Suppose a visitor to our earth from another planet were to see a caterpillar on a rosebush, and that a conversation could take place between them. It might go something like this: "How ugly you are, and how gross, doing nothing but eat, eat, eat all day long," says the visitor. "True," replies the caterpillar, "but I won't always be like this. Some day I'll have beautiful wings, and fly from flower to flower." "A likely story," says the visitor with a laugh.

 A few days later this stranger finds a hard brown chrysalis on the rosebush, and is surprised to hear the caterpillar's voice saying, "Now I'm worse off than before. You think I'm dead because I can neither move nor eat, but soon I shall have a resurrection and fly in the sun." "Poor deluded worm," says the visitor, "you'd better accept the fact that your life is over."

 But about three weeks later the stranger, strolling in the rose garden, is surprised to hear the caterpillar's voice again. Looking for the chrysalis, he sees one beautiful wing and then another unfolding from its cracked shell. "You see," says the voice, "my resurrection has come," and spreading its wings the butterfly flits away to enjoy its wonderful new existence.

 Now we are imprisoned in heavy earthbound bodies. One day, like the chrysalis, they will become inert--and the unbelieving will proclaim that that's the end of us. But the resurrection day is coming when we shall rise in newness of life, to receive bodies like Christ's, that will be as spiritual and able to move as quickly as our minds and souls are now.

Back to Contents Does God Exist?, MayJun01.