In troubled times, commit yourself to change

Edgar Peara

May 15, 2010

A caterpillar saw a butterfly flit by and said, “You’ll never get me up in one of those things.” His brother said, “If God meant us to fly, we would have been given wings.”

Caterpillars become flying butterflies; tadpoles become frogs. Other creatures are transformed by metamorphosis, becoming distinctly different.

When burdened by oppressive problems, how often persons wish they could change and fly away from problems. Some faithfully pursue the regimens of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs. They enjoy liberating changes, freedom from enslaving addictions.

I have known troubling times or conditions such as pain, fear and discouragement. My religion helped me bring about desirable changes.

Here’s what I do: The Apostle Paul advised us to “put off the old person and its experiences and put on the new, so we become the image of our creator.” A caterpillar works hard to create the cocoon in which metamorphosis makes it a beautiful, flying butterfly.

When I’ve had the presence of mind to follow Paul’s counsel, I knew I had to diligently commit myself to change. I had to stop seeing my true identity as being a troubled man. I needed to see myself, in idealized, spiritual truth, to be the secure, fit “new person” my creator intended me to be.

The essence of the beautiful butterfly is already present in the caterpillar. Similarly, I knew grace and its fulfilling answers exist already in my ideal selfhood. Spiritual efforts were needed to reveal and release them.

In my transforming mental work, I entertain the highest concept of a perfect ultimate that I can imagine. I get insight into the nature of the ultimate creator by perceiving the wonder of what it has caused. I see a matchless creativity working billions of years to evolve life from its original single-cell form up to us humans with our marvelous consciousness and conceptual intelligence.

I marvel at the incredible complexity of a human’s multitrillion-celled body with its senses, organs, muscle and bones. It is programmed to heal, thrive and renew itself continuously. All life forms, from their conception, grow, develop and progress. All are programmed to seek what is fulfilling — what makes for happiness and growth in love and goodness, even though our primal instinct is survival.

I dwell on these marvels in nature and life that I can see and feel. What created them, created me. I identify with that creator that is forever recreating and sustaining me. It has given me grace, unlimited abundant good.

I expect my needs to be met by life’s infinite benevolence, health and goodness. I open myself to receive them.

When I achieve a conviction of goodness, I release it to the creative power of life. It then meets my needs in tangible ways. I am grateful for the healing it provides.

When my meditative endeavor is successful, I enjoy the elevating freedom of happy fulfillment. I find myself lifted above dirt-bound suffering. Like the caterpillar, I am transformed into high-flying joy’s freedom, goodness and fulfillment.

The Rev. Edgar Peara is a retired Unitarian Universalist minister and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene.