Francis of Assisi

In the 13th Century, far ahead of his time and in stark contrast to most contemporary Christian clerics (who placed humans on a higher plane than other forms of life), Francis considered all of nature’s creations as equal. He refused to consider animals the slaves of humanity, and spending most of his time outdoors in nature, developed his well-known affinity for our fellow creatures through frequent association with them.

In the opinion of Adrian House, author of Francis of Assisi, A Revolutionary Life (Hidden Spring, Mahwah, New Jersey, 2001, pp. 177-178), a “hypernormal sensitivity to nature, and even authority over it, often seems to accompany the state of spiritual development known as Illumination. Living largely out of doors Francis clearly saw himself as an integral element of God’s incarnation in the cosmos. His sympathy with every particle of it, from a gnat to an eagle, a grain of sand to the sun, a dormouse to one of his brothers, was similar to that of many other great mystics.”

Like many mystics of other faiths who also lived close to nature, Francis seems to have developed an abiding respect for all life. Regardless of one’s religious beliefs or lack thereof, we can all learn from his example.

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