Listening to a Continent Sing

Bicycling past this house in western Kentucky, I couldn't help but stop and chat with the gentleman coming out to get his mail. Mr. James R. Love has been in the ministry for 40 years, pastoring several churches and being involved in several revival meetings. Now, as he says, he's just growing old.

When he retired, his children started buying him shop tools, hence the bird feeders and houses everywhere in his yard. He talks of doves, redbirds, jaybirds, how they all intermingle and are both sociable and enjoy the things around them more than people do. "People always looking for something somewhere else. . . . Not a sparrow falls to the ground without the Lord knowing it."

He loves his mockingbird, and tells about the bird who sings at his son's house all night long and then comes down to his house to sing during the day. And why does he sing? "He's happy! He's enjoying life, singing to make people enjoy, and take notice . . . "We've got a problem bird," he continues. The starling. And the Reverend owns a gun.

Background

An occasional house sparrow and American robin.

Photo by Don Kroodsma