The Walking Dead

     Among all of the things that I could have first written on this new blog, my purpose, my background, etc., I chose something a little different to start out with. Something that hit home pretty hard, and hopefully you'll see why. I chose to write about...zombies.

The first definition given to "Zombie" by dictionary.reference.com:

1.The body of a dead person given the semblance of life, but mute and will-less, by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose.

        Naturally when you first think of zombie, you generally think of two things. The first would be the typical brain-consuming, flesh-devouring, wailing dead creature that would more often than not have a broken limb or two, dragging its slow carcass around aimlessly until it finds it's prey. The second, like the first, except where instead a real person has the incapacity to wake up like a normal human being (or has simply awaken earlier than the body allows), supernaturally walking around the house with their eyes closed, reaching for the pop-tarts box with gangling arms, moaning only to await "thy holieth caffeine consumption".

(Agreed, I do fall under that second category)

     Yet, I want to propose to you another type of zombie. A zombie that you actually see probably everyday. And I'll do this by breaking down the original definition and re-inserting my own.

"The body of a dead person given the semblance of life..." 

Faking it. Totally faking it. 

     There are people who go day to day going through the same monotonous routine, coasting through week after week, month after month, to simply past the time. They put this mask on, simply putting on a smile, buying new things, getting into new hobbies, when really their soul has been lifeless YEARS ago. Hiding behind a failing wall, building it up more and more, only to crumble upon the inevitable day of death....is that truly living?

"..mute and will-less..."

     Not only do people insist on hoarding inanimate things or jam-packing their schedules, nobody will speak of it.  They slip into this subconscious state of mind where life somehow becomes a grocery list of things to do. It then generates fixed responses and emotions, nullifying any actual use of free thinking. The typical "How are you?" are easily deflected by "Good" and any conflict that might come up has been avoided.  And if something actually gets out of sync, like a parasite the "existing" self clings to a new host, a new "thing", in which the process starts over. 

Surprisingly powerless, considering us being the most intelligent beings on the planet. 

"..by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose."

When asked, I highly doubt a person would agree to leading a life of complete and total meaninglessness and look forward to the day that life would cease to exist. But when we want a finger to pin all of this nonsense on, to catch the red-handed thief that stole the passion, joy, and meaning of our own lives...we only have ourselves to blame. In the bible,  Mark chapter 7 it says:

"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceeds evil thoughts...All these evil things come from within and defile a man." (KNJV)

     Jesus goes on to explain in the parable that it's never the outside world that will make us sinners. It is we who are the culprits. We have a choice to stand for reason, justice, and truth. We have a choice to be passionate and caring people. We have choice to fight against sin. And to our own surprise, we ignore it. We become mindless, self-absorbed beings that just simply exist.

      The are some hard realizations out of all of this. I know that I've sat and watched others become "zombies". Some of my family, even some of my best friends. But what is even harder than that...is to realize I have fallen into this.

I have done the same damn thing.

     I have become okay with easing by, working a full-time job, coming home to fulfill my own engagements rather than the Father's, and slowly slipping away into my own spiritual suicide...

NO

     Our God didn't create us to just sit out on the side lines. He didn't take up a cross for nothing. He didn't die so we could simply die too.

He DIED, so we could LIVE.

     I'm not talking about living as in skydiving or whitewater rafting (although they're definitely on my bucket list).   I'm not talking about just some other adrenaline-junky fix. I'm talking about fulfilling our obligations as a church, the body of Christ. I'm talking about seeking out our purpose as children of God, quenching our thirst for the Holy Spirit. I'm talking about living a life that's full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. We need to STOP this self-destructing apathy and START taking responsibility.

I'm sick of being a zombie.

I want to live.