Once upon a time, an enemy captured a prince’s fair maiden, and put her in a tower. The prince recruited the help of two small animals to send a message to the maiden.
First there was Claude Caterpillar. Claude didn’t mind helping maidens in distress, but he was still a crusty character. Always woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Always had a headache or something. Anyway, the prince gave him the message.
On the way he thought, “Just great! The sun’s shining.” When it started raining he thought, “I just had this suit cleaned.” But he made it to the tower. He began climbing inch-by-inch up a vine till he realized it was a rose bush, and all the way up you could hear, “Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!”
When he finally heaved himself up on the widow ledge, he hollered in, “Hey, Lady, come here. Are you the maiden in distress?” She nodded.
“You’re kidding. I came all the way up here for the likes of you? Anyhow, the prince sends this message, and you won’t believe how hard it was for me to get here, but he’s coming to get you. Five sharp! Understand? Alright! Goodbye!” And off Claude went.
Next the prince sent Barney Butterfly. It was rainy and windy but Barney said he’d be happy to go. His soft wings lifted him gently into the air. The wind blew him a lot and ruffled his wings, but he kept flying. As he approached the window, a swooping bird almost ate him alive. He darted into the window and flew two circles around the maiden till she put forth her hand and he lit.
I have a message for you from the prince: “Lovely and favored maiden, the prince loves you dearly. At the sound of his voice, jump from the window and into his arms.”
The maiden replied, “Thank you butterfly, You are very sweet. But tell me, why did the caterpillar bring the good news in such a nasty, rude manner?”
Barney replied, “Oh, you mean Claude? Well, that’s just Claude. I used to be that way, too, until I was transformed.”
Until I was transfigured.
Until I was converted.
Someone once asked John Westerhoff, III: “Reverend Westerhoff, must one be converted to be a Christian?”
Then he told about his own conversion. It took place in the fields of Paraguay. He was taken blindfolded to a cave one night to meet an escaped priest who had been a political prisoner.
Two days later, on Sunday, with a group of peasants, they went to celebrate Mass in a cane field so they could not be seen.
A little boy carried a handmade cross at the head of the procession. Suddenly, the police arrived looking for the escaped prisoner. They saw the cross moving through the cane break. A shot rang out and the ten-year-old boy fell to the ground. Then it happened— his little sister reached down, picked up the cross, and carried it forward.
The priest, realizing what had happened, ran to the front, stood up and screamed, “Here I am!” No one else would have to die.
Dr. Westerhoff said, “That day I saw first-hand what it means to witness. My life was turned around, changed. I determined that henceforth my life would be different; it would be lived radically for Christ and his kingdom.”
At this point, Dr. Westerhoff answered the question he had been asked: “No. You do not have to be converted to be a Christian, a member of the church; but a Christian has to be converted to be a mature Christian.”
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