How strange and wonderful is our home, our earth, with its swirling, vaporous atmosphere, its flowing and frozen climbing creatures, the croaking things with wings that hang on rocks and soar through fog, the furry grass, the scaly seas . . . how utterly rich and wild.... Yet some among us have the nerve, the insolence, the brass, the gall to whine about the limitations of our earthbound fate and yearn for some more perfect world beyond the sky. We are none of us good enough for the world we have.
~ Edward Abbey, quoted by Edward Hoagland in Appalachian Wilderness
I was listening to Patty Griffin singing All Creatures of My God and King on my iPod (which you might think is kind of odd because I'm not a Christian, but I can appreciate things I don't believe in—and this is a mighty fine song), and it struck me that this hymn, written by St Francis of Assisi in 1225 (Cantico di fratre sole, Song of Brother Sun) would be the perfect anthem for Earth Day celebrations. This isn't the complete text—go to this link to hear the tune and read the entire thing.
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them His glory also show.[...]
Gratitude, humility, clarity, and love that shows itself by action are what we need every day to meet the needs of our planet.
Thank you for quoting my friend Edward Abbey, a fine author from the village of Home, PA, who was one of the Enlightened Ones.
Posted by: Nancy | April 22, 2011 at 05:10 PM
A lovely hymn! Thank you for sharing, Janine. Happy Earth Day!!!
Posted by: Jeannine Bakriges | April 22, 2011 at 05:13 PM
Wonderful, yes! I love the Abbey and the St. Francis both.
Posted by: Thalia | April 25, 2011 at 09:23 AM
At this moment, the sun is shining fully through my livingroom windows; even the dog nose smears and dried raindrops are fun! Beyond are at least 20 million colors of green (well, maybe not quite that many). The air is crisp from the rain, so detail rules. How could any of us feel worthy of this planet in a moment like this. As usual, you've spoken so clearly via yourself and others and so much from the heart and through the Spirit. Thank you.
Posted by: Deb | April 25, 2011 at 05:58 PM