There is a story about a man who went to a pet store to buy a parrot. He thought the bird might fill his lonely hours. The next day, however, he came back to complain, “The bird doesn’t talk.”
The store owner asked if he had a mirror in its cage. “Parrots love mirrors,” he explained. “When he sees his reflection in the mirror, he’ll talk.” So he sold him a birdcage mirror.
The bird owner was back the next day to gripe that his parrot still hadn’t said a word. “That’s very peculiar,” said the store owner. “How about a swing? Birds love these little swings, and a happy parrot is a talkative parrot.” So he bought a swing, took it home, and installed it in the cage.
But he was back the next day with the same story. “Does it have a ladder to climb?” the salesman asked. “That just has to be the problem.” So he bought a ladder.
The man was back at the pet store when it opened the next day. From the look on his face, the owner knew something was wrong. “Didn’t your parrot like the ladder?’ he asked. His repeat customer looked up and said, “The parrot died.”
“I’m so sorry,” the store owner said. “Did he ever say anything?”
“Well, yes. He finally talked just before he died. In a weak little voice, he asked, ‘Don’t they sell any bird seed at that pet store?'”
Some of us have mistakenly thought that happiness consists of lining our cages with toys, gadgets, and “Whoever has the most toys wins” is the bumper sticker for our culture. But is it so?
There is a spiritual hunger in the human heart that can’t be satisfied by seeing one’s own image reflected back in vanity mirrors, playing with our grown up toys, or climbing the corporate ladder. Our hearts need real nourishment.
The love of family and friends, relationships over the pursuit of more things, personal integrity, a secure connection to God – these are the things that feed the soul.
Jesus said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). He knew that our souls could never be satisfied with anything less.
-David