Butterfly Angels?
ByJohn Boda
On my most recent CD project, “The Magnificent Mundane”, you can find one of my better songs called – “Butterfly Angels”.
It was written tongue in cheek, so to speak, and not to be taken literally, or too seriously. But the basic idea of the song’s lyrics simply asks the question;
“Could butterflies be angels in disguise”?! It really is meant to get you thinking about “what if “ - and the real possibility of encountering angels, who might be disguised all around us, everyday.
Although I wrote it tongue in cheek, I also know enough about the Bible to also really believe that angelic visitations among us do occur, and God is incredibly creative, and he can accomplish this anyway he wishes to do so!
Nowhere in the Bible do we ever find butterfly angels, or even the mention of a single butterfly! But angels have visited in the form of ordinary men, (Genesis 18 &19) God has literally spoken through an animal,(Numbers 22:21-35) and we have clear verses telling us that all of God’s creation teaches us, speaks to us, and reflects the character of its creator.
(Please see my companion study – The Butterfly Believer – for additional insight into butterflies and their link to believers. Even though they are not mentioned in scripture, the metamorphosis process of the caterpillar changing into a butterfly IS specifically stated in the translated word – “Transform” and “Transformation”, as the original Greek is “metamorphoo” which is the root word for, and means the same as metamorphosis.)
Since the writing and recording of my song, this idea has gripped me in an unusual way! To this very day, every time I see a little butterfly zig zag around me, I instantly think of the possibility …..that they might be angels disguised as butterflies, on patrol!
Although I do have a vivid imagination, there actually may be a little substance to the basis of all this; Last summer, while I was doing a gig, (Performing live music at a public place), I was hired by a restaurant at the beautiful “Starved Rock National State Park”, about an hour’s drive west of home. It was a hot summer’s day; I was outside overlooking a huge, beautiful, lush green rolling valley, filled with trees and free-roaming wildlife.
During the middle of my set, I just happen to decide upon singing and playing a nice song I have worked out, one that was new enough that it was still being played on radio, and most people knew it well – the song was – “Calling All Angels” by Train.
The chorus simply says, “I’m calling all angels”, over and over. It was during this chorus, while I’m singing, “I’m calling all angels”….that a beautiful swallow-tail butterfly fly up to my face, and literally hovered, like a helicopter, for what seemed like 3-5 seconds, and then flew off! I was amazed, astounded, and just about speech-less, and yet I somehow had to finish the song and continue on with the gig in a professional manner as the paid professional that I was, but it was difficult!
Why did this butterfly happen to do this? Why did it happen to do this
at that specific moment when I was literally calling out to angels?
Was that swallow-tail just a butterfly that lost its bearing for a
seconds, or was it a divine messenger? Or was it both?! God is so big,
so awesome, and so mind-blowing, that he can take any tiny natural
event or thing, and also make it more by revealing some spiritual
reality and/or aspect to it. I really have no answers, only questions
into this mystery.
But leaving those difficult questions aside, for now, I would like to
move on to discuss the actual process of Visual Image Association,
(What I am doing by linking butterflies with angels), and reveal the
validity of it, as well as the wonderful benefit of it that awaits all
Christ followers who begin to practice this process.
(From this point on, every time I refer to “Visual Image Association”,
I will refer to it by the initials – “V.I.A.”. Which is amazing in itself, as
“VIA” in Spanish means “Way”, and this is a way to help people on
their spiritual journey.)
Please don’t let this phrase scare you off! I assure you that I am well grounded in the Bible, and am not embracing some Eastern, New Age mantra! I don’t know if this subject has ever been written about or even discussed, and so I had to come up with some sort of name for it and V.I.A. seemed to be perfect!
The process of V.I.A. is interwoven all through scripture, although it is never called that specifically, I have found it almost everywhere within the Bible. But you have to be aware of it or you’ll miss it.
“Index of Biblical Images” Similes, Metaphors, and Symbols in Scripture: by Warren Wiersbe. Baker Book House.
