Two Women and a Song
Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer
Some of my early memories of gathering around the TV as a family was to watch the Billy Graham Crusade. An important part of each evening of the Crusade was the music. Anyone who attended, listened on radio, or watched on TV will remember George Beverly Shea’s deep baritone as he sang hymns like “I’d Rather Have Jesus” and “How Great Thou Art.” Another unforgettable performer was the multi-talented actress and singer Ethel Waters. I doubt I will ever forget the power of her rendition of “His Eye is on the Sparrow.”
Ethel Waters was born on the last day of October in 1896 to Louise Anderson, a young teen, who had been raped by a family friend, John Waters, in Chester, Pennsylvania. Raised by her maternal grandmother, Sally Anderson, her life was anything but easy or happy. At some point in her early years, she went to a revival meeting because the organizers handed out free food. Persuaded by friends to go forward to the altar, she prayed to the Lord and said, “Lord I want to know you.” [1]
Many years would pass before Ethel Waters would find herself sitting in Madison Square Garden listening to world famous evangelist Billy Graham invite her into a deepening relationship with the Jesus she first wished to know 40 years or more earlier. Between those two invitations Waters had an extraordinary career as singer, actor, and television personality. Her achievements were summed up as, “Waters was the second African American to be nominated for an Academy Award, the first African American to star on her own television show, and the first African-American [sic] woman to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.”[2]
As successful as her professional life had been, her personal life was chaotic with three failed marriages and enough scandal to make her notorious. Then came her encounter with Jesus in Madison Square Garden. Years later she said, “In 1957, I, Ethel Waters, a 380-pound decrepit old lady, rededicated my life to Jesus Christ, and boy, because He lives, just look at me now. I tell you because He lives; and because my precious child, Billy, gave me the opportunity to stand there, I can thank God for the chance to tell you His eye is on all of us sparrows.”[3] She sang at many Crusades in the years between 1957 and her last appearance in 1976, shortly before her death the following year.[4] But of all the songs she sang, “His Eye is on the Sparrow” was her trademark both during the Crusades and beyond. Waters had helped popularize this traditional Southern spiritual first in her 1950 Broadway role as Berenice Sadie Brown in The Member of the Wedding and, second, in the 1952 movie adaptation of the play. His Eye is on the Sparrow was also the title of her 1951 autobiography.
“His Eye is on the Sparrow” was written by Civilla D. Martin in 1905 after, as the story goes, she was inspired by a visit to a sick friend.[5] Its author was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1866 but spent most of her adult life in the United States. Long a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, she died and was buried there in 1948. She sent the lyrics to Charles H. Gapriel, a composer with a Chicago music publisher, to be set to music, and the song was published in 1906. Many Scripture passages address the themes of this song of hope, trust, and assurance, but the most relevant verses on the theme of the value of sparrows come from Matthew 6:25-39, Matthew 10:26-31, and Luke 12:4-7.[6]
A second woman in the story of the popularity of the song was blues and gospel singer, the great Mahalia Jackson. If Ethel Waters started the fire, Mahalia Jackson fanned the flames into a blaze making “His Eye is on the Sparrow” “one of the most beloved American hymns.”[7] Her rendition of the song at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival and subsequent recording of the hymn cemented its place in music history. Referring to her performance of “His Eye is on the Sparrow” Deborah Williams wrote, “[It] has a simple melody, no exaggerated crescendos or theatrical flourishes. It’s a song that relies completely on the clarity of its verses and the dignity of the performer.”[8] Jackson brought the song and her voice together in a critically acclaimed performance. It was one of the songs added to her achievements featured in the Grammy Hall of Fame.[9]
Mahalia Jackson was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1911, orphaned at age five, and living in Chicago at 16. She, too, had a hard childhood and difficult climb to success. While both women broke major racial barriers, unlike Ethel Waters, Jackson was active in the civil rights movement using her voice and influence to support the cause and advocate for nonviolence based on Christian principles.[10] She had a personal and professional relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that bolstered, encouraged, and supported the struggle for equality he personified.
“His Eye is on the Sparrow” has long been considered a Black Southern Spiritual although it was written by a white woman and the music composed by a white man. Somehow this seems fitting for this song that has the ability to speak to so many. As Ethel Waters said, “I can thank God for the chance to tell you His eye is on all of us sparrows.”[11]
While the sparrow of the Bible refers to one of several small, grain-eating songbirds found in the Near East, the common house sparrow is a perfect example of the type of bird meant. Native to Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and much of Asia, this little bird has spread worldwide.[12] Looking at the meaning of a sparrow in a biblical perspective we find it is common, found all around. A sparrow doesn’t cost very much and was the prescribed offering for poor people who couldn’t afford lambs or doves (Lev. 14:4-7). Yet, as Jesus taught in Matthew and Luke, God sees when even a sparrow falls. He continues with the reminder that people are more valuable than sparrows, so God is certainly watching us.
When Ethel Waters said, “all of us sparrows” she had the background of black Americans’ struggles against oppression as an example, but she also recognized that many things oppress and discourage people whomever they might be. We are all “the least of these” in some way and at some time (Matt. 25:40). The certainty that believers will face difficulties that qualify them as “sparrows” is expressed in I Peter 1:6, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” While our rejoicing comes from our living hope in Christ Jesus and his promises, we must still deal with the trials that often seem about to crush us. From issues of social and legal justice to being afraid for one’s life for becoming a believer to the fear of a dread disease to the breakup of a family, Christians worldwide face “sparrow” situations every day.
But we must remember that, as Psalm 121 makes clear, we are never unseen. “The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Ps. 121:7-8). No matter how small a sparrow you feel you are, His eye is watching you. And in the anxiety, uncertainty, and fear you experience you can also live out the first part of I Peter 1:6, “In all this you greatly rejoice.” As you pray take time to rejoice “For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me”![13]
Reflection Questions:
1. We all have talents we can share with others. Ethel Waters used her talent to praise the Lord and support the Billy Graham Crusade. What are some of the ways you can use whatever gifts or talents you possess to share the “Good News” of Christ Jesus? Do you often pray for opportunities to do so?
2. How many celebrities are you familiar with who make Christian principles key to the projects they support? Do you gauge how involved you should be in a project based on its Christian foundation?
3. When are sometimes when you have felt very much like a sparrow? How did you react? Does the fact that God is always watching encourage you? Why or why not?
(Photo description and credit: This photo of a wild bird perched in a tree, while not a sparrow, reminds me of how God watches even the birds as they follow their daily routines. Credit: R.A. Stites, Mount Hebron Park, Rogers, AR.)
[1] Women’s History Month: Ethel Waters – The Billy Graham Library Blog
[3] Ibid.
[4] You may see a recording of Ethel Waters’ 1957 performance here: Ethel Waters – His eye is on the sparrow. One of her last appearances, in 1975, is found at Ethel Waters – His eye is on the sparrow -1975- – YouTube. She passed away September 1, 1977.
[5] Civilla D. Martin | Hymnary.org
[6] His Eye Is on the Sparrow | Hymnary.org see “Scripture References” tab in “Text Information” section.
[7] NPR webpage for September 3, 2000, article, “His Eye Is On the Sparrow” by Deborah Williams, https://share.google/LDFvNzXXMe2a0cNqw
[8] Ibid.
[9] Mahalia Jackson – Wikipedia
[10] Civil Rights
[11] Emphasis added.
