What is the spiritual message of the sparrow?

Roger suddenly turned his gaze towards the window, attracted by the sound of fluttering wings upon the window ledge—

A small bird had made its entrance into the room and had perched itself only a foot or so from him. 

Roger remained perfectly still, as though scarcely daring to move lest he should frighten the small visitor away. 

Ruth, however, called to the bird, which immediately flew to her and perched upon her outstretched finger. 

The bird was dressed in a smart livery of pale grey feathers. 

Roger was greatly interested when Ruth transferred the bird to his own finger. 

He often visits us here, Ruth told him, though he really belongs to two old earth friends of mine. 

Then what is he doing here? asked Roger. 

Well—he was found by my friends in great distress when he was but a fledgling—

They cared for him, watched him grow, but sad to say, he came to grief. 

Possibly he became a trifle too daring, overdid things, had some sort of sudden seizure and died almost at once. 

A great pity. 

He was like you, Roger, he had hardly begun his life. 

And exactly like you, Roger, he passed into these beautiful lands and was cared for immediately, just as we try to do for all the human souls who come to us. 

That small bird, so very inconsiderable on earth, and the action of my two friends, equally inconsiderable, have not been lost. 

Their affection for that tiny atom of life has preserved that life for all time. 

At present, he is part of the ‘household’ of a mutual old friend who already has other bird and animal friends of his own. 

They’re a merry family, and we’ll take you along to see him, and them. 

Don’t you think he is a rather handsome fellow? 

I do. 

What kind of bird is he? 

When he first came to us here, he was a much darker grey, and not so big.

But he has grown, and his colour, as you see, is now almost dove grey. 

What kind of bird is he, did you say?

Why—only a common sparrow.