We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do. — Barbara Ward and Rene’ Dubos.
When I was a little boy I played cowboys and indians with my friends. I always had to be an indian because my father prohibited guns in the house, even cap pistols or water guns. I read a lot about American Indians, and one of the things that fascinated me was their ability to walk through leaves and the woods without making a sound. I tried to mimic their ability to walk and run, but never quite pulled it off.
Now in my later years I’ve grown to understand that the American Indians have a lot to teach us about respect for our surroundings, and how to fulfill our God given charge to be good stewards of the earth. The phrase “walk lightly on the earth” has a much deeper meaning to me now than as a boy, especially since I understand that my grandchildren’s lives depend on my learning to “walk lightly.”
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