MONSTERS

Dr. Frankenstein really thought he had a good idea. 

The ambitious doctor salvaged pieces from corpses, assembled diseased parts, and attempted to make a new thing that would represent, obey, and revere him. 

He sought to call something beautiful that was rotten to its core. 

He make a body out of a mess, let it loose, and hoped it could sustain itself. 

His creation wasn't a problem as long as Dr. Frankenstein could manipulate it. Everything was cool until the thing he created got too full of itself, began reasoning and advocating for itself, was left to its own devices, and started acting like a monster. 

Did the good Doctor mean for his creation to ever mistrust him? 

Did he think people wouldn't be repulsed and afraid of his creation?

Did he anticipate that the thing he created would eventually turn on him?

The creature didn't know that he was a monster until he got a good look at himself. Before then, he thought his behavior was normal. 

The reactions of terrified townspeople should have been enough to let him know he was anything but. 

Over time, he got completely out of control, and became a threat to the survival of the town. 

The exasperated, fearful townspeople had three choices. 

1. Learn to live with the monster, 

2. Run for the hills, or 

3. Kill it. 

You really can't blame the people who chose to flee. 

Peace of mind--peace PERIOD--is a wonderful thing. 

Monsters are absolutely, positively exhausting. 

When they start wreaking havoc and terrorizing everyone, the townspeople can either look to the creator, leader, or authority and hope they take care of the problem they spawned, or go vigilante, and do the job themselves. 

The latter is often disastrous. 

Innocent people die. 

People emerge who care more about the reward for killing the monster, than the well being of the townspeople-- and in the process of defeating the monster, they become monsters themselves.

The monster has usually gotten too big, powerful, and out of control by the time anyone decides to organize a posse. Who, then, has the authority, or will to kill the monster? 

Is it possible that the monster can be tamed and spared after it has enjoyed no accountability? 

Is there redemption for a monster? 

Who has gotten so accustomed to the monster, that they don't even notice or care as the monster picks off people one at a time? 

Who is benefiting from the monster's behavior? 

Who has to get killed, maimed, or sent to an asylum before something is done about the monster?

Little Kassie addressed the possibility of a monster infiltrating her home in a popular YouTube video. It’s one of my favorites. 

Not that I advocate children using profanity, mild or otherwise, but because the little girl had the wisdom to realize that a monster is not something you want to invite or allow inside. 

She told her Mom, without any hesitation, just what she would do if the monster came into her home. When her mom said, "That's not nice", Kassie wasn't thinking about the words she used. She was perplexed that her mom even expected her to be "nice" where a monster was concerned. She looked at her mother in disbelief as if to say, "Nice? What does niceness have to do with this?" 

She reasoned, "If he's gonna come in here, he's gonna kick my ask, so I'm gonna kick HIS ask". 

I'm not a brawler, but I love the underlying message of it, Kassie .

 

Some monsters are created, but what makes people BECOME monsters? 

Are they wounded? 

Mentally ill? 

Fear driven? 

Broken? 

Or are they just...well...nasty? 

You can't play with, control, or tame them. 

They're dangerous, pompous and have all the people skills of a pit bull. 

Let them in, give them an inch, give them a job or a position, and they will "kick your ask"---or at least expend a lot of energy trying. 

They always have to remind everyone that they're in charge. 

They always have to remind everyone who put them in charge. They're great at dropping names, faking relationships, and dragging up their past accomplishments in an effort to debase others. 

That little bit of manipulation is supposed to make everyone back off.

Some monsters perch themselves in lofty places and adopt the countenances of people who have smelled something foul. 

Often the person who appoints or creates a monster is oblivious to the turmoil until it arrives at their own doorstep. 

Monsters aren't too busy being evil that they don't take time to plot against, and demonize the people who can identify them. 

Some monsters-in-charge may have forgotten that, at the time they were appointed, there was no one else around. 

Their appointment was borne out of necessity, not any inherent skill or leadership ability. 

They should be grateful, not puffed up. 

