There is a rather humorous story in circulation in the blogosphere about a debate on belief between two twins still in their mother's womb. A point worth noting is the platonic inflection given to the relationship between the twins and their mother, which parallels the patristic understanding of the relationship between God (through Christ) and His creation, whereby God, because he is fully transcendent, is at the same time fully intimate with each of His creatures.
According to the version as depicted in the Serbian Orthodox blog Again and Again, the debate begins when the first twin asks another:
A: Do you believe in life after birth?
B: Of course, there must be something after birth.
A: That is nonsense. There is no life after birth. How would this life look like anyway?
B: I don’t know exactly, but I am convinced that there will be more light and that we will be able to walk and eat with our mouths…
A: That is complete nonsense. You know that it’s impossible to run and eat with your own mouth, that’s why we have the umbilical cord. I’m telling you, after birth there is no life.
B: The umbilical cord is too short. I’m convinced that there is something after birth. Something completely different from what we are living now.
A: But no one has ever returned from there. Life ends after birth. Besides, life is nothing else but existence in a tight and dark environment.
B: Well, I don’t know exactly how life after birth looks like, but we will, in any case, meet our Mommy. Then she will take care of us.
A: Mommy? You believe in Mommy? And where, according to you, would she be?
B: Everywhere around us, of course. Thanks to her, we are alive, without her, we would not exist at all.
A: I don’t believe it. I have never seen Mommy, so it is clear that she doesn’t exist.
B: Yes, it is possible, but sometimes, when we are perfectly still, we can hear her sing and caress our world. You know, I am convinced that life after birth, in fact, is only just the beginning.
Labels: blogs, Church Fathers