Zombie Christianity?

The Dead on their way to bury the dead

26^th Week OT: Neh 2.1-8 and Luke 9.57-62
Fr. Philip N. Powell, OP
St Albert the Great Priory, Irving, TX

[Click on the Pod-O-Matic Podcast Player to listen!]

A body in the street, two in the fields, a couple on the front porch; bodies floating in the pond, another tipped over a well, and one over there near the temple gates: “Let the dead bury their dead.” Leaving dead bodies where they fall is not what Jesus had in mind when he tells his recently invited but hesitant-to-follow disciple to forego burying his father in favor of preaching the gospel. We have to admit though that images of zombies digging graves for soon-to-be zombies do come to mind. Or maybe that’s just me! Regardless, Jesus here is talking about those who are still in the life of sin, the spiritually dead; they are responsible for burying the dead, the actually dead. Those who are alive with the invitation from Christ to follow him have no time to bury the dead. They must “go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” Going and proclaiming are what we do when we hear Christ say, “Follow me.” Given the invitation from Christ himself and the promise he made to send us his Spirit to open our mouths in praise of his Father’s name, our excuses, our hesitations and dodges, our vanity in attempting to skirt around the task of preaching, all are just weak.

So, what does it take to say to Christ, “I will follow you wherever you go”?

First, it takes supernatural courage. Courage is the good habit of doing what is right even when we fear for our lives. The amount of courage varies from place to place, from time to time, but the postmodern preacher must have a truly muscular heart! We need courage b/c we must preach a gospel message that runs directly counter to the way we are tempted—by the world—to live our lives. Holiness, not the fake pietistic play-acting junk that’s so popular nowadays but True Holiness, threatens all of our loves, our friendships, our most comforting securities. As holiness matures for us, it invades and defines how we perceive the world, how we take it all in, and ultimately, how we come to serve that world. Jesus says, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Second, following Christ wherever he goes requires a bit of healthy ignorance, a mindset ready to be formed by the darkness of Good Friday and the Cross. How prepared are we to walk behind our Lord on the via dolorosa, enduring the anger and venom of the vengeful crowds, walking through the harassment and harangues of those who would rather see us crucified than victorious? Not knowing the end, being ignorant of what our final witness will be, is the blessing of letting the dead bury the dead. Again, like courage, the degree of ignorance will vary from time to time, place to place. Right here, right now our ignorance is safely tucked away in Christian Texas. But remember: every time you say “amen,” you agree to follow Christ wherever he goes and whenever he chooses to leave!

Third, following Christ wherever he goes requires a large dose of foolish faith. For exactly all of the reasons that such a commitment requires courage and ignorance, it requires that we fall in behind Christ, trusting fully in the Father’s promises of final victory in His glory. But why does the commitment require a “foolish faith”? Like the Fool we cannot worry about what our faith looks like out there. We cannot fret about what the world sees as our dumb trust in magic and ancient myth. These are our feet and our steps, our breath and our YES! If the Son of Man himself has nowhere to rest his head, then why would those who follow him wherever his goes get wound up about what the world calls “foolishness”? Call it wisdom instead and become wise.

When the invitation comes—and it has—giggle hysterically, jump up, embarrass yourself with effusive gratitude, and wave hello and goodbye to the dead who are busy burying the dead. And judge all things as so much rubbish that you may gain Christ and be found in him. Even (and especially) if you will be found nailed to a cross.