The
Beauty of Natural Religion
Amid
the decay of creeds, love of nature has high religious value. This has
saved many persons in this world … It has made them contented and at home
wherever they are in nature – in the house not made with hands. This
house is their church, the rocks and the hills are the altars, the creed is
written in the leaves of the trees, in the flowers of the field and in the
sands of the shore. A new creed every day, new preachers and holy days
all the week through. Every walk to the woods is a religious rite, every
bath in the stream is a saving ordinance. Communion service is at all
hours and the bread and wine are from the heart and marrow of Mother
Earth. There are no heretics in Nature’s church; all are believers, all
are communicants. The beauty of natural religion is that you have it all
the time; you do not have to seek it far off in myths and legends, in
catacombs, garbled texts, miracles of dead saints or wine-bibbing friars.
It is of today, now and here; it is everywhere.
— John Burroughs (born April 3, 1837)
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| John Burroughs (1837-1921) |
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