Food for Thought: The Fall of a Sparrow

I read an article by Parker Bouer, in the spring 2018 issue of American Scholar magazine (p. 64), about the extinction of the Dusky Sea Sparrow. It was caused primarily because of the incursion of the Kennedy Space Center on the bird’s habitat. There was a refuge set aside to protect the birds, but because of mismanagement and other man-made further intrusions, the bird was completely wiped out. Part of the problem was that the lowly sparrow did not have powerful enough advocates to protect it. It is the first species to go completely extinct in the U. S. since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973.

Unless you are an avid environmentalist you may not grieve too much when you hear that one tiny bird has ceased to exist in one swampy marsh in Florida, but every species has its purpose. One thing this tiny creature did was to keep the hordes of mosquitoes in the marsh under control. Ironically, it was the spraying of DDT to kill the mosquitoes that were bothering the construction workers at the Space Center that helped hasten the demise of the birds.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.” Matthew 10:29 Two deductions may be drawn from this passage: (1) That human life is more precious in God’s sight than the lowliest of creatures, (2) That kindness to every part of God’s creation is part of God’s law.

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:47

Though we humans have destroyed the Dusky Sea Sparrow, God has promised to take care of us. Let’s just hope we don’t destroy ourselves.