There are large stained glass windows at both ends of the sanctuary at First Baptist Church of Seymour. This isn’t at all unusual. Stained glass was and remains a common feature of many church buildings. What is uncommon, however, is the images contained within those windows. Often, stained glass windows depict major biblical stories or symbols. Common symbols include crosses, stars, roses of Sharon, lions, lambs, and doves. Our stained glass windows depict butterflies.
2 Corinthians 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; The old has gone, the new is here!”
It doesn’t take much effort or explanation to understand the intended symbolism. The life cycle of the butterfly from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly provides an amazing analog to both the life, burial, and resurrection of Christ and the new life He provides in those who accept His gift of grace. The caterpillar lives upon the earth for a time. The caterpillar then transitions into a chrysalis, functionally entombing it and ending life as it had been. By God’s grace, the cocoon eventually cracks open and a butterfly emerges, spreads its wings, and flies off to live a new heavenly life. It poignantly portrays the words of the Apostle Paul found in 2 Corinthians 5:17. It reads, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; The old has gone, the new is here!”
While visiting churches in Greece, I happened upon what were, to me, uncommon images within a church sanctuary. Rather than butterflies emblazoned in stained glass, these churches had peacocks embedded in the floors or walls. At the site of the oldest church in Europe in ancient Philippi, there were two separate mosaics dating back about 1500 years containing images of peacocks. In a more modern church on the island of Mykonos, there were peacocks engraved into the stone walls. On at least two occasions, we visited churches that had live peacocks parading around their gardens.
For the Greeks, both ancient and modern, the peacock serves as an illustration of eternal life in Christ. Every year, male peacocks lose their long, ornate feathers. As the old, well-worn feathers fall out, however, they are replaced by new, more brilliant feathers. Yet again, the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17 come to mind: “The old has gone, the new is here!”
God is in the business of bringing new and eternal life when and where it appears the end is all but certain.
Simple reminders like these are important. It is so easy to have our vision dimmed by the difficulties of our day, or to allow our past failures and faults distract us from present development and future realities through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit within us. The images of butterflies and peacocks may be uncommon in our churches but they remind us of an incredible truth in Scripture. God is in the business of bringing new and eternal life when and where it appears the end is all but certain. Christ came down to this earth to live among us. He died a terrible death and was laid in a grave, but the grave could not keep Him. Three days later, Christ rose from the grave victorious, making eternal life available to all who believe. So, the next time you see a beautiful butterfly or a parading peacock, remember the grace of God and the eternal life that is available to you through Jesus Christ.
