In the above painting by Francisco De Zurbarán we find Saint Francis of Assisi in deep religious contemplation. I chose this image of Saint Francis because it is one of the most powerful Christian devotional icons I have encountered. It is quite stark and yet also deeply emotional, representing the total devotion of a Saint sworn to a life of poverty and austerity.

Much has been written on Saint Francis’ love of animals and of the natural world. He is considered as the patron saint of animals and the environment. I find the notion of St. Francis preaching to animals to be a fascinating one. It is an idea that encapsulates a world view in which all living beings have intrinsic worth and value. Many interpretations of Christianity see humanity as the pinnacle of creation, alone in the cosmos and separated from the world in which they live and upon which they depend to thrive and survive.

The notion that the sanctity and spiritual or temporal (i.e. worldly) value of creatures is limited only to human beings and that the rest of the cosmos is populated by soulless automatons appears to me to be the general direction in which many Christian doctrines tend. Unfortunately, it seems also that the world is steeped in so many interpretations of Christianity (and, let’s face it - many other religions as well) which consider that their way is the one and only truth and salvation. There have even been variations upon a theme in Christianity that have at various times and in different places stated that women do not have a soul, non-Europeans do not have a soul, and so on. It would appear to the intelligent observer that we can witness the application of religion as a means of justifying varying degrees of small-mindedness and bigotry.

If one’s own worth and spiritual value is defined in distinction to the alleged worthlessness and emptiness of spiritual merit of another - is one’s own worthiness based in this upon something rather false and empty ? When considering such grand Universals as God or Life or Spirituality, it would seem that either all life is holy, or none is. Personally I tend towards the belief that all life is holy. Of course, our ethical considerations tend to proliferate when we consider all living things to have the Divine spark within them.

When I look into an animal’s eyes I do not doubt that although there may be varying degrees of awareness, consciousness and intelligence between us - this animal has intrinsic value and worth as does any human being. For religion and spirituality to be in any sense inclusive and complete it must surely have to be all-inclusive. Again - either everything is holy or nothing is.