Fruit of the Tree?

Paintings by Rev A Stewart

Yesterday I wrote about art as a spur to contemplation and prayer. It’s our human creativity which we can share with others and which gives us cause to celebrate and reflect.

This was not in my mind when I turned on the TV for an evening diversion. Perhaps I should have known that the National Theatre would not merely entertain, and that our family favourite Benedict Cumberbatch would not simply amuse. Their production of Frankenstein really gave me cause for thought and meditation.

The play, also film, has previously been offered as an entertainment, and a somewhat horrific one. Some of that has been retained in this Danny Boyle production, still available to watch for free. But this seems to go back to some neglected themes in Mary Shelley’s original book.

Frankenstein studies ancient documents and modern science to find a way of overcoming our human suffering and inevitable death. He is “successful” in creating a new, sentient being and yet it is a monster, rejected by all it meets because it is so hideous. The monster learns more and more of our human lot and tries to understand, and eventually he realises that he is lonely. So as Adam was initially alone in the Garden of Eden, the human creator says he will create a partner.

Imagery which relates to the creation stories abounds, of how we learn and see good and evil (the fruit of the tree), of our human ego which would want to “play God”, and Frankenstein realises that creating another monster for the monster is too dangerous.

This presentation makes one think about our human situation, our limitations, our failures, our mortality, our need of love. It provides a spur to thought about our Christian understanding of the purpose of life. And it speaks of the way that our human activities, even when seeking to do something good, can become out of our control. In our present situation, human progress has given us so much power and ability but we know from the pollution and destruction of the environment, the incidence of war and its threat and, indeed, the spread of a virus, that for all the good intentions and hopeful expectations we have created some kind of monster.

Heavenly Father, we pray for your mercy on us and on all people. We have fallen from grace and need your forgiveness and guidance. We thank you for all our human potential, and for all the advances we have made in technology and science which benefit us all. Yet we have not made moral progress, for our sinful nature remains, and we can trust too much in our own creations.

Strengthen, we pray, all who are seeking a vaccine to prevent this virus, all who are caring for the sick and dying, all who are feeling acutely the pain of our current situation. Hold us all that we may serve your purposes and live in holy love.

We make our prayer in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.