Sermons in Stones

Now, my co-mates and brothers in exile, 
Hath not old custom made this life more sweet 
Than that of painted pomp? Are not these woods 
More free from peril than the envious court? 
Here feel we not the penalty of Adam, 
The seasons' difference; as the icy fang 
And churlish chiding of the winter's wind, 
Which when it bites and blows upon my body, 
Even till I shrink with cold, I smile and say 
'This is no flattery; these are counsellors 
That feelingly persuade me what I am.' 
And this our life, exempt from public haunt, 
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, 
Sermons in stones, and good in everything. 
I would not change it. 

You may have wondered what on earth I was talking about just then! That is a speech from Shakespeare’s play As You Like It. In the play, a Duke – who speaks these lines – and his followers have been banished from the court and exiled into the countryside by the Duke’s evil brother.  

Away from the comforts and luxuries of the royal court, in this speech the Duke tries to cheer up his ‘co-mates and brothers in exile’ by comparing the countryside where they find themselves with the court and the city that they have been compelled by force to leave. For example, he says that unlike the flatterers at the ‘envious court’ – who dishonestly tell you what you want to hear in order to receive some reward – the ‘icy fang…of the winter’s wind’ tells you how things really are.  

He also says what people have said for millennia – that you don’t always have to be in a church to find spiritual enrichment and comfort, but can find it outside in Nature (rather ironic considering where I am delivering this talk from – the Abbey church!):  

…tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, 
Sermons in stones, and good in everything. 

I was reminded of this speech when I was thinking about our theme for this week: Stewardship of Creation. When I was growing up as a young Christian, I don’t remember there being much said by the Church about our responsibilities to the planet – that, rather than the natural world being given to us to God to exploit and use as we wish for our own benefit, then discarded to left to decay and die, on the contrary we are stewards, guardians, caretakers of Creation, and have a moral duty to protect the planet and all that lives on and in it.  

I’m delighted that in recent years we have heard much more from the Church on this topic. Pope Francis (RIP) spoke and wrote a lot on this theme, and I suspect that Pope Leo will too.  

We are approaching half-term, and I hope you have a lovely relaxing break. Even though we live in a city, I would encourage you to try to get outside into nature at some point – be that in the woods, fields, near or on the water. If you do, I hope you will find some comfort from being in Nature – maybe ‘tongues in trees’ – and are reminded of our responsibility for the stewardship – the looking after and protecting – of God’s created world.  

Have a great break, when it comes.