Building relationships with others requires spending time with them. St. Benedict already has that covered when it comes to the earth, because in his Rule he provided time in the daily schedule for outdoor manual labor—growing herbs and vegetables, planting and harvesting crops, maintaining an orchard, tending a vineyard.
When we spend time with others, we naturally listen to them. What, then, is the voice of the earth saying to us? For one thing, it tells us to be aware of the wonder of God’s creation. As Wendell Berry says in his book The Art of the Commonplace, “Outdoors we are confronted everywhere with wonders; we see that the miraculous is not extraordinary but the common mode of existence.” How would our lives change if we were truly aware of how the miraculous infuses our lives and the universe?
Earth also speaks to us of surrender to the natural cycle of the seasons, accepting the new life that sprouts in spring, the growth and productivity of summer, the harvest of autumn, and the death/fallowness of winter. In this way, earth teaches us balance, which St. Benedict also advocated in his Rule.
St. Benedict is careful to provide for the needs of everyone in the community, so if the earth is part of our family, we also must care for her. What she needs now is space for a balance of forests, grassland, and desert and healing from the poisons we are dumping on the land, in the water, and in the air. The earth has been amazingly generous to us for eons but is reaching a dangerous point of depletion, and as St. Benedict instructs, the needs of the ill and the elderly are primary.
We refer to “mother Earth” for a reason; as with so many human mothers, the earth makes a lot of sacrifices to nurture and provide for us. With Mother’s Day approaching, let’s remember and honor our relationship with the earth by making an effort to take care of her, not just for one day but throughout the year.
Very fitting and appropriate as we approach Mother’s Day weekend. Well articulated, Jennifer. Many thanks. Marcia
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