By Paulo Coelho
Many years ago, there lived a man who was capable of loving and forgiving everyone he came across. Because of this, God sent an angel to talk to him.
‘God asked me to come and visit you and tell you that he wishes to reward you for your goodness,’ said the angel. ‘You may have any gift you wish for. Would you like the gift of healing?’
‘Certainly not,’ said the man. ‘I would prefer God to choose those who should be healed.’
‘And what about leading sinners back to the path of Truth?’
‘That’s a job for angels like you. I don’t want to be venerated by anyone or to serve as a permanent example.’
‘Look, I can’t go back to Heaven without having given you a miracle. If you don’t choose, I’ll have to choose one for you.’
The man thought for a moment and then said:
‘All right, I would like good to be done through me, but without anyone noticing, not even me, in case I should commit the sin of vanity.’
So the angel arranged for the man’s shadow to have the power of healing, but only when the sun was shining on the man’s face. In this way, wherever he went, the sick were healed, the earth grew fertile again, and sad people rediscovered happiness.
The man traveled the Earth for many years, oblivious of the miracles he was working because when he was facing the sun, his shadow was always behind him. In this way, he was able to live and die unaware of his own holiness.
very inspiring.. =)
“Cute story. However, not “biblical.”
First of all, anyone who has read the Scriptures would know that the SUPREME gift of all, that which man is allowed to covet, is the gift of LOVE. He had that. Why would God want to give him an inferior gift to compensate him for superior gift he already possess? Hell, had Paulo Coelho known scripture he would have complemented his gift of charity/love with faith and/or hope.
Secondly, it would be the gift of healing that would lead him to vanity not that of the proselytizer (“leading sinners back to the path of truth”). Proselytizing is known in the Xtian tradition as The Great Commission. See the quote from the Bible below.
The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them ina the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Finally, in healing, men believe they ARE God versus and those healed often believe the person with the hand in the healing is God, was for a moment their “personal” god, or at minimum a godsend. For this reason Christ reminded the vipers of, and foreshadowed, the following phrase, “Physician, heal yourself!” Notice that the angel gave him the gift of healing as perhaps the man wanted to feel like God but didn’t want to condemn himself to hell should he have been made aware of the “gift.” The dude was Jewed. With love comes the gift of eternal life and all the angel gave him was the gift of healing unbeknown to him and not even OF him, but of God–as are all things, but the healing didn’t even come from him so how can it be counted as good towards him when he didn’t know?
Now personally…I think it would have been nice if the man would have been able to heal inside (hospitals, prisons, alleyways, whore houses, etc) as well as outside although the sun wasn’t shinning in his face, particularly at night since that’s when all the freaks come out.
I think this writer should open the Bible and read it and stop being like the many Catholics out there who don’t know jack about the Bible but what they were thought during catechism or Catholic school or the so-called readers of the Bible that think that everything that sounds good is sound and/or biblical doctrine.”
Write your own story then!
When I´m sad, my mother always tells me: “Turn you head towards the sun and you will see the nice, bright light and feel the heat… you will then leave the shadow behind you.”
The man does not notice his shadow because finally the miracle itself is only noticed by the angel.
I don’t believe the man was not aware of his holiness. He simply don’t liked the excitement about it. To be a “nominated” saint and a permantent good example is no easy life. It deprives you of the freedom to be crazy and political incorrect from time to time. Life is much easier if you are a hidden saint.
In that case I believe he doesn’t have the conviction of his acts. It is a responsibility for sure. But why avoid responsabilities? Even an easy life is not as easy as it seems!
Best Regards,
Thank you Paulo. Your words are the food of our soul.
Thank you very much for sharing.
All the best & hope to meet you once.
A kiss to you Paulo
Lovely story – thank you for sharing!
I love this story ,it’s realy moving .I wish I can forget my ego and turn myself to a love light and always shining and warming the people around me .but I always feel my ego so strong .whenever I want to do the sacrifice I ‘ll feel one voice in my inside what is :NO !I’ll be cheat !speaking of the vanity ,it is always by my side .that’s how much I envy this people !he is a real saint .
May the world full of love and saint !
Dear Paulo,
Once again you have left most of us speechless. After all what can we comment over such kindness and humbleness.
It is a great example to follow and learn from.
Thank you for sharing Paulo
Love
Olta
Power has the ability to corrupt the purest motives…
This man’s insight allows him to realize this possibility. With great wisdom and responsibility he denies control of such a powerful gift.
He has the answer to personal peace- he loves and forgives all. Would anyone with this strength ever wish for more from God?
Thank-you Paulo
It would not have been as much an empowerment as a responibility. I still do not understand why he should have refused it.
My regards
Why would he not want to serve as an example?
What a great example to us all, Thanks!
I just read this story the other day from one of the books u gave us as a present on your B-day!!! I totally love the story and it message… living a life free of “Ego” by choice!
Thank u very much for the story and for being always there to share with us.
loveNligh
Gabi
Incredibly beautiful story. One make you think on many things. That was a pleasure reading to start my day.Thank you
really inspiring..
That was beautiful!
