God & the Caterpillar in the Cocoon

I’m mixing things up a bit this week. Instead of presenting you with a traditional blog post, I decided to take a stab at creative writing for the first time. This piece touches on a lot of symbolism and themes around the ideas of religion, spirituality, and what it means to live a fulfilling life, which is why I thought it would be appropriate to post here. Let me know what you think, and I’ll be back next week with more of a traditional blog post.

A young caterpillar protects itself from the dark dangers of the world by transforming into a cocoon at the base of a tree. God watches carefully over the cocoon and makes sure nothing bad happens to it. But God has a different plan for this caterpillar. While other caterpillars will emerge as a butterfly and fly away, this one is meant to stay. As long as it listens to what God has to say and obeys, the caterpillar will remain safe.

If God is all knowing and looks out for our best interest, why does he prevent the caterpillar from leaving the cocoon? If God created the Earth and the universe, why would he prevent one from experiencing his own creation? Why deny such an important stage of life? Is being shielded from life a life worth living?

A man walks by the tree and notices the cocoon. He sees that the cocoon is rather overgrown. It looks as if it is about to burst. The man takes out his knife, and carefully cuts open the outer shell of the cocoon. The most beautiful butterfly flies out of the cocoon fluttering its bright vibrant wings. The butterfly glows in the warm summer heat full of life with this new opportunity to see the world.

If all men are born sinners, why are we punished for what we were given? If going against God’s will is a sin, why does it produce so much happiness and joy for the butterfly? Doesn’t God know that the path to enlightenment and ability to love comes from a sense of freedom, not a fear of control? A butterfly needs to show off its truest colors. God means well, but he was denying the caterpillar a part of itself.

Or maybe God knows something that the man doesn’t know. Maybe he has a good reason. Maybe he’s not as evil as he seems. I suppose only time will tell.