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One of the Quakers’ primary tenets is to take care of the earth, to be nurturers of nature. We respect all residing issues, not simply folks. “There is that of God in everybody” doesn’t exclude animals and plants!
Way again in 1675, George Fox, the founding father of Quakerism, referred to as for kids to be taught the character of “herbs, roots, plants and timber.” Fox deliberate to “buy a bit of land close to London for the usage of a backyard School-house, in which there could be one or two or extra of every sorte of our English plants … as additionally many outlandish plants …” in order that the scholars may study nature in addition to teachers.
Karen Takemoto, a Fayetteville Quaker, traveled final fall to Minnesota to affix the protest of the Line 3 pipeline. Writing of her expertise there, she mentioned: “Deepening our relationship with Creation places coronary heart into our efforts to defend and restore Earth. Quakers are effectively practiced at listening for that also voice of God. I contend that we have to broaden and deepen our listening to incorporate the voice of Creation. That the voice of river, timber and all Creation speaks to us; we want solely be nonetheless and pay attention.”
For centuries, folks have handled the earth’s assets as an asset to be liquidated, and animals and plants as our possessions to eliminate. But the earth is not our asset, and plants and animals are usually not ours to make use of up. We are collaborators with the pure world, not house owners and even stewards. Stewardship implies that we’ve got been put in cost of the world. We want to contemplate that maybe we’re not in cost, that our job is to work with the Spirit inherent in each tree, rock and bug for our mutual profit.
Everything we’re and the whole lot we’ve got comes initially from the earth. And we not solely depend upon the earth for our materials sustenance, it is our religious floor as effectively. There is a purpose theologian Paul Tillich referred to God as “the bottom of our being.” We rely on Spirit because it manifests in all of nature.
We people have to take heed to the Spirit that inhabits each factor that is. As Takemoto mentioned: “All Creation speaks to us.” When we perceive, deep in our hearts, that each created factor is sacred and deserves our safety, we’ll collaborate with nature to make sure that we all survive, to proceed to benefit from the chatter of chickadees and the flutter of butterfly wings.
The prophet Isiah mentioned: “You will exit in pleasure and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into tune earlier than you, and all the timber of the sector will clap their fingers.” (55:12)
I really like that picture of timber clapping their fingers. I can nearly hear clapping after I see branches swaying in the wind. I think about hills bursting forth in tune in gratitude for being restored after excavation. Listen! Hear it?
Maya Porter is a member of the Fayetteville Friends Meeting (Quaker). Her e book “Recognized in Flight: A Memoir” is obtainable on Amazon. Email her at [email protected].
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