Thought for the Week
Did you know that caterpillars are not “transformed” into butterflies? In metamorphosis (the name of the process), a caterpillar is liquefied. Only after its actual death can an entirely new creature, a butterfly, emerge!
Most people’s image of the process is more like Eric Carle’s classic children’s book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In it, the little caterpillar “makes a cocoon around himself 
and goes to sleep, only to wake up a few weeks later wonderfully transformed into a butterfly!”
The Very Dead Caterpillar would probably have sold fewer copies. But it would have been more accurate.
When I was a kid, I used to love going to La Mirada Creek and catching those pudgy little pre-frogs we called pollywogs (you may have known them as tadpoles). 
I would bring them home and dump them into a tub, and then watch with fascination as they shed their tails, sprouted legs, and crawled out like showroom models: “The All New Frog!” That’s transformation (“change of form”) and it’s majorly cool. But it’s not what a caterpillar does.
A caterpillar dies.
After building its own coffin (cocoon), the caterpillar seals itself inside—and dissolves. And then, in a process only vaguely understood by scientists, that stew of free-floating genetic material undergoes a total metamorphosis (“change of nature”). 
In other words, butterflies aren’t souped-up caterpillars (caterpillars with wings), they’re entirely new creations made from caterpillar soup!
Not surprisingly, caterpillars and butterflies are used as spiritual symbols in virtually every culture on earth. But because the real process is so radical and so little understood, they’re nearly always represented as symbols of transformation, rather than metamorphosis. To be fair, many religious teachings do help people become better caterpillars.
But that’s not enough.
According to Jesus, God doesn’t want souped-up caterpillars, he wants butterflies. He wants us to die to ourselves (Luke 9:23-24) and become completely “new creations” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Just like caterpillars do.
The Apostle Paul (in the Greek language of Romans 12:1 and 2) describes the process of metamorphosis like this:
“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice (build your cocoon and get in!), holy (‘set apart’), acceptable to God (nothing short of metamorphosis can accomplish this). Don’t be conformed by (don’t take on the ‘shape’ of) this world (or ‘age’ or ‘era’), but (instead) be metamorphosed (changed in your very nature) by the renewing (‘regenerating’ or ‘re-growing’) of your mind (incidentally, the Greek word for mind is ‘psuche’—the same as the Greek word for butterfly!) so that you may be discerning (only by being metamorphosed can you know) what is the will of God (as opposed to the will of a dark and broken world), what is good, well-pleasing, and perfect (‘complete’ or ‘whole’—in contrast to the incompleteness and brokenness of this world).”
Caterpillars and butterflies are the world’s most popular symbol of transformation. But they’re also a far more powerful and challenging metaphor than most people realize.
It’s still early in the year. What better time to start over, not just as “The All New You!” but as a completely new creation!
Are you ready to start work on that cocoon?
I’m amazed.
I found this information so fascinating, I sent it to my children and grands as well. Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, Carol!
What an interesting post, Mitch, I only just now read it, well, what I find healing works similarly, especially when there had been a trauma, I find, we undo ourselves in a similar way, our understanding of ourselves in order to reform in a more up-to-date way as far as our cognitive understanding, awareness of who and how we are
So good this post.
This is Maria, counselling. Don’t know why it says anonymous 🤔
Hi Maria. WordPress says it’s because you’re not logged in. But it also happens frequently to people who are logged-in. If we all had a nickel for everytime there was a glitch on WordPpress, we’d be richer than Elon.
Amen!
Sometimes, I feel like that caterpillar, only I am afraid I won’t ever appear with beautiful wings.
Just keep working on that cocoon, Brenda.
Brilliant. Well done.
Thank you, Marty.
I thought about this analogy a lot when my Dad died-death to life. It is thought-provoking.
It is indeed, Kelley.
Let me share your content with some of my friends. Can i do that?
Yes, you may, Abraham.
I remember the butterfly garden that my son and I had. You are definitely right caterpillars do not become butterflies. Caterpillars die and butterflies emerge. What a poignant spiritual post.
So glad it spoke to you, Shari.
Hey Shari could you please answer, what’s the relation between butterfly and Caterpillar? Does human sperm become a human being?
Sometimes i think you are philosopher and other other time I think you an artist, or otherwise a music composer basing your articles I read. May kindly let me know which area specifically you dueling with your articles.?
I’m a little bit of everything, Abraham.
😂😂😂
Mitchtewmley, please what’s the relation between human being and a human fertilized ovum?
It’s the beginning of a human life, Abraham.
Hi mitchteemley. Your search for knowledge is fascinating. Who would have challenged the fact that a ‘psuche’ in Greek means ‘mind’ and ‘butterfly’. I’d say that the Apostle Paul was on to something. (My prayers to God are always ‘do me like you did the Apostles…or like you (God) did my grandmother.’). Grandma was forever comparing a person’s language with scriptures. Either by correcting them or adding a little more truth to the situation. Love your writing materials.
Aw, thank you so much. Question: Do you really go by Grandma Fowler, or are you writing “as” your grandmother?
Your tadpole memory reminded me of when I was a kid and threw a frog in the tub with me. After a few minutes, he passed. That was my first harsh lesson of cold-blooded animals.
Harsh indeed. Poor little Pete, and poor little frog.
I’ve been the goo for a long time, still waiting for the next part to metamorphose…
;>)
Great analogy Mitch. And I learned something today 🙂
Thank you,Jean.
I really enjoyed this one. Thanks for sharing.
Also, thanks for checking out my blog.
My pleasure on both counts, Helen.
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I never knew this😮 😎😃
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This post taught me something that I didn’t know about metamorphosis, namely the liquefication of that poor caterpiller. I’m a lover of butterflies, specifically Monarchs. I grow tons of milk weed to attract them. They’ve fascinated me since childhood. Now, I have even greater appreciation for the little critters. Thanks for the science lesson and the connection to scripture and growth as Christian.
My privilege, Elizabeth.