After eighty-seven years of thought and observation, I say not merely that I believe in God –I can even say that I see Him.
Jean Henri Fabre (1823-1915)
Jean Henri Fabre, the great French naturalist, conducted a most unusual experiment with some Processionary Caterpillars. Processionary Caterpillars blindly follow the one in front of them. That’s why they are called “processionary”–they travel in a procession.
Fabre filled a flower pot close to the rim with dirt. He then carefully arranged some Processionary Caterpillars in a circle around the rim of the flower pot, so that the lead caterpillar actually touched the last one, making a complete circle. In the center of the flower pot he put pine needles, which is food for the Processionary Caterpillar.
The caterpillars started walking around the circular flower pot. Around and around they went, hour after hour, day after day, night after night. They obtained no nourishment, no rest. For seven full days and seven full nights they went around the flower pot. Finally, they dropped dead of starvation and exhaustion.
The caterpillars were quite busy doing what they knew how to do. They got stuck doing what came natural to them. They never got fed. All they needed to do was something a little different.
What about us? Are we doing what feels right and starving?
For a brief biography on Fabre click here.
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