Long-tailed Skipper 'Cleanliness is Next to Godliness'

While watching a Long-tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus butterfly caterpillar wander along a green bean stem, I watched it go into its folded leaf ‘home’, pick up a piece of frass, go to the edge of the leaf and drop it off onto the ground. (Frass is the scientific word for caterpillar poop.)


Nature quite often has a way of cleaning up after itself.

I am reminded of how often we hear, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. I am 52, grew up reading the bible, yet never read such a verse. This relieves me as I am not known as the world’s best housekeeper. I’m not the worst but I might give some of them a run for their money!

But as much as I’d like to pretend that it’s OK for me to not do housekeeping, mow the lawn, hang up the clothes, wash dishes, and other household chores, I can’t ignore the fact that I am to be a steward of what God has given me! I am getting better ...

A study of the word 'clean' in the bible indicates how important cleanliness of our hearts and minds is to God. The pharasiees were concerned about outward cleanliness while Jesus taught that if the inside was clean, the outside would become clean.

Matthew 23;26 "Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.