I read this yesterday. It's a metaphor of a world in transition and I think it's brilliant. It was highlighted in an article written by Mary O’Malley titled; How To Come Together To Heal The World.
The best way to understand what is happening in the world right now is through the story of the butterfly told by Evolutionary Biologist and Futurist, Elisabet Sahtouris, Ph.D.
The caterpillar is a destructive animal relative to its size. It can mow down the branch of a tree in one day. It eventually goes into a cocoon and becomes goo, and out of this goo begins to appear what are called imaginal cells. This is the beginning of what is to become the butterfly, but the goo always kills the first wave of imaginal cells! The old in any evolutionary shift always fights to stay in control, but this causes the imaginal cells to come together. In the community of imaginal cells, the urge of the new is stronger than the pull of the old, and out comes this magnificent creature, the butterfly. The butterfly is not a “taker” like the caterpillar; it is a “giver.” It pollinates and gives beauty to the world. It also has a bigger view of Life than the caterpillar. Just think about the Monarch butterflies that travel all the way from Canada to Mexico and back every single year. These truly amazing creatures were once destructive caterpillars!
I think that is an inspired desciption of what is happening in our world. We each have a responsibility to strive to find ways to heal the world. Violence, hatred and divide are not the answer. This just results in more violence, hatred and divide.
We should repel and condemn the atrocities carried out in the name of religion. Indeed we should condemn any reason given by others to kill and maim innocent people. We shouldn’t however tar everyone with the same brush based on the faith they follow, the colour of their skin or ethnicity.
We are going through a transition and as with any change for the better the road will be painful. Many will fight against the change. Now more than ever it's important to stay positive and to remember.
"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly" ~ Richard Bach
We each have a choice. We can be a caterpillar or a butterfly. I have chosen butterfly.
