Revelation 21:3-5 - The Grave Butterfly

 Overlooking Florence, Italy, is the San Miniato al Monte church with its graveyard. The latter is crowded but pretty, if you can call a graveyard pretty. 

While vacationing, we visited the church and then wandered through the cemetery. My wife was practicing reading Italian, and I was taking photographs of some very artistic and emotive sculptures.

At the farthest end was an overlook with the best view of Florence, created by a retaining wall so a solitary, family mausoleum could be built there.  Unlike other mausoleums, there were only two walls and a roof, creating a tiny breezeway. One of two markers was dedicated by Dr. Giulio Bolaffio to "Mia Madre" (my mother), Maria Termini. He had been an aide to the pope's personal physician. Only someone with wealth and influence could have built such an exclusive annex to the cemetery.

Despite the stunning view, it was still a graveyard. Then I spotted a Tiger Swallowtail, one of my favorite butterflies, with its tell-tale yellow and black stripes. I must have snapped fifty photos and finally captured the image of the butterfly in flight, about to land on some milkweed. Its proboscus (tongue) was already unfurled, ready to sip nectar from the flowers. It was a welcome irony to see that fragile life in flight, in a place of stillness and death.

After I got home, I looked more closely at the photograph. The butterfly had a torn wing. Even the most beautiful and inspiring things of nature aren't perfect. The Dutch Masters made it an art form in their paintings. A still life has fruit that looks tasty enough to eat... except for a bruised peach, already showing the first signs of decay. A vase of flowers looks gorgeous at first glance... until you see a weevil is eating away at a delicate rose petal. 

No matter how beautiful the view there is from a cemetery, the people in the graves can't see it! Even that Tiger Swallowtail, while announcing life, was marred by impending death. That's why John's prophecy of heaven carries such wonderful news:

Revelation 21:3–5 (New Living Translation) — 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”...

Lord God, we look forward to heaven. No more death. No more sorrow. No more crying. No more pain. And all things will be made new. Make Your home in our hearts now so that we will be at home in Your heaven, when Your Kingdom comes. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.