Lessons of Nature: From a Modern-Day Shepherd

We live in an environment that is comprised of both natural and artificial objects. The former is comprised of God's creations, which manifest themselves in all of their varieties in a state of perfection, order, and beauty, while the latter consists of creations of man, which exhibit the frailties and imperfections common to humankind. No occupation brings a person closer to nature than that of a shepherd. It was these humble, earthbound workers who, according to the Gospel of St. Luke, heard "good tidings of great joy" and saw "this thing which had come to pass" when called upon to witness the birth of our Creator. Shepherds live amid nature, entirely removed from the artificial world that unfortunately tends to occupy our attention. Shepherds place themselves in a position to clearly see what we might call the first law of nature, which is obedience, followed by a second law, which is that everything in nature has a purpose, including our own mortal existence. This simple book sets forth some of the great lessons of nature with each lesson beginning with a poem, symbolic of the harmony and rhythm of nature itself, as witnessed by a modern-day shepherd.