SINGING WITH SPARROW

I found an old blog post Mar. 1, 2012, starting: I can’t believe it. For some years, one of the specials I loved to hear my sister Joyce sing was “His Eye Is On The Sparrow”. Guess what song I’ll be playing on the piano for special music Sunday (and Bible School chapel the Friday before)? It will be the same song, done in Grieg’s “Birdling” style.

At the start, a sparrow is flitting about outside the window at which a musician sits and stares out into space. He thinks of all his troubles and how he really shouldn't stay sad because Christ is with him. The little sparrow, hearing the strained singing, seems to be sticking in his beak from time to time, chirping, "but" or "not exactly". The musician is trying with all his might to trust God.

The birdie can stand it no longer, and risks coming closer, still closer, even closer, then opens its beaks to sing heartily; "You don't try to trust; our God is a Heavenly Father you can't help but trust!", and he almost falls off his twig trying to get his message across.

The truth slowly dawns on the musician, then he begins singing with happy abandon, now laughing with the sparrow. At the end of the song, the human is at peace with his God, and the little bird, relieved, emits a light trill and flies away. 

Amendments:

1. This is, of course, only what this music suggested to me. The actual song, “His Eye Is On The Sparrow”, was written by a lyricist who made a visit to an ill and bedridden friend. Discouraged by illness but remembering God who watches over the little sparrow reminded her to believe God would watch over her too.

2. A small addition: some readers may object: birds are incapable of understanding spiritual truths, and no sparrow would be able to speak of a Heavenly Father. Granted, the “Heaven” part is true. But trusting in a parent is not a spiritual characteristic, and many humans are out of touch with this more than the birds. It is natural for animal offspring, in fact, to trust parents to care, provide, protect for them. But it is the human, is it not, that seems to go about thinking it is reasonable to believe in oneself, provide for oneself, make decisions for oneself, and then often assumes his Parent will bless him.

Our feathered friends must cock their heads at the way we try to trust or expect to be blessed, marveling at the difference between humans and birds.

 

Jesus Himself said, “Look at the Birds of the Air.”

He said it; I didn’t.