Thanks a lot :)
This is wonderful, Paulo. Perhaps a mirror-story of yourself? :)
Oh so much love -
Always,
Romina
Paulo, this is so beautiful!
I’m speechless.
May God be with you and be within you always…
love,
evi
just this morning, i woke up thinking about love and forgiveness and miracles and my childhood. coincidence? or miracle!
thank you for sharing the story.
love + blessings
Dearest Paulo and friends,
This story reminded me of my uncle, whom is an unforgettable character. I read Paulo’s story about his unforgettable character again, and I have to admit, before I continue, that I was impressed. Anyway, my uncle, was a role model to me, and anyone else who knew his story. He helped thousands of people in his years, from implementing policies that allowed blind teachers to educate disabled children, to uplifting our communty with fund raising. He was a man who was extremely intelligent, and well respected by our society, and government. The amazing thing about him, is with all the good he did, and all the status he had, he never showed it. He never boasted, he never accepted an award or prize, in fact, we his family didn’t even know what he did for our country and it’s people. Only when he passed on did we realise. Ministers from all over the country, and poor individuals from the smallest of places, attended his funeral, each with a story on how he touched their lives. I think, in my life, I’d want to be like that. I’d want to be so satisfied with helping others, and doing what’s right, that merely mentioning it to other is inconsequential.
In this story, his miracle was lovely, and the way he choose it, however, we must all not forget, we have the power to heal and uplift those around us. While we may not have the power to do it without intention, we can do it consciously, and let that act of love be enough to fulfill us, such that we don’t feel the urge to cheapen it by becoming conceited.
Thank you for being
Yajna
i love the ending: “punch” the readers at the end of story. Do you think this method is the only effective way to bring surprise to readers?
this story reminds me of a story i once heard as a child…..i am not sure if its a real story as i have never found it….
from what i remember, it was about a mans wisdom, and how he lived inside a barrel
The king of that town became aware of his shared wisdom with the towns people and feeling threatened by it decided to use diplomacy to his advantage to as ot to loose his people.
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Went to the wiseman himself and asked him to ask for what ever he desired in thanks for all that he had done for his kingdom, nothing he was too ask would be too much, the king expecting to hear a request for the crown was already prepared to point him out with fault of seeking power.
As he stood over the barrel, the man inside the barrel shouted out
“All that i desire of you your highness, is to step away from my sun, and i shall be a happy man”
if anyone can tell me where that story originated i will be most grateful….x
Dear Cris I think I’ve heard about this story lately but unfortunately I’m not able to tell you its origine. All I know it is that I like it a lot.
Thank you for sharing!
Love
Olta
It’s just sad that he wouldn’t be able to share with the whole world all that happiness that miracles bring to us.
He could have possibly asked for a better gift such as… let’s see…
Yes, definately, if I were him I would’ve asked to enter the reign of God, this way I would meet the perfect me that god thought about when he created me, and I believe once you are in the reing of God you become a MIRROR and others can see it through you!
Well, what’s perfect? Does God even create us perfectly? I dare to say that the higher being, whomever you look up to, shapes and molds us through experiences so that we can learn the value of our decisions and learn rather that just being given something. Plus, what fun would it to be perfect?
Beautiful
great one full of thoughts
Beautiful story.
So many times we are doing good but also waiting good to be done for us back. And we feel disapointed when others dont give us the same, when they dont appreciate…
So its better not no know and feel happines looking at the sun:)
“unaware of his own holiness” , i think his holiness is not his shadow, it’s his ability to love and to forgive :)
I’m grateful for reading this note today :)) thanks Paulo
Una bella historia y un hombre verdaderamente increíble. ¡cuántos más hombres como éste necesitamos para cambiar el mundo! Que no busquen fama, dinero ni poder, que sean humildes para saberse instrumento en las manos de Dios para bendecir a otros.
Muchas gracias Paulo, esta historia me conmovió y me hizo meditar mucho.
Un abrazo
Short, simple, bautiful.
(And so true)
A wonderfull story, that makes me aware to question my own actions, to see if they are pure.
Than you for this gift
Love Eva
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Dear Eva is this baby you? Beautiful! : )
It was a pretty nice story, but could you please explain the moral behind it?
Wounderful
thank you
&
God bless
Great story Paulo, thanks! Every child is born with this quality.
anybody capable of loving & forgiving already has a beautiful gift.
right.
Precioso Paulo precioso yo eligiría el mismo regalo.
Que bonito que una Angel te venga a visitar.
Un beso y gracias por mensajes tán bonitos.
you feel each step of my path with hope ! much love dear paulo.
Hermosa historia!!!!!!
Muy grata.
Besitos!
amazing really..as usual you do secrete effect on me by your words , you do change lives without knowing about what you are really do ..thnx a lot for sharing such a story .
simply awesome
That is such a beautiful story
Better to have one’s shadow behind than before…
That’s a marvellous and soul-stirring story Paulo.
I thank you very much.
With gratitude.
Catherine.
A lesson for everyone. Thank you. Cx
Beautiful, Paulo, thank you. I would like to meet an angel..
simply beautiful… thank you….