The Walking Dead: Father Gabriel’s courage with Rosita

Father Gabriel was never know for his courage, but he has shown a different kind of courage in some of the recent episodes of The Walking Dead.

It takes courage to listen to people It takes courage to tell people like it is. As a priest, Father Gabriel has been doing a bit of that recently. He told Spencer some things he needed to hear. Unfortunately, Spencer didn’t benefit from Gabriel’s words.

We don’t know yet, but Rosita may not benefit from Father Gabriel’s wisdom either. But as they say, that’s the thing about advice, you can give it, but you can’t make people take it. And Father Gabriel knows that. He doesn’t give his advice with the intention of making people take it.

Gabriel started out his journey with our friends as a frightened survivor of the apocalypse. Alone for over a year he hid out in his church. When he found our people, they frightened him even more than being alone with the undead.

But eventually, he came around and he is in a position now to be more at ease observing and guiding people because he has had experience with both the living and the dead. Gabriel is very calm with people. He is able to use his skills as a counselor in new ways.

He is able to use his religious beliefs and faith in interesting new ways–the concepts of free will and not knowing. We have to believe that what we’re doing is right and we don’t get to know the outcome.

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He tells Rosita that he doesn’t know everything. But he doesn’t defend himself and try to get Rosita to see his point of view. He challenges her with questions. What do you plan to do about it? Yell at me all you want. You are here.

He doesn’t even try to get her to see that her logic is faulty.  That maybe Olivia still would be dead because maybe the Saviors would still have killed her out of revenge. That maybe Spencer would still be dead because maybe she wouldn’t have killed Negan before Negan killed Spencer.

Trying to get someone to see logic when they are in pain doesn’t work. They just defend and attack back. She doesn’t want to hear logic. She knows it already. She’s not stupid. She’s hurting. That’s why she’s there. Gabriel is a safe target. The church is a safe place.

Gabriel is smart, too. He lets her yell. He takes the blame. But he takes it in a way that makes her think.

"I said that you weren’t supposed to die and that you shouldn’t do the thing that you were planning to do because we needed you — still do.Even a fool like me could see that.It’s easier to be dead, and if it’s my fault you’re alive, well, I’m just gonna have to live with that.I decided to meddle.But I did something I thought was right, and I knew the stakes were very high.You can certainly blame me for the fact that you have a life, but after that what are you going to do with it? How are you going to make what needs to happen happen? Anything is possible until your heart stops beating.Certainly more than yelling at a fool."

Rosita has become reckless because of all of the distress and guilt and sadness in her life. She reminds of Abraham when he first met Eugene and had tunnel vision about saving the world to give him a mission and a distraction from losing his family.

Rosita’s mission has become saving the group and killing Negan. She has become blinded. Denise had just set her straight and then she was taken away from her by Dwight. She is alone in this group. She doesn’t want to be a follower anymore. She did that with Abraham.

Next: Rosita's first talk with Gabriel

If things go wrong with Rosita, it’s going to be tough for Father Gabriel. I hope he continues to observe and give wise advise to many of our friends. It takes courage to listen, to be honest and to let them make their own decisions.