“The manifold delight
I learn to take in earthly things
can never drive me
from my love.
For, in the nobility of creatures,
in their beauty
and in their usefulness,
I will love God…
This is why I bless God in my heart
without ceasing for every earthly thing.
And this is why God gave us a mouth –
to praise God
with inconceivable praise
in common with all creatures
with all our doings
at all times…
The truly wise person
kneels
at the feet of all creatures
and is not afraid to endure
the mockery of others.”
Mechthild of Magdeburg, 13th Century German mystic
Chorlton Unitarians 