I had them in a plastic bag because that's all I really had to catch them in. I caught four to observe and study. As I worked I kept them in my locker. After work I retrieved the bag and noticed that one of the bigger larvae was eating one of the smaller larvae. This phenomenon may be gross, but is common in insects. If kept hungry, many insects will become cannibalistic and eat those around them. This made me think of another experience I had with a pray mantis that I was keeping. Pray mantis are also usually considered as cool bugs and good for the garden. Pray mantis, like ladybugs, also eat other bugs as there food source. So it is quite fun to throw in crickets, flies, and other bugs, and watch the pray mantis hunt them and eat them. On this occasion I watched the pray mantis, on the roof catching crickets to eat. As it would catch one and eat it, the crickets hungry associates left on the bottom would gather around and eat the parts falling from their buddy being eaten above.
Some would be grossed out by this and horrified at the scene of such behavior; but in observing these bugs and incidents it got me thinking, are we as humans really that different from these bugs? Of course for the majority of the time when we get hungry we don't eat each other, but what about our other hungers and appetites? Our other physical, emotional and mental needs and desires such as, the need to feel loved or the desire to be recognized. How are those hungers being fed? To have these appetites fed do we "eat" our fellowman? Meaning do we use, abuse, or misuse others or our relationships with them to get what we need? Just like the crickets that were eating their fellow crickets remains, we sometimes throw our fellowman to the curb to get what we want. The problem with this type of lifestyle is that it will eventually catch up to you. Can you guess what happened when the pray mantis finished the cricket it was currently eating? It didn't have to go far or even try, it just picked up the next one out of the group of the eager crickets awaiting more parts to fall; and so the cycle continued.
So are we really all that different from insects or other animals? In the question of how did man get here initially, there are a few theories. One of the more predominant ones being evolution. Though with it's fame, it is commonly misunderstood or represented. The theory of evolution does not state that we came from monkeys, but states that we have a common ancestor. Here, I will not indulge in either trying to prove or disprove the idea or theory of evolution. I will, however, talk about the idea of common ancestors. This part of evolution brings forth the idea that all living things are all then inherently related. This makes sense seeing it from a spiritual perspective and with the belief that we were all created by the same Creator.
Then the question remains, is there anything that differentiates us from insects or other living things and if so, what is it? I would definitely agree with the view that, though we are similar or related to other life down to even having DNA, the building block of life, we as humans have something that is different and unique. Continuing in the spiritual perspective of things, we are not just a physical body, but a spirit child sent from God as well. Both combined make up a soul.
Whether our body came from evolution or some other means, doesn't matter. However, the idea of being related to other life forms with the observation of the insects eating one another, does show how each of us has the natural man to face. What our body wants to do naturally. It's appetites and hungers have to be fed and our physical body doesn't really care how that happens, as long as it happens. Like mentioned before though, we are all not just physical bodies, but spirits as well. It is our spiritual identity as children of God that does care about how we feed these hungers. It craves and needs a lifestyle that builds our relationship with God and creates positive relationships with others around us. Both the physical and spiritual needs can be filled by living the gospel of Jesus Christ. He taught and set forth the pattern of how to live our lives properly. In such a way that we can feed our physical bodily needs while feeding our spiritual needs all in the correct manner. This is not easy, but true discipline over both, the physical and spiritual, and the proper relationship with both creates true happiness.
Going back to the thoughts of the ladybug larvae, it allows us to go from spiny larvae who eat other bugs and each other, to something like a beautiful lady bug. This change and transformation isn't easy. All caterpillars and larvae grow and grow until they reach a point in their lives, like all of us, that we have to decide if we are going to change or not. This is initiated with a choice, but it is followed by a process of change. Larvae of insects then have to go into cocoons or similar things to spend time in a process of change. We too make the decision to change that is then followed through with a process. Feelings like, we aren't really moving anywhere, that we are vulnerable, or that all of the sudden we are restricted in all these things and can't really move or be free, may arise. This is probably a little bit of what the larvae in a cocoon feel as it changes; not being able to travel from place to place or even really move outside of the cocoon. If, like the caterpillar or larvae, we bide our time though, and take the necessary steps to change, we can emerge from what may seem like restrictions to a life full of freedom, happiness, and light; just as a larvae who does the adequate things and spends the time to change, emerges as a beautiful butterfly, ladybug or other insect that is full of color, life, and light. This is what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers me and I am grateful to have it in my life.
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