Unitarian Universalists and the Slayer
The most immediately obvious parallel between Unitarian Universalism and the
Buffyverse is the way that both weave their theology from many sources.
A second parallel is the commitment to justice, to action, to changing the
world. It is up to us to make a difference in this world, not through some
abstract higher power, but through ourselves, through our commitments, through
our actions. If we cannot put things right, or at least make them a little
better, can we really expect anyone else to do these things for us? So it is
for Buffy. If we find that to be difficult, so does Buffy, for all the support
from her friends and her Watcher, and for all her strength of body and spirit.
Third is a shared belief that consequences and redemption are to be found in
this life, not in the next.
Moral responsibility, duty and obligation can be difficult issues to talk
about, especially when those obligations involve great risk, or when we have
not accepted these responsibilities voluntarily. As Unitarians, many of us have
left behind specific obligations and expectations that come from other faiths
in which we were raised. However, this does not free us from duty and
obligation; these are part of the fabric that holds our communities together,
and sometimes our moral responsibilities demand sacrifice and discomfort.
Buffy's story is a story of fulfilling her sacred obligation, even though it
was never voluntary, even in the face of death, insanity, and self-doubt.
Buffy is subversive in the way that it alters perceptions and
expectations. Betrayal, trust in unexpected sources, change, and unforeseen
consequences can alter the world in a second. Buffy is not a comfortable place,
emotionally or spiritually. In show after show, Buffy provides us with
a proving ground for examining our faith, our beliefs, our feelings, and our
motivations. If in life, we might ask, "What Would Buffy Do?", in Buffy the
Vampire Slayer, we have a chance to ask, "What Would I Do?"
Buffy deals with issues that Unitarian Universalists find difficult,
such as violence and evil. In the Buffyverse, malevolent forces are always
seeking to gain control. There are few things in Sunnydale that are as scary as
peace and quiet, or a feeling that life is getting to be good; these are
harbingers of impending doom. In a precarious world, how do we preserve what is
right, and how do we protect ourselves as well as the people and causes that we
value?
Next: Buffy is About the Journey