Today's Gospel in Art - Not one sparrow is forgotten in God's sight

Birds, by Jan Van Kessel © Lempertz Cologne, 17 May 2014, Lot 1184

Source: Christian Art,

Gospel of 15th October 2021 - Luke 12:1-7

The people had gathered in their thousands so that they were treading on one another. And Jesus began to speak, first of all to his disciples. 'Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees - that is, their hypocrisy. Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. For this reason, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places will be proclaimed on the housetops.

'To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Can you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? And yet not one is forgotten in God's sight. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. There is no need to be afraid: you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.'

Reflection on the Painting

The beauty of our Gospel reading lies in the fact that God is portrayed as a Father who cares for the very smallest details of His Creation and not just for Creation as a whole. Not even one sparrow is forgotten in God's sight. As the world is now only two weeks away from the COP26 meeting in Glasgow, today's reading reminds us how we too should treasure and protect every smallest part of God's Creation. Planet Earth has not been given to us for us to exploit for our own selfish human interests. We live in a world where everything is interconnected: human, animals, trees, oceans,… and God… Everything is interrelated. So to love and care for our planet in all its details is ultimately to love and care for our own well-being.

Jan van Kessel's small study of birds, painted circa 1665, is a scientific study in the field of ornithology and botany, and also a striking work of art. With meticulous precision he paints the birds, great (the owl) and small. This is a beautiful example of where science and art meet to create a glorious image of the Creation. The scientific naturalism covers birds in flight, birds perched on branches, birds picking worms, etc… To me this is a painting we can almost 'listen to'. The birdsong, whilst not being present, is audible by the sheer burst of colours.

Our Gospel states that 'not one sparrow is forgotten in God's sight'. To God we are not just another anonymous creature in His Creation. We are unique: we have been given a name and we are loved by Him. God does not love us in some distant, detached, impersonal way, but He loves each and everyone of us… and gives us wings to enjoy the beauty of the world He created.

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/960
Christian Art - www.christian.art/