Feed The Birds
‘Feed the Birds’ is a song written by the Sherman Brothers which featured in the 1964 motion picture ‘Mary Poppins.’ The song speaks of an older woman (the ‘Bird lady’) who sits on the steps of St Pauls Cathedral, selling bags of breadcrumbs for ‘tuppence’ (two pennies) a bag. The Scene is reminiscent of the real-life seed vendors of Trafalgar square who began selling bird seed to passers-by shortly after its public opening in 1844.
When I was a child, I went to watch Mary Poppins twice in the same year when it showed at local cinemas, first time with relatives in London and the second time with a friend of my mum in Romford. Now all grown up and married with a family – three children of my own and four lovely grandchildren but it is still one of my favourite films.
(Sadly, I have never been on the steps of St Paul’s at the same time as the ‘Bird Lady’ so never did get to meet her! 😉
But I have been inside and enjoyed the beauty of the architecture of the building – but only from the ground floor. I am not great with heights, so have never been up to the
‘Whispering Gallery’ - My husband Malc never insisted that I accompanied him up to that very high gallery and I was always happy to watch Malc take our children and then our grandchildren up there to enjoy it.
In the Bible (book of Leviticus 5:7) mentions pigeons as suitable for sacrificial offerings in the temple for the atonement of sin. Happily, for pigeons (and for us) God replaced that sacrifice, and in fact, every other sacrifice, with one final sacrifice. The sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus Christ.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
For God So Loved the World that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:14-17)
God not only saved me then from the fear I had of heights, but He has also saved me from fear altogether. He has saved me by His perfect Love through His perfect Son, who died to pay the price of my sin.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:18)