From the Library of Deacon Mike:
My next recommendation is more than just a story; in fact, it is a book that contains 124 stories and parables from a variety of traditions – stories that are Budhist, Christian, Zen, Hasidic, Russian, Chinese, Hindu, Sufi; stories ancient and contemporary. And they all have a special quality: if read in a certain kind of way, they will produce spiritual growth. The title of the book is "The Song of The Bird" by Fr. Anthony de Mello and each of the stories that he presents is really a single lesson of life that teaches inescapable truths about ourselves and our world. As often as I have returned to this book which has been again and again and again, I have barely begun to capture the depth and profound richness of this truly magnificent piece of literature. Permit me to share just one story:
I was a neurotic for years. I was anxious and selfish.
Everyone kept telling me to change.
I resented them, and I agreed with them, and I wanted to
Change, but simply couldn't, no matter how hard I tried.
What hurt the most was that, like the others, my best friend
Kept insisting that I change. So I felt powerless and trapped.
Then, one day, he said to me, "Don't change. I love you
Just as you are."
These words were music to my ears: "Don't change. Don't
Change. Don't change…I love you just as you are."
I relaxed. I came alive. And suddenly I changed!
Now I know that I couldn't really change until I found
Someone who would love me whether I changed or not.
Is this how you love me, God?
I hope you will find this book a treasure to last a lifetime. I know it is for me!
Peace
Mike
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