- St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
Native Americans have a beautiful attitude toward creation, toward the world, toward people. They believe in the Great Spirit, that the Great Spirit fills all things, and they are part of it.
So the lake is their sister, their brother. The animals, the flowers, the trees the sky, the stars, and the people. All are seen together. There's a wonderful feeling of being part of the whole of creation - one person never has to feel alone or as an isolated fragment of something, but part of the wonder of all creation, of all people.
That unity of creation is also very much part of our Christian heritage. We believe that human beings are connected with all of creation. The heaven and the earth and all who dwell on the earth come from God's creative hand.
We have spent a lot of time in the course of our history focusing on the differences in creation - between planets and stars, between vegetation and minerals, between animals and humans. But we should not ignore the fundamental unity of all creation, the wonderful work of God.
- Little White Book, Diocese of Saginaw