The Biddy Sparrow

"“What’s them biddy sparrows doing now,Papa?” Corliss Cameron, age 7, althoughblind from birth possessed an insatiablethirst to know the world around her,“Them biddy sparrows going for thathunk of bread, baby girl. Them sparrows arescrappers just like you.”One day the blind girl’s curiosity turnedtoward theology. “What’s God look like,Papa?”“Don’t know.”“Never seen him?“No.”“Tell me if you see God, Papa.”Suddenly the man recalled beholding aportrait of the Almighty--Michaelangelo’sfamous fresco, The Creation of Adam.“God was sort of fat, Corliss, and he had awhite beard.”“Is God Santa Claus, Papa?”The little blind girl’s pursuit of Godbegan on Santa’s lap at the mall. “Are youGod, Santa?”This year’s Santa Claus was a 24 year oldgraduate student--a religion major and anatheist. Jolly St. Nick had few good tidingsto tell the blind girl about Christianity.The following day, sitting atop the stepsof an old building, father and daughter fedthe pigeons. “What is this place, Papa?”The man stood in search of someindication. He saw some words on the wall.Around 1932 the sign read PentecostalUnion Church in old English letters. It hadnever been touched up, and several letterswere faded or completely washed out. “Ithink it says this is the Peanut Onion Church,Corliss.”“Can we go to the Peanut Onion Church,Papa?”“For sure, Corliss.”The little girl’s pursuit of God continuedthat Sunday on the back pew of thePentecostal Union Church. For the specialoccasion Mike bought his daughter a newdress from Goodwill--actually it was adiscarded uniform from the Bishop Fulton J.Sheen Catholic Girl’s School. Mike Camerondidn’t know the difference."