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When introduced in the second season premiere of Bob’s Burgers, “The Belchies”, Zeke crashes Tina’s hopeful romantic getaway with Jimmy Jr. (in an abandoned taffy factory). He wants to break windows, he can’t seem to stop wrestling with “J-Ju”, he’s a little crass. He’s bigger than the other kids, a bit older, and sounds different than everyone with his distinct southern accent. With all of this, I wasn’t a big fan of Zeke, worried that we were meeting the school bully. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Zeke has many of the characteristics of the archetype, but he breaks the mold again and again. His size, confidence, life experiences, and loose adherence to rules means he’s sometimes called upon to be an enforcer – like being the bouncer when the kids set up a casino in their basement, threatening a cheater with a purple nurple – but he has established himself not as a bully, but a person of passion who loves to support and celebrate his friends. Zeke challenges so many of the stereotypes employed in entertainment. His parents were divorced when he was a baby, and is the only child on the show who lives with a parent that has remarried. But that doesn’t set up an opponent at home, he often talks about how much he loves his stepmom, Cheryl, and celebrates her on Mother’s Day. His southern accent stands out in their northeastern town; he’s the only one that speaks with it. (An accent, by the way, which Grace nailed in her excellent sermon last Sunday when quoting him. If you missed it, you missed out, but you can still check it out on our YouTube page.) This contrast, this accent, often used to highlight an outsider, not only doesn’t disconnect Zeke, it proves to be one of the distinct identifiers of his confidence, holding on to them in a community where they are unique. He often gets in trouble at school, but the big ones have been to lighten his grandma’s spirits before a surgery, or to help Tina’s efforts on the school news program. He acknowledges that he isn’t the brightest kid, but also quotes Sir Walter Scott… augmenting with his own flair, of course. He affirms others in their pursuits, cries when something moves him, and has proven himself reliable to the other children. Zeke doesn’t fit the bully archetype, he’s the unexpected hero. Aside from upending expectations in often delightful ways, Zeke’s character can challenge our tendency to categorize people. We all do it. Sometimes it’s laziness, sometimes it’s to protect ourselves, sometimes it’s not even conscious, but we make assumptions about people because of how they dress or speak, their gender, mannerisms, ethnicity. Maybe they initially remind us of someone we love or hate, and we quickly find ourselves ready to employ similar excitement or barriers. But when we let go of those assumptions we can be surprised. That person we knew would be a new friend may be someone we don’t feel safe around, and the person we just knew would have nothing to offer us could change our lives. Zeke hasn’t changed my life, but he reminds me of many who have. Of the people I wrote off or didn’t give a chance, until something changed enough that I was willing to change, to let go of my compartmentalization of people into friend and foe, useful and not. That’s one of the challenges of the Christian faith: to be open to the surprise of others. To connect in kingdom work, to learn from those we never thought could teach us, to value those we might more comfortably ignore. Not only does scripture consistently name each and every person as God’s beloved child, but James in particular challenges the church to recognize the ways our preferences, often for those we perceive would benefit us, means we will miss out on the unique gifts of those we might otherwise avoid. Maybe Zeke can encourage us to look deeper, or be willing to look at all, at those we encounter. To see who they are, and be willing to let that truth challenge our expectations. To open ourselves in such a way requires vulnerability, means we might have to admit to ourselves we were wrong about someone, but maybe you’ll meet someone like Zeke, or find someone that you need in your life, in an unexpected sibling in Christ. Maybe they’ll be to you, as Zeke says, affirming his friendship with Jimmy Jr., “the Katniss to your Pita bread.” Rev. Ben Richards Ps. I hope you’ll join us for worship this Sunday as we continue “The Gospel of Bob’s Burgers” with the youngest member of the family, Louise. You can join us in person or online, and if you’d like to watch the “extra credit” episode in advance as an introduction or refresher, it is “Bob Actually”, the 9th episode of the 7th season.
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