have people starkly divided (for the most part) into one of two camps: 1. innocent men who were not opposing police were murdered. 2. It wouldn't have happened if they had been following the law.

Not really sure how to react in a loving, peace-keeping way, I was surprised to find out that Zombies hold the answer. I recently re-watched a movie that I believe holds the solution to the racial tension that is pitting people against each other:

"Warm Bodies" sits alone in a category I coined myself: Zom-Rom-Com. Here's the rundown:

A post-zombie apocalyptic world finds the remaining uninfected humans barricaded behind a huge wall in the center of a city. They stave off clumsy, brain-craving zombies and "Boneys": heartless brain-fueled killing machines that even the zombies are afraid of. "R" (he can't remember his real name) is a zombie. He stumbles around aimlessly grunting and glaring blankly. He, of course, eats brains, "But at least he's conflicted about it".

As the story, based (very) loosely on "Romeo and Juliet" ("Warm Bodies" main characters' names all start with the same letters as Shakespeare's- there's even a balcony scene), unfolds we see that all the other Zombie movies must have gotten it wrong.

It turns out that Zombies are trapped in their undead bodies. Their minds still function (more or less) but their bodies are rotting and their hearts no longer beat. In fact, it turns out that R eats brains only because memories are stored in brains and eating them allows him to at least remember what it felt like to be alive. Still gross.

While scavenging for brains, R (Romeo?) meets Julie (Juliet?) and for some reason, he chooses not to kill her. In fact, he rescues her. He leads her to the abandoned airplane he lives in, finds food for her and plays her some music-he's really into music (which makes for a good soundtrack too).


Soon Julie starts to trust R after he repeatedly saves her. DESPITE HOW DIFFERENT HE IS AND THE FACT THAT SHE HAS BEEN TAUGHT TO FEAR ZOMBIES, SHE GIVES HIM A CHANCE.

R responds very well to her trust and gradually seems to be coming back to life: his color is returning, he can speak more clearly, he smiles, and eventually he even feels, dreams and his heart begins to beat.

Julie tries to explain to everyone hiding behind their wall that there has been a misunderstanding. Zombies don't want to eat people and they can be cured. It turns out, LOVE IS THE ANSWER.

Of course it isn't that easy because as soon as a zombie's heart beats, they hit the Boneys' radar as food and are now vulnerable to death. Humans and zombies find a common enemy that binds them together with more than just a heartbeat- a purpose.

Because Julie gave one person a chance-the benefit of the doubt- and became vulnerable, she started something. She gave people (and unpeople) a glimpse of something better and it infected everyone who saw it with life and purpose.

Come on now, (church!) isn't it obvious what we should be doing? Aren't there greater enemies than color? Is it possible we've made up our minds based on misunderstandings but are so deeply convinced that we can't see the truth anymore? Is sharing your opinion an open sharing of ideas and part of the solution, or part of the problem?

There are stubborn die-hards (see what I did there?) in "Warm Bodies" that just know zombies are the enemy. They've seen friends and family members killed and it hurts and they're angry and the only solution they can find is to wall themselves in and fight.

So assuming you aren't a Boney out to destroy anyone you can find to destroy, you must be one of three things:

a misunderstood zombie waiting for a human touch...

a scared, privileged person who has been hurt but is still willing to see individuals and give each on e a chance...

or have you backed yourself against a wall to argue, fight and advise everyone else?

I think I'm stepping away from the wall and looking for someone to touch.