The entire universe, the entire story up to now, 
was required for you and me to stand here today. 
All the creativity of the Fireball, of the supernova, 
the stars, all the genius of the plants and animals and 
peoples before us were needed for this moment. 
All these things in the universe call to us to be seen, 
to be felt deeply within us, to be known. 
We need to reach out to embrace them, and 
to recognise that in our cells and in our genes, 
deep in our souls, they are.  

We need to feel in the longings of our hearts, 
in the callings which attract us, they are. 
We need to re-member all that has gone before us, 
from the Fireball and the stardust to ferns and redwoods, 
from our earliest human parents in the savannah 
to our present grandparents and parents – 
to know we really do carry them in who we are. 
We need to stretch out our arms wide to the universe 
and say: 
“THIS IS MY BODY  
–   THIS IS MY EARTH IDENTITY   –    
    – THIS IS WHAT I MUST PASS TO MY DESCENDENTS.” 

It is upon this that I must understand my faith and 
design my local contribution to the world’s housekeeping.