Gently, lightly

from w
As we try to go slow, to see things that are easily bypassed, to get away from the hype of football finals or world bike racing (that's to come in three days to Geelong) I took a few photos of the emerging spring flowers, though the apricot tree blossoms have already gone so quickly. Here's a lovely song written by Shirley Murray of New Zealand - the music is by Colin Gibson and can be found in New Zealand hymn books and also Together in Song (Australian).
Touch the Earth Lightly

1 Touch the earth lightly,
use the earth gently,
nourish the life of the world in our care:
gift of great wonder,
ours to surrender,
trust for the children tomorrow will bear.

2 We who endanger,
who create hunger,
agents of death for all creatures that live,
we who would foster
clouds of disaster--
God of our planet, forestall and forgive!

3 Let there be greening,
birth from the burning,
water that blesses and air that is sweet,
health in God's garden,
hope in God's children,
regeneration that peace will complete.

4 God of all living,
God of all loving,
God of the seedling, the snow and the sun,
teach us, deflect us,
Christ reconnect us,
using us gently, and making us one.