Recently, I was cleaning out a desk drawer and I came across something I had saved from many. many years ago. This is a great allegory for our times. An allegory is a story with two levels of meaning. First, there's the external layer of the story; the characters and plot and all the obvious things that are instantly visible. Secondly, there's the symbolic level, or the deeper meaning that represents all the things on the surface and what they represent symbolically. This is a parable of faith and hope.
I tried to find out who wrote the article originally and I found out that this article has been circulating the internet for years. Some claim it as an old French story, others credit it to the great inspirational write J.W.Nouwen, still others list several other possibilities. But I believe it is too good to let it not be printed for the times we are living in. It not only represents birth but it also represents death all in the same article. So to who ever wrote it, “Thank You.”
The title of the article is In A Mother’s Womb
In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”
The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”
“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”
The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”
The first replied, “That is absurd! Walking is impossible! And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.“
The second one insisted, “Well, I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”
The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”
“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet mother and she will take care of us.”
The first replied “Mother?!” You actually believe in mother? That is laughable. If mother exists where is she now?”
The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of her. It is in her that we live. Without her this world would not and could not exist.”
Said the first, “Well I don’t see her, so it’s only logical that she doesn’t exist.”
To which the second replied, “Right, but sometimes, when we are silent you can hear her singing or feel her caressing our world. You know, I think there’s a real life waiting for us and now we are only preparing for that.”
And so the last days in the womb were filled with deep questioning and fear and finally the moment of birth arrived. When the twins had passed from their world, they opened their eyes and cried, but what they saw exceeded their fondest dreams. What they saw was the beautiful eyes of their mother, as they were cradled lovingly in her arms. They saw the biggest smile of their father. They were home!!!!
#######
We hardly understand the birth process and we hardly understand about life after death. But they are very similar. Our modern snobbishness, condescension and attitudes of self-importance have infiltrated our churches, our country and the world. We now worship our own intelligence, the “we know it all” attitude is now permeating all cultures. We have been caught in the “snare of the fowler.” Never have our egos been so big. Satan has penetrated the church to change it, to change its message, to change its purpose, to distort the gospel and to wear down the saints. There is nothing new under the sun. When the first church began Satan put all of these same obstacles in the way; BUT GOD had the church grow.
When you are out and friends begin to speak listen to what they say about birth and life after death. It will really amaze you. If we would truly read the Bible and stop fighting God’s will for our lives; if we could just have the faith and humility to break free of our own self-importance we’d see quite plainly that we were made for so much more.
In 1 Corinthians 2:9, scripture says: But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
I tried to find out who wrote the article originally and I found out that this article has been circulating the internet for years. Some claim it as an old French story, others credit it to the great inspirational write J.W.Nouwen, still others list several other possibilities. But I believe it is too good to let it not be printed for the times we are living in. It not only represents birth but it also represents death all in the same article. So to who ever wrote it, “Thank You.”
The title of the article is In A Mother’s Womb
In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”
The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”
“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”
The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”
The first replied, “That is absurd! Walking is impossible! And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.“
The second one insisted, “Well, I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”
The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”
“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet mother and she will take care of us.”
The first replied “Mother?!” You actually believe in mother? That is laughable. If mother exists where is she now?”
The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of her. It is in her that we live. Without her this world would not and could not exist.”
Said the first, “Well I don’t see her, so it’s only logical that she doesn’t exist.”
To which the second replied, “Right, but sometimes, when we are silent you can hear her singing or feel her caressing our world. You know, I think there’s a real life waiting for us and now we are only preparing for that.”
And so the last days in the womb were filled with deep questioning and fear and finally the moment of birth arrived. When the twins had passed from their world, they opened their eyes and cried, but what they saw exceeded their fondest dreams. What they saw was the beautiful eyes of their mother, as they were cradled lovingly in her arms. They saw the biggest smile of their father. They were home!!!!
#######
We hardly understand the birth process and we hardly understand about life after death. But they are very similar. Our modern snobbishness, condescension and attitudes of self-importance have infiltrated our churches, our country and the world. We now worship our own intelligence, the “we know it all” attitude is now permeating all cultures. We have been caught in the “snare of the fowler.” Never have our egos been so big. Satan has penetrated the church to change it, to change its message, to change its purpose, to distort the gospel and to wear down the saints. There is nothing new under the sun. When the first church began Satan put all of these same obstacles in the way; BUT GOD had the church grow.
When you are out and friends begin to speak listen to what they say about birth and life after death. It will really amaze you. If we would truly read the Bible and stop fighting God’s will for our lives; if we could just have the faith and humility to break free of our own self-importance we’d see quite plainly that we were made for so much more.
In 1 Corinthians 2:9, scripture says: But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
RSS Feed