Mr. Weirsbe has assembled an amazing collection of Biblical images reflected in hundreds of things and animals, all with detailed listing of verses and reference. The back cover states:
“Our God is the great Creator. We see his handiwork in all he has made, from the wing of a bird to fruit on the vine. We see his power in the tiny mustard seed as well as the mighty whirlwind. Just as creation is stamped with God’s character, so too his written word is full of images and metaphors that reveal the depth and wisdom of his truth.”
OK, right off the bat, do you remember that Jesus said the Holy Spirit was like the wind? (John 3:8) He didn’t say the Spirit was the wind, but linked the wind and the Spirit together as similar. Could we not also think of the Spirit moving among us every time we feel a cool breeze?! YES! The wind is not the Spirit, but can be used as a reminder that God’s Spirit is moving all around us.
Another reference to the Holy Spirit was the link to a dove in the New Testament. I find it interesting that this referral of linking the Spirit to a dove is mentioned in all four Gospels. (Many times we only find one or two with the same verse or mention, or most times only three at the most, Matthew-Mark-Luke, as these are known as the “Synoptic Gospels” which are similar and seen together, as opposed to John, which is altogether unique.) But when Jesus came up out of the water, after John baptized him, it says the Holy Spirit came down upon him “Like a Dove”.
1. Matthew 3:16
2. Mark 1:10
3. Luke 3:22
4. John 1:32
Once again, it doesn’t say the Spirit was a dove, but came to him like a dove. Can we associate doves, even common backyard morning doves, with the Spirit? YES! Why not? If it helps us to think of the Spirit moving among us, I personally believe it is a good thing.
How about rainbows? (Genesis 9:12-17) You know the story from Genesis chapter nine? God gave the rainbow to all of mankind, after the terrible judgment of the flood, to be a sign and symbol of his covenant with Noah that he would never flood the earth again. The next time you see a rainbow, along with enjoying its beauty, begin to think of God’s sure promise, and his mercy, and love in declaring never to flood the earth again.
Maybe so, but I believe that there can be any number of personal associations, (V.I.A.’s) that we can develop and use that will help us on our journey. Is this type of thing Biblical? Let’s see;
In Joshua 4:1-10, God commanded Joshua to pick out twelve stones from the Jordan River, to set aside for a memorial and remembrance of the miracle of the waters or stopping there. Joshua did this and these twelve stones were constant reminders of God’s providential care, but it was only for Israel, and for that time period. Those stones are long gone, even though we have the written account, the memorial was for a specific time and place and people. Now, you and I can have the same thing today. Whatever it is that God gives you to link with a spiritual reality, take it as a grace gift and use it! It is for your help and benefit, just like my butterfly no angels are to me!
Where I attend church, we enjoy partaking of communion during every service. Jesus simply told us to do it to remember his sacrifice, but he never told us when to do it, or how often. (Luke 22:19/I Corinthians 11:24,25) But whenever you take communion, instead of just going through some religious ritual, how about actually really thinking about what the bread and wine represent? Wow, wouldn’t that be radical?!
Or how about Baptism? Once again the same thing, it was given for a sign and a public declaration of commitment to Jesus. We most definitely should link it with Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, or else it is also just ritual.
Here is a very good, and very common V.I.A. for all of us, and one that is solid Biblically – linking little sparrows with God’s care and providence! If that seems way out and weird, please read Matthew 6:26 & 10:29, Jesus came up with it!
Or the next time you are out driving or walking through nature, and you see beautiful fields of wild flowers and grass, again link it God’s care, concern and providence. Once again, this is Jesus’ idea, not mine – Matthew 6:28-30
Do we have angelic visitors who can not only take the form of people,(Hebrews13:2), but can take the form of animals and/or insects?
Once again, I don’t know, but I would like to think it is possible with God! Anything is possible with God! But I can say for certain, that the development and practice of this idea of V.I.A. can be most helpful and is solidly valid based on the examples and scriptures just discussed.
Of course you are free to take or discard these ideas discussed here, but for me personally, the next time I see a butterfly, I can’t help but stop and think………what if?
To help further clarify...or muddle up even more....here is my song of the same title!