News from the front porch
Comments abound on the front porch about the abundance of butterflies this season. Butterflies elegantly sporting their bright colors among the foliage are as relaxing and pleasing to the eye as flower gazing. The Morpho butterfly is one of the brightest of blue butterflies under God's spotlight of sun rays. However, when observed closely in artificial light it appears dull grayish brown.
According to G. M. Whitesides in "Illuminated Life," the butterfly can do this because the scales on its wings form a type of diffraction grating called a photonic band gap. The Morpho's latticework of diffraction grating is formed by the precise spacing design of the wing scales so that they are comparable to the wavelength of sun light. When white light hits the grating, it breaks down into its various colors. The red light waves cancel each other out and all the other colors are scattered, except blue. As a result, the blue color never fades, and it is so intense that it can be seen up to half a mile away. Scientists comment that mankind does not yet know how to make an optical structure this complex.
The "scattering" of colors that leaves bright blue to dominate the wing of the Morpho butterfly is the same color disbursing effect that leaves the sky blue even though all the colors of the rainbow are refracted from sunlight in the atmosphere. What an awesome privilege this butterfly owns to have the same color signature from our magnificent Creator as the beautiful blue sky He created for us to enjoy!
The fact that the splendid blue color of the Morpho butterfly is only evident in the sun light that God created reflects the truth of Isaiah 9:2, "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light -- a light that will shine on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow."
That great light is the Son Light in which the way and the truth become visible to us. "Jesus said to the people, 'I am the Light of the world. If you follow Me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the Light that leads to Life.'" John 8:12
This Light-that-leads-to-Life signature is gifted to us through our reception of Christ's payment for our sins, and as a result, His Light in us becomes as prominent in the world as the brilliant blue Morpho butterfly is in the garden. "You are the light of the world -- like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand for all to see." Matthew 5: 14, 15 NLT. How privileged we are to be bearers of the Son Light!
Dianne Brady is an author and speaker and can be reached at dbrady@a4isp.com.
