Leaving Limbs

Parts of your physical body don't just disappear. They can't decide to leave the body...even if they had a mind to. They can stop working. They can become paralyzed. They can die of gangrene. They can be severed in an accident or surgically removed. But they can't decide to leave.

And even if they could leave your body, they can't physically join another body. But suppose it's possible. Suppose your thumb did decide to leave your body and took the four fingers of your right hand along, too. Yes, there is blood when it happens even though there was no forced trauma.

"What are you doing?" you ask in shock. "Where are you going? Why are you leaving?"

"We feel that we are no longer of use to this body," the thumb declares. "We are going to join another body."

"But why?"

"We just feel that we are finished here."

"But why? Doesn't the other body already have thumbs and fingers?"

"Yes, the other body already has thumbs and fingers - the best we've seen - that's why we're going there. They are doing the most extraordinary things and they've made room for us."

You are in pain. "I don't understand. If you leave our body for that other body, you're leaving us without a thumb and four fingers! You are hurting the rest of the body."

"Yes," thumb sympathizes, "but another thumb and fingers will come along to take our place."

"Can you please tell me what we have done that you should leave?"

"Can't we leave for no reason?" he replies. "Our Instinct tell us we are done here, are you arguing with our Instinct? We feel our Instinct leading us to this other body. It's our Instinct, I tell you."

You don't know what to say. Thumb continues, "Look, this was a very hard decision for us to make, the four fingers and I. If we were hurt or angry with the body then this decision would be easy. But it wasn't easy. It was very hard."

Finally you manage to say, "I'm disappointed. I'm saddened. I'm saddened for the rest of the body."

"I understand this is disappointing news, but can't you be glad for us? We are following our Instinct after all. The four fingers and I are going to be so happy with this other body and all the other thumbs and fingers, there are scores of them!"

And so the thumb and the four fingers on your right hand leave your body. You never hear how they managed with their new body. You wonder where new thumbs and fingers are going to come from, you aren't a starfish!

"For the body does not consist of one member but of many...The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.'" (I Cor. 12:14, 21)