A Butterfly on Her Finger

Are we innately caring or selfish?

I’d like to think that since we are created in the image of God that we are by nature caring and loving. God is love.

But we are also fallen sinners, separated from God by our self-serving sinfulness.

On my wall there is a photograph of my daughter when she was about 5 years old. We were at the Butterfly Conservatory at the Bronx Zoo and there is a monarch butterfly perched on her finger. As sweet as that photo is, the rest of the story is even better.

My son was in a stroller at the time and probably about 18 months old. Somehow, by that age, he had become afraid of bees and flying insects. I was not fully aware of this fear and didn’t put two and two together when we entered the butterfly dome.

My children tend to really care about each other. They are not normal in that they don’t constantly fight and bicker with each other. I know I’m very lucky that their relationship has turned out this way. I thank God profusely for this blessing.

On this day in the Butterfly Conservatory when this beautiful monarch landed on my daughter’s finger, my son, in his innate love for his sister, became frantic and desperate, crying “bee, bee, bee” and pointing at the butterfly on his sister’s finger. He was fearful that she would be hurt by the insect. His love for her at even such a young age was clearly evident, and stronger than any fear for himself.

While she was in her glory, he was beside himself with fear for her.

While we know that one of a child’s favorite words is “mine,” we can also see that their hearts were made for love.

Jesus knew how easy it is for a child to love. “And he called a child to himself and set him before them, and said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:2-4

What can we do to become childlike in our love for others and our love for God?

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Come worship with us tomorrow night at 7:30 pm for a Taize service of prayer, song and meditation.