Dangerous books part 1: Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

 

“It is easy to forget our times of knowing, to think they’ve been dreams or old miracles, one time. Nothing good is a miracle, nothing lovely is a dream.”

Ok, yes, it’s true. This book has been around almost as long as I have, but it is a must in the personal library of anyone seriously contemplating the meaning of life. Illusions is a short, simple, pithy tale of Bach’s brief but life-changing friendship with Donald Shimoda, a modern day messiah.

Tired of the crowds that clamored for his healings and miracles, but never really listened to his teaching, Shimoda has abandoned the messiah business and taken up flying an old biplane from town to town, offering $3 rides. He finds a willing student in Bach, though, so teaches him everything there is to know about living as a messiah. One of the first lessons is that within each of us lies the power to be messiah, to consent to health and freedom. Too often, though we give up this power to others, living up to their expectations and standards, allowing them to drain the life out of us.

Much of the reluctant messiah’s teaching sounds odd, but vaguely familiar as he turns and bends other messiahs’ well known teachings. He says, for example, “your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but the mark of a fake messiah.” After taking this to heart, Bach realizes that, “I do not exist to impress the world,” a good lesson for us all to remember.

Even if you’re not an avid reader (though really, it takes very little time to read this gem), the opening parable alone is worth the price of the book. In the interest of the publisher’s profits, I will not relay the entire parable here, but it starts thus, “Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river…each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rocks of the river bottom, for clinging was their way of life, and resisting the current what each had learned from birth. But one creature said at last, ‘I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go, and let it take me where it will. Clinging, I shall die of boredom.”

If you’re tired of clinging, if you’re dying of boredom, pick up Illusions and read it. Twice.

Next week...the most banned children's book of 2007! 

This series will delve into books you’re not likely to find in your church library, unless you have a really cool church. Most of them have been banned at one time or another. If you have a book to suggest for this series, please let me know in a comment.