Singing with sparrows

The story is told about an old man who had a captive canary. He enjoyed having the bird as a pet, it kept him company, and its melodious singing was a delight to all who heard it. One summer the man decided to give the bird a small taste of freedom. Every day he let the bird take to the air in an aviary he had constructed in his garden, giving the bird the liberty to fly in a much larger space than its cage, but keeping it safe from neighborhood cats and other predators. The man had taught the canary to whistle, a feat that had added nothing but beauty to the yellow bird’s repertoire. 

The bird’s delightful singing attracted other birds to its location; birds which began to roost in a tree near the aviary. The most common visitors were sparrows; sometimes there were so many that their twittering drowned out the canary’s song. As the lazy summer wore on, the man noticed that the canary’s song was less melodic, eventually it stopped whistling, and finally its “song” became indistinguishable from the tweeting and chirping of the sparrows.

The canary had “lost” its unique voice and ended up being little more than a yellow sparrow. It became like those it spent time with.

We too, can very easily become like those we spend time with. King Solomon wrote the following words of instruction to his sons… “He who walks with the wise shall be wise, but a companion with fools shall be destroyed. Evil pursues sinners, but to the righteous good shall be repaid.” Proverbs 13:20-21

Solomon also said, “Whoever loves wisdom rejoices his father; but a companion of harlots wastes wealth. The king establishes the land by judgment; but he taking bribes tears it down.” Proverbs 29:3-4

This process of assimilation by osmosis is both negative and positive. Jesus told his followers to “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:19-20

The Body of Christ has never been more powerful when it follows that simple command. We are to make disciples and teach others (by example) how to live the gospel. The early church had little time for “evangelism” as we understand it today. No flashy campaigns for Peter or Paul, no “televangelists” exhorting the masses to “give their hearts to Jesus”. They simply went from community to community, touching lives in a radical way.   

The Christian Martyrs Last Prayer Jean-Léon Gérôme 1883

The population of the Roman Empire at the time of the birth of the church was slightly more than 40,000,000, but it has been estimated that the early church grew by about 300,000 souls a year, an impressive growth rate in anyone’s language. Since the 3^rd century A.D. the growth rate has never again reached those dizzy heights. Today, despite our very best efforts, it putters along at about a third of one percent or 0.003% 

How did the early Christians achieve the remarkable growth of what was, at times, a dangerous faith to become involved with? Like the sparrows in our story, they spent time with the canaries and by love and a servant heart overwhelmed those around them. For them to say that they were Christians, particularly at times of intense persecution, was a “mission” or “evangelistic outreach” in itself. They never relied upon “institutionalized recruitment” to grow the church…. They were the church; they seldom prayed for conversions, rather they prayed for the peace, health and prosperity of their neighbors, friends and family.

The church did not have the message… the church was the message!