Allegory of the Kitty

A couple of weeks ago, I was preparing for youth group and this fun illustration came to me in the shower. When ideas come to me in the shower, I stay in the shower longer, which also turns me into a prune. Nice. Well, anyway, I've decided to call this illustration "Allegory of the Kitty," and here it is!

Imagine that in the city there is a clan of cats. Now, it is the dream of these cats to reach the skies, they want to reach the sky more than anything else in the world. Sure, there are other cats that want to reach the sky too, but this clan pursues their goal with rigor and zeal. Early every morning, just before sunrise, the cats of this clan wake and assemble at the Dunkin' Donuts parking lot. They form neat little rows, awaiting the arrival of their colonel.

Make no mistake - it's not easy being part of this cat clan. Training is constant. Claws are sharpened, hind legs are strengthened, poles are climbed. The exhilaration of reaching new heights, of being closer to the sky than ever before makes it all worth it. But with every new height reached comes the discouragement of the climb back down. Life in the cat clan is tough.

Then, Colonel Kitty Cat strides onto the scene. All of the cats stiffen at attention. The Colonel addresses his troops: "From the founding of our great clan, it has been our great goal, our great vision to reach the sky. Many may say they desire such a thing, but who is truly willing to pursue this noble aspiration? It has been said, 'Reach for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars.' That has been our motto since the beginning. We believed it then; do we believe it now???"

In a triumphant roar (as loud as one can reasonably expect cats to roar), the assembled cats give a hearty "meeeoooowww!" and put a paw to their foreheads in a smart salute. They are dismissed, but resume their training with renewed energy and determination. Claws sharper; legs stronger; higher heights reached, closer and closer to the sky!

One day, Colonel Kitty Cat hears of a traveler who has come to town, performing strange magics. Neglected litter boxes, all of a sudden, cleaned! Empty water bowls, filled to the brim! Fleas all over the fur, gone! This Traveler was the talk of the town.

During the night, the Colonel visits the Traveler. After all, the Traveler had been to many places, seen many things, and could do many things. Perhaps he had a piece of sage advice, or some new training strategy that would benefit his cat clan. So the Colonel asks, "Traveler, how can we reach the sky?" The Traveler responds: "you must be a bird."

Strange! A world turned upside down! Was all his work for nothing? All his training and labor? He pushed his cats hard, made them train with all of their might, but there was nothing he asked of his cats that he did not ask of himself. No, even more! He had become colonel only through the strictest of discipline. Besides... bird? He was a cat, and cats are not birds!

So the Colonel inquires of the Traveler, "and how exactly does a cat become a bird?" The Traveler replies, "no one can reach the sky unless he can fly. You're a cat, you can't fly. Birds can fly, you must be a bird."

The reasoning was undeniable. But still, the Colonel asks, how? If flying is the only way to reach the sky, and only birds can fly, what hope is there for a cat? The Traveler says to the Colonel, "I can turn you into a bird. Entrust yourself to me, and I will turn you into a bird."

Could it be? The Traveler was turning his world upside-down! All his labor and training, for naught? Could it be so... but what about... and who is this Traveler anyway, can he really do such a thing? But he himself had seen just yesterday the mice that were caught in a house which had no mice. He had seen himself the dogs that became still from the quiet meow of the Traveler. He believed that the Traveler could turn him into a bird. But could he believe in the Traveler? Could he entrust himself to the Traveler, to be transformed?

Well, reader, Colonel Kitty Cat's question is one you need to think about, and it's one I've been thinking about too. I try so hard to be moral, honest, ethical. Dutiful, law abiding. Hard working. But does all my climbing get me any closer to heaven? Intellect sharpened, determination strengthened, higher heights reached, closer to God, closer to heaven? But never enough.

Cats can't fly. Flesh can't see the kingdom of God. How does a cat fly? Transformation. By being born again as a bird. How does flesh see the kingdom of heaven? Transformation. By being born again, of the Spirit. And how does this rebirth happen? The Colonel needs to believe in the Traveler, and we need to believe in Jesus.

And it is not enough to just believe that Jesus can save me. I need to believe in Jesus. This is so hard for me because I want to do it on my own, to just climb. I have a lot of trouble giving up my ways, trusting Jesus, even though I know that this is the best way, the only way. But. It's the only way.

Anyway! There it is for you :). Allegory of the Kitty, and, John Chapter Three!