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A lot has been said about how dark and edgy The Walking Dead can be, and at times that darkness can appear to choke out all traces of light. Yet some of the most standout moments in my mind are not when hordes of zombies are trying to devour our heroes. Not one zombie graced the pages of this issue, and yet it resonated so powerfully with me nonetheless. It has been said that the stars shine all the sweeter because of the dark firmament they are situated in. Light—even the tiniest glimpses of it—is most precious when all it seems we can see is the gloomy dark. And there has been a lot of gloomy dark in this book of late. Rick has sustained a life-altering disability, Michonne has been on the threshold of Hell, and a new and fiendish foe lurks ominously on the horizon ready to destroy all that they have built. And yet there is grace enough left in the world for some fleeting moments of beauty to be found amidst the ashes.
Religion in this series is often viewed rather cynically. In a sense, this suspicion of religion/God is understandable in the fallen world of the zombie apocalypse. One can imagine how difficult it must be for increasingly desperate survivors to hang on to faith in a loving and good God when so much bad has happened. When all that a person can see is the constant fear of losing a loved one, it is easy to lose sight of what that which is pure and loving and holy. However, there is a persistent quality to the divine spark in that it somehow finds a way to keep burning even long after it should have been snuffed out. It is intriguing that Robert Kirkman himself identifies as an atheist/agnostic, and yet he sees fit to devote two pages’ worth of space to a very famous and moving scripture from 1 Corinthians 13 during Maggie and Glenn’s oddly beautiful wedding ceremony. This Bible verse is all the more potent due to its somewhat bizarre and unanticipated inclusion in a zombie apocalypse comic by a non-believing author. Yet whatever source that Kirkman drew inspiration from when citing his scripture, there is no denying that it provides the ideal counterpoint to the mounting darkness. At various points throughout the issue, the prison group embodies certain aspects of this verse, hinting that perhaps God may not be quite so dead in the zombie apocalypse as it might appear on the surface.
“Love is patient, love is kind . . .” (1 Corinthians 13:4)
There is a tender moment where an emotionally distraught Michonne seeks Tyreese out in the middle of the night. She does this not for a quick exchange of meaningless sex. She just needs to be loved. She just needs to be held. She needs Tyreese to be the strong arms to hold her and make her feel safe. She needs him to be patient and kind. She needs him to just be there. And to his credit (and in spite of the fact that he does not appear to fully grasp what she’s going through), he seems to do just that.
“[Love] does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Corinthians 13:5)
No member of the prison group has exhibited as erratic and at times just downright dangerous behavior as Patricia has. They have every reason to shun her and give her the cold shoulder. And yet Billy Greene finds it in his heart to offer her a kind word, a forgiving gesture, and an implied cancellation of the record of wrongs that stood against her and condemned her. He dealt with her in a spirit of grace, and that grace elevates Patricia to perhaps be a more stable person. Then we have a very pregnant and ashamed Lori finally reaching out to Rick ready to own up to her complicity in the affair with Shane. We are left with uncertainty as to how Rick responds, but it is clearly Lori’s most desperate hope that Rick will find it in his heart to offer her the same grace and forgiveness that Billy displayed in his exchange with Patricia.
“[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:7)
This one above all the other ones really resonated with me. It is the Sun around which our heroes orbit. It is the fire that warms them when it’s cold. Every time Rick makes a tough decision to promote the wellbeing of his family, he is loving them by striving to protect them. Every time they take some lost stranger like Michonne into their fold and welcome them into their makeshift family, they are exercising love by daring to trust. Every time they look to the future and dare to believe the bold fantasy that the world really isn’t ending, they are choosing to hope. Above all though, this group—each and every one of them—keeps on persevering through every trial that comes their way. They keep choosing to fight when the world around them whispers to just give up and join the walking dead already. They choose to hold a marriage ceremony in a prison mess hall because they still believe that Love can conquer all. Rick and Lori dare to bring new life into a dying world because they believe Love can make all things possible. Love is what separates the living from the zombies. Love is the difference between a Rick Grimes who must at times make questionable decisions and a sadistic Governor who has dispensed with all sense of morality and keeps heads in a fish tank. Love is what keeps the living living. Of all the resources, weapons, and strategies one might bring into the zombie apocalypse, Love is the most indispensable. more
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