One of the main themes of today’s readings is God’s love for us. Jesus used the image of a sparrow to describe this love. A sparrow is a very unremarkable bird with its drab brown colouring. The poor used it as food. If the Father knows when one of these little creatures falls to the ground, then how much more does he care for us? The words “every hair on your head is counted” are further evidence of how precious we are in the eyes of the Lord. Perhaps we need to reflect more deeply on this overwhelming care of our God. There are many people who feel quite justifiably that they do not count.
It is 75 years since the Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury in June 1948, carrying passengers from the Carribean who came as a result of the British government’s appeal to fill the labour shortages resulting from World War II. These people arrived expecting a welcome, but instead received massive discrimination, violence, even death. They undertook jobs that no one else wanted and contributed vastly to manufacturing, transport and the health services; yet they were made to feel unwanted. Even the churches colluded. This example is replicated in the many ways people suffer scorn, derision and violence from their fellow human beings. May they remember the Father who counts every hair on their heads.