They forget that, many times, jobs are dished out just to give people perceived to be idle, ignorant, unskilled something to do to shut them up and get them out of the way. 

A monster in charge is a whole ‘nother destructive animal. 

They're childish and insecure, loud and messy. 

They're destructive and devious. 

Maybe they've never been in charge anywhere else, so they cling to position and power like it was affixed to them with crazy glue. 

They often destroy whole organizations. 

They say they're emulating and acting according to the wishes of authority, but are really horribly sad representatives. 

They lie, tattle, gossip, cause confusion and drive wedges. 

They think that being mean-spirited is a prerequisite to leadership. They’re good for finding a Bible verse, or some hastily made up rule to back up their behavior (just like people have done to justify slavery, or keeping certain segments of the population from exercising the right to vote.) 

Appointing a monster and then wondering why an organization or auxiliary is in regular seasons of turmoil, or doesn't succeed, is insane.

As someone who hates confrontation, arguments and all things that destroy peace, I have to defer to the young King David. When there's a cause, perhaps it's time to "kick ask". 

David's brothers were booted up, suited up, and looking the part of soldiers, but doing nothing to rid their land of Goliath. 

They had position, and were supposedly in charge, but that's where their power ended. They looked effective, looked prepared and qualified, even talked a good game. They had no problem throwing their weight around except where it came to the ONE monster they should have defeated. 

Along comes young David. 

He sees the mess for what it is, and what does his brother do? 

He tries to bully and intimidate him, and run him away. 

Funny, but he never tried to bully and intimidate Goliath that way. “Go home David. We've got this”. Really? How many more people had to get killed and run out of Dodge before Goliath was defeated? Seems like David's brother would rather have had Goliath continue terrorizing everyone than see his little brother be victorious in defeating him. 

 David was adept at tending sheep as well as dealing soundly with the wolves among them. 

David demonstrated the necessity of protecting sheep, and not leaving them at the mercy of lions, and tigers and bears.

Monsters. 

When they're allowed to continue their reign of terror, they clearly serve a purpose. They keep the weak in check, and wear down the strong. Keep everyone focused on the monster, and other things go undone. 

Progress is halted. 

Growth is stunted. 

Enthusiasm is lost. 

An atmosphere of unrest is created because someone is not paying attention. 

 Someone is asleep at the wheel. 

Or could it be that some grand plan is in motion that, if exposed, would put the impatient townspeople in greater danger? 

Perhaps its a good idea not to let the monster know how he's going to be defeated. Perhaps there's always hope that the monster will morph into a kinder, gentler beast.

Some never even notice the monster as long as he's not bothering THEM.

It's not until the monster runs up on the wrong person--or turns on its creator, that everyone decides to do something about it. 

Sadly, it's too little too late for the dead, wounded and displaced.

In every horror movie, the person who plays with, pets, sucks up to, understands, works for, gets too close to, or blindly befriends the monster, always gets saddled with guilt and remorse, or killed. 

They find out too late that monsters are no respecters of persons. 

Get in their way, stumble upon their space, threaten their existence, expose them, and you're lunch. 

They're not cute. 

They're not gentle. 

They don't play well with others.

 

Too bad David couldn't have brought out that sling and those stones a few chapters earlier.

So what's a townsperson to do when monsters seem to be everywhere? 

It's so easy for others in a neighboring town to say, "Just ignore it". 

It's also easy for those, who've gotten used to the monsters, to dismiss the impact of monstrous behavior. 

"Yeah. The monster has been harassing, and killing a long time. Such a shame". 

Lots of stuff is easier said than done. 

Ah, but I can do all things through Christ. Just the notion of that, strengthens me. I won't physically fight like some, or cuss like others, but I can pray, and not allow myself to be grieved. 

Me being grieved, in turn, grieves God, and we definitely don't want to do that. 

So, since he neither sleeps nor slumbers, there's really no sense in both of us staying up all night stressing over monsters.

God’s got it. 

Just wait.

Just watch.

There are times when the monsters, and those who created them, forget all about you, commence fighting amongst themselves, and anhiliate each other.