Readings:
Song of Songs 2.8-13; Psalm 45.1-2, 6-9; James 1.17-27; Mark 7.1-8, 14-23
How beautiful is Song of Songs? A wonderful work of poetry capturing a couple’s love and eagerness to be together. It is mirrored by the season changing, the delight in springtime. Everything is blossoming, just like their love.
This is the first Sunday in the Season of Creation and we have the theme, Act with Creation.
I’m currently readings Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. And I am noticing similarities and differences between the creation story in Frankenstein and the creation story of our Judeo-Christian tradition.
In our tradition, God creates out of delight and because it is what Love does.
Frankenstein creates because he becomes obsessed with scientific power, his need to understand creation, and his own prowess.
God looks upon Creation and is it good. Humanity is ‘very good.’
Frankenstein looks upon his creation and is not only repulsed but filled with fear and regret.
God spends time with humans in the garden ‘walking in the evening.
Frankenstein rejects his creation and tries to destroy it.
God’s creatures, humans, delight in creation.
Frankenstein’s creature also delights in creation, although a healthy fear of humanity is his first learning.
God’s first human craves companionship.
Frankenstein’s creature craves companionship. It is only after his negative/violent rejections from humanity that he demands a mate be made for him, and even though he despises his own form, he would subject another to the same fate to fill his need for love.
Frankenstein himself begins by being enraptured by nature. But his enrapture mutates to an unnatural obsession to understand it to the extent of control. He says that his ‘sole purpose’ became to ‘[infuse] life into an inanimate body.’ And when, at last, two years later he achieves his goal, he says, ‘the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.’
Frankenstein becomes very ill following his first encounter with his creation. It is in nature that he comes to peace.
The creature itself delights in nature. The moon gives him pleasure. He enjoys the sounds of the birds going about their business. The creature has a self-described ‘mild nature.’ The story of his love for a poor family who are ignorantly his host, teachers, and friends, is beautifully shared.
But all those beautiful feelings and experiences, his mildness of nature, flee and turn to destruction when he is misunderstood, feared, and violently attacked, time and again. By the very ones he reasonably hoped would love him. He becomes the monster people believe him to be.
Why share this story at the beginning of the Season of Creation?
The joy of creation is throughout the book. All kinds of descriptions of how nature can heal our souls, how being in nature brings us back to who God created us to be. It makes us humble and contented. It can also be something that brings great joy similar to that which we read about in Song of Songs today. The young couple’s love is celebrated in God’s creation. The song is filled with metaphors describing each other: My beloved is like a gazelle; my dove.
We start the season of creation with joy and celebration. The temptation is to stay in that space, but that can be a selfish desire and one I, myself, must grapple with. Because the other side of the coin is challenge. Whenever something is worthy of celebration, it is worthy of protection.
Frankenstein is ultimately a cautionary tale. What happens when we become obsessed with our own power to create? What happens when we create without prayer, without humility, without God? What happens when we reject and act violently toward something, someone, we don’t understand, are fearful of, or simply wish to control?
We are called to be stewards of God’s creation. It is, perhaps, our most sacred duty. James tells us to be ‘doers of the word.’ This will be unpacked more as we continue to read from James’ letter this month. Today, James tells us what ‘true religion’ is, vs 27, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Our response to Creation-care today can be seen as having a direct effect on the ‘orphans’ and ‘widows’ of 2024 and beyond. Our island neighbours are already affected by rising seas levels due to rising global temperatures.
Celebration comes with duty.
We celebrate the beauteous gift of Creation, and we have a duty of care for Creation and for our neighbour.
Frankenstein did not Act with Creation. Instead, Frankenstein sought to control Creation. We can see parallels today of people and corporations desiring to control Creation.
Let us listen to our calling from God in Genesis. Let us Act with Creation, not against it. So that we, and all generations to come may know the joy found in the Song of Songs.
Amen.