Candles in the Dark , livre ebook

Candles in the Dark
Candles in the Dark
A Treasury of the World s Most Inspiring Parables
Todd Outcalt

John Wiley Sons, Inc.
Copyright 2002 by Todd Outcalt. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada
The publishers have generously given permission to use material from the following copyrighted works: The Ant and the Pigeon, Bound Together, The Last of the Golden Eggs, The Reminder, Strength in Numbers, and Two Friends and a Bear from Aesop: The Complete Fables, translated by Olivia and Robert Temple. Copyright 1998 Olivia and Robert Temple. Reprinted by permission of the authors. A Day and Night, The Greatest Treasure, and The Silver Window from Rabbinic Wisdom and Jewish Values, by William Silverman. Copyright 1971 Union of American Hebrew Congregations Press. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
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ISBN 0-471-43594-5
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Bill and Marilyn
Contents
Preface
Author s Note
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Candles in the Dark
1 Family Matters
2 Faith to Live By
3 Hope Springs Eternal
4 The Love That Conquers All
5 The Power of Friendship
6 Embracing the Freedom to Live
7 Finding the Wisdom Within
8 Seeing the Possibilities
9 Seeking a Guiding Light
10 The Strength of a Virtuous Life
11 The Gentle Art of Encouragement
12 The Lighter Side of Life
Notes on the Parables
Bibliography
Preface
While I was putting the finishing touches on Candles in the Dark, I was also struggling with the aftermath of the terrorist attacks that took place the morning of September 11, 2001. Like most Americans, I felt an evaporation of spirit while watching the horrifying images on television. Given the stark reality of such a tragedy, suddenly this book seemed so small and insignificant.
However, as people around the world began to grieve and grapple with the meaning of these events-and as I listened to some people who expressed hatred of others based on religion, creed, nationality, or race-I realized that this book could be an offering of hope and reconciliation in the post-September 11 world. The work of peace is ever before us, and I want to do my part by offering some stories of profound insight and wisdom-stories which are Jewish and Christian, Islamic and Buddhist, African and Native American, told by rich and poor over centuries of time.
I truly believe these stories can help us to light our own candles in the darkness of ignorance, hatred, and apathy, and can encourage us to embrace the best that is within each of us.
Author s Note
Most of the parables in this book are paraphrases of classic stories compiled from a variety of sources-both written and oral. In many instances, my rendition of the parables was originally told before live audiences in a variety of settings, and I frequently changed the language and structure of a particular parable to make it more understandable or enjoyable to a modern audience.
As a pastor, I have also used many of these parables in my work to offer insights and encouragement. Through the years, I have learned the value of these stories in addressing many aspects of the human condition.
I was also able, at long last, to utilize my background in classical studies for my own translations of the tales of Avianus. I used the Loeb Classical Library text of the Minor Latin Poets, and attempted to render the poetry of Avianus in a readable prose form for this work.
While not all of these stories would be classified in the narrowest sense as parables, I have selected fables, folktales, and moralistic stories that provide a strong teaching moment or insight. As such, I hope these are the greatest parables assembled in a single collection to date.
My hope was to offer a definitive collection of the world s greatest parables-from different cultures, times, and religious traditions-that would provide the general reader a comprehensive and fascinating glimpse of these timeless stories. I hope to have completed the task with some clarity and insight.
Several of these parables were originally published in somewhat different forms at http://www.fatbrain.com .
Every effort was made to trace copyright holders of works-where these existed. However, since many of these stories come from traditional or ancient sources, this effort proved to be most challenging. If any unintended omissions have occurred, I would ask for your forgiveness and would like to hear from you. I would be happy to make appropriate acknowledgments in future editions of the work.
Acknowledgments
This book could not have been written without the support of many fine people, who also provided encouragement along the way.
My thanks to Tom Miller, who saw promise in this idea and helped me to craft the concept into a much richer book, offering perceptive insights and editorial guidance. Additional thanks to Elizabeth Zack, who persevered with me through some trying months and a mountain of questions while I was doing research for the book. Her expertise during the final stages of the book was invaluable and she continued to hold up the hope that all would be well. I am also grateful to Mark Steven Long for his guidance en route to the final manuscript, and to Diana Drew for her meticulous eye for detail and for cleaning up my messy prose.
I also thank my agent, Madeleine Morel, who not only guided me through this idea and stayed with the proposal through some doubtful months, but also created the perfect title.
Thanks to Valerie Traore and the African student body at the University of Indianapolis for passing along some wonderful tales and parables from their homelands, and to the people of University Heights United Methodist Church in Indianapolis.
I would also like to acknowledge those publishers granting permission to use copyrighted material. In particular, a rare little volume of Buddhist literature from Japan- The Teaching of Buddha (Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, 1966)-proved to be a most inspiring source of traditional Buddhist tales.
Most of all, I thank my family-Becky, Chelsey, and Logan-who not only made the sacrifices necessary for the completion of the book, but continue, every day, to fill my life with new stories. I love you.
Introduction
Among the voluminous sources of Buddhist literature, there are many references attributed to the Buddha that begin with the phrase, Now let me tell you a parable . . . These words might remind Christians of the varied stories of the New Testament gospels that begin with the phrase, Then Jesus told them a parable or, in the earlier Jewish scriptures and oral rabbinical traditions, Once there was a man who . . .
Parables, for all of their brevity and density, possess a universal appeal and often extend beyond the religious, social, and historic milieus in which they were first spoken or written. As such, we find in parables both enlightenment and entertainment, for stories have the ability to move the heart as well as the imagination.
This book is meant to be such a collection-a journey of the soul as well as the mind. The parables represented in this book are by no means exhaustive of any culture or faith, but they do represent some of the finest from the great traditions of the past, including Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Native American, and African. Also included are tales gathered from the traditions of Sufism (Islamic mysticism), Hassidism, and from Taoist texts, among others. Many Yiddish parables that have been handed down orally for centuries have only recently been put into writing, and many Christian teachers have attempted to use the parable as a teaching method over the centuries, including the sizable collection of parables attributed to the Desert Fathers.
As you read through this collection, you will note that I have attempted to order the parables by topic. However, parables, like all great stories, often defy definition and contain a surplus of meaning-which is to say that they can address many face