Butterflies have fascinated me since fourth grade when our teacher brought caterpillars into the classroom so we could observe their change into amazingly beautiful winged beings. What fascinates me, however, is not the beauty of the final product, but the process of metamorphosis. Until recently this change from the creepy, crawly creature to a brilliantly colored thing of of beauty has been a mystery even to scientists. Now, thanks to modern technology, though there are still many unknowns, they have learned much more about what really happens in that cocoon. Not surprisingly, the process is far more complex than anyone had imagined.
Rather than trying to explain it, I’m sharing this video of the Creation in the 21st Century TV program. I hope you’ll take the time to watch it. It’s a half-hour show. The part about metamorphosis starts about 5 minutes into the video and lasts about 20 minutes. CLICK HERE to see the show. You may need to scroll down a bit to get to the video.
The point they’re making in the video is that the amazing process of changing from a caterpillar to a butterfly could not have come about accidentally. This is awesome, but in addition, seeing how thoroughly new the butterfly really is gave me a greater appreciation for what truly new creations we are in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). I love the way objects in nature reflect spiritual truths from the Bible.
If you’re interested in hummingbirds, there’s a fascinating short segment about them also, starting at the 2:15 point.
Hi Judy! I was just thinking about the butterfly and the change recently… the drastic change of metamorphosis! It came about when I was meditating on Romans 12:2 about do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. It’s such a beautiful picture of how completely we are changed when we read the Word of God and meditate on it. Thank you for sharing this fantastic video too!
God bless you!!
Hi Cindy! What I really love is that the more scientists discover about how things work, the more the natural world becomes a picture of what is going on in the spiritual realm. God uses nature to illustrate the truths of the Bible. How awesome is that!