The Parable of the Parrot
*Disclaimer: sure, sure I’ve posted this story with a slightly different twist before but somethings bear repeating.
“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said ‘You know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed…’” John 21:15
There once was a guy who thought it would be cool to have a parrot. You know, the talking kind. So he shelled out around $1200 for a talking bird. The first night he had it at home he tried to get it to talk…the usual parrot stuff like, “Polly want a cracker?” and “What’s up, Peg Leg?”.
But, the parrot wouldn’t say a word. Not a syllable or even the quintessential “craa-craa” (wow, I was actually able to use the word quintessential).
Well, the fella was pretty disappointed. He went back to the pet store the next day and complained that there was something wrong with his bird.
The owner asked, “What kind of mirror did you get for the parrot’s cage?”
“Mirror?” the man asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Sure, what kind of mirror is in the cage? You see, parrots are communal birds. When they see another parrot just like themself they start to verbalize. Just sounds and stuff. When your parrot sees his reflection in the mirror he’ll think it’s a different bird and will start making sound. Then you can start talking to him and he’ll imitate you.”
So the guy bought the mirror and went home to put it in the cage. Well, sure enough the parrot loved the mirror. He would sit on his perch and pimp and preen in front of it. He would puff up his feathers and cock his head from one side to the other admiring himself.
But, alas. He didn’t make a sound.
The next day the man went back to the pet shop to complain, again. The owner asked, “Doesn’t the parrot play with the bell you put in the cage?”
“What bell?”
“The bell that came with the cage.”
“There wasn’t any bell.”
The owner sighed, “Oh, you must not have bought the deluxe cage. It comes with a bell. But, I’ll sell you one as an option and the parrot will love it. They love to play with bells and when they hear themselves make the sound they’ll try to answer it with their own sounds.”
The man bought the bell and went home, a bit incredulous.
When he put the bell in the cage the parrot took to it immediately. He would watch himself in the mirror while he played with the bell. All night he rang the bell and posed in front of the mirror. But, still he didn’t make a sound.
The following day the man, exasperated, went back to the pet shop. He complained, “There is something wrong with that bird, I’m tellin’ ya’. I bought the mirror and nothing. I bought the bell and nothing. I’m going to bring him back tomorrow.”
“I don’t understand,” said the pet shop owner. “Every parrot I’ve ever sold loved the mirror, bell and whistle.”
“Whistle, what whistle!?”
“Oh, that’s right,” said the shop owner. “You bought the economy cage. The whistle comes standard with the deluxe model. But, no matter. I can sell you a whistle.”
The owner continued, “Every parrot expert says that you need a whistle for the parrot to blow into. When the parrot blows into the whistle it prompts him to make sounds with his own mouth. This, combined with the external sound of the bell and the mirror will have that parrot of yours talking in no time.”
“Let me have it, but this better work or back the parrot comes tomorrow,” retorted the frustrated man.
When the man returned home and installed the whistle the parrot bobbed his head with delight. He watched himself in the mirror as he rang the bell and blew in the whistle. All night long this went on…clang, clang, clang and tweet, tweet, tweet. Incessantly it went on keeping the man awake until the early morning hours.
Then, in the darkness just before dawn, the noise stopped. At first the man was thankful for the peace and quiet. But soon his curiosity at why the sound had stopped so abruptly overcame his craving for sleep.
Maybe the parrot was finally getting ready to speak!
Quietly, the man tiptoed into the room where the parrot cage was kept. Squinting through the darkness the man couldn’t make out the shape of the bird. Inching closer he realized that the parrot was laying on its back on the floor of the cage…it’s feet sticking straight up in the air. The parrot’s chest heaved as it struggled for air.
At the sight of his very expensive, very quiet, and now listless bird dying before his eyes the man commenced to let out a torrent of “bowling words”. Words directed toward the bird and the pet shop owner. Words that the pet shop owner would have been very interested hear if he had been there.
After several minutes of expletives calling into question the pet store salesman’s ancestry the man took a breath. In the silence, he noticed that the bird was gasping for air and trying to make a sound.
He leaned closer attempting to make out the sound. Could it be? Was the parrot finally speaking?
Sure enough, the sound coming from the bottom of the cage were words.
The man opened the cage and gingerly lifted the nearly lifeless bird to his ear. He heard the bird gasp its final breath and ask a single question…
“Didn’t they have any bird food down at that store?”
Worship leaders can put on the greatest “dog and pony” show on Sunday mornings. We can be like the Sons of Issachar, knowing the times in which we live. We can present music, drama, videos, etc. that reflect the culture around us. We can have all the bells and whistles: thumping subs, ‘verb and compression and delay, digital sound desks, in ear monitors, ellipsoidals, gels and gobos, intellis, a kickin’ band and radical tech team.
But, if the sheep and lambs (and parrots) ain’t bein’ fed they die. They might be having a good time with all the bells and whistles, but “where there is no vision, the people perish…” Where the people aren’t being nourished with the Word of God they die of spiritual malnutrition.
So beware of reliance on the bells and whistles. We worship leaders set the banquet table so that the people can be fed at the feast of revelation from God.