A month ago, my 17 yr. old and I were talking, and we got on the topic of literature. He is a voracious reader and has read all the classics. I tend to stay just with non-fiction, and he challenged me by saying, “Dad you have to read the classics, they will make you a better person.”
Well, I hear that, and I think, “I want to be a better person.” So, I said which classic do you suggest I start with, and he said, “Frankenstein.”
Now…. when you hear the word Frankenstein what comes to mind? Perhaps Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein. What comes to my mind is a tall, green, oaf monster with a square head and bolts coming out of the sides of his neck. So, that is what I know of Frankenstein, and I told my son, “Ok I’ll read it!”
A week ago, I finished the book, and I can’t say I really liked it. I found Mary Shelley, the author, and her life story interesting. But the type of English she used in her writing from the early 1800’s was difficult for me to understand at times. But it was surprising how what I had in my mind about Frankenstein is nothing like how the monster is portrayed in the book.
For those of you who do not know the whole story around Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein is the main tragic figure in the story. He is a scientist who goes about creating another life form in his image. This one writer describes this creation by stating:
“Frankenstein believes that by creating the Monster, he can discover the secrets of “life and death,” create a “new species,” and learn how to “renew life.” He is motivated to attempt these things by ambition. He wants to achieve something great, even if it comes at great cost.”[1]
Now…. there are many theological themes one could pull from the book. But the one theme I see is idolatry.
You might remember the 2nd Commandment that God gave to Moses is:
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” Deuteronomy 5:8-9
Author and Pastor, Timothy Keller describes an idol as:
“Anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, and anything that you seek to give you what only God can give.”
In short, an idol is the removal of God and replacing Him with something else. The monster in the Gothic tale of Frankenstein became an idol to Victor. It was everything that he could think of prior to creating the monster and all he could think of after his creation came to life. Victor even goes to the extreme of traveling to the Arctic to search for and kill his creation. Frankenstein’s monster became an idol that had consumed his life.
That is what happens with idols in our lives…. they consume us. Much like the story of the Rich Young Ruler in the Gospel of Mark:
As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do so that I may inherit eternal life?” 18 But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not give false testimony, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth.” 21 Looking at him, Jesus showed love to him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But he was deeply dismayed by these words, and he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. Mark 10:17-22
You would agree with me that this guy had an idol or two in his life, didn’t he? And that begs the question, what idols do you and I have in our lives today? In what ways have we replaced God? I’ll leave that for you to answer.
But let us learn a lesson from Victor Frankenstein and the Rich, Young Ruler and endeavor to replace those idols in our lives and strive to follow Jesus with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.
[1] SparkNotes Editor, “Frankenstein”SparkNotes.com, SparkNotes LLC, 2005, Frankenstein: Questions & Answers | SparkNotes