Annalise moved her round hairy body along a smooth tasty leaf. She felt today as she felt every day in her short life so far, a mixture of hope and despair. Most days were all about moving and eating, which consumed all her thinking time. Those were ok days, days when time moved without concern or pressure. Those were days when if asked she would say, ‘I’m fine with life as I know it’. Annalise could not however put aside the thoughts that lingered at the back of her mind. Now and then she used to look up and watch them fly. It’s now become all she does – watching, utter amazement and awe as they effortlessly glide past in stunning technicolour. Delicately and featherlike they touch a leaf or plant nearby and pause their business.
Sensing her life was nearing the end Annalise took moments herself to pause and take in the vast array of the world beyond the one she occupied. Knowing that those fluttering, feather like creatures ventured beyond her horizon she breathed in the idea that she too one day would have a body like that, unrestricted and able to fly.
Night began to fall as instinctively Annalise clung to a small twig. As the sun dipped below the hill she felt her sense of control over her body loosen its grip. Weak and soup like she shut down, entering a state of neither being or not – an indescribably unfathomable place. There in what some might name a liminal space, she had not left yet not arrived – paused in the midst of change.
Darkness.
Angelina woke with a start. Trapped in a sack, a skin like case which smelt tasty. She licked and then bit and finally ate till the opening was enough to climb through. Still gripping to the twig above the sack Angelina finished every bit of the meal that once held her. Without effort her beautiful vibrant colourful wings unfurled. She moved her body as she rotated her wings and off she went. At first it took some getting used to as though she had once thought of this but could not imagine how. Angelina had a feeling of urgency so she set off.
Landing on a tall garden plant Angelina spread her wings wide as she soaked up the warmth of the sun. From where she sat she looked down and saw a worm-like creature though more colourful and hairy than an ordinary garden worm. It gobbled on a green leaf but paused just to look at her.
At the meeting of their eyes they each saw themselves reflected in the other. Impossible to imagine yet Annalise had had nothing to fear when closing her eyes to enter that crossing over space through which she would become and do what her first body would not allow.
I love the idea of a hidden, limited in movement, hairy worm-like creatures becoming the most amazing free and vibrant expression of life. Of course butterflies die and the cycle begins again all too quickly. However, I also agree with so many others around the world who sense that there is more than the current expression of life we experience through our body. In our prayers and meditations we come to recognise the body that clothes our spirit has limits not least a sell by date! In the days we have here on earth we should enjoy every one, love and be loved. We should soak in the sun and be adventurous – curious – inquisitive. And as we do these things, look up and linger, pause and take it in that our spirit will one day need new clothing.
There are many translations of the Bible, all with their own merit. I occasionally read the J. B. Philips translation so I don’t get too familiar with one way of reading a passage. Here is his take on 2 Corinthians 5:1-4
We know, for instance, that if our earthly dwelling were taken down, like a tent, we have a permanent house in Heaven, made, not by man, but by God. In this present frame we sigh with deep longing for the heavenly house, for we do not want to face utter nakedness when death destroys our present dwelling—these bodies of ours. So long as we are clothed in this temporary dwelling we have a painful longing, not because we want just to get rid of these “clothes” but because we want to know the full cover of the permanent house that will be ours. We want our transitory life to be absorbed into the life that is eternal.
Rob Wykes 