“As we live through these kaleidoscopic days when confusion, distrust, conflict and misery are so common everywhere, it is revealing to note that more and more people are finding reassurance and peace of mind in companionship beyond the boundaries of humanity. They are making friends not only with such conventional favorites as dogs, horses, cats, and birds, but with wild animals, snakes, and insects.
Men and women everywhere are being made acutely aware of the fact that something essential to life and well being is flickering very low in the human species and threatening to go out entirely. This “something” has to do with such values as love, unselfishness, integrity, sincerity, loyalty to one’s best, honesty, enthusiasm, humility, goodness, happiness, and fun. Practically every animal still has these assets in abundance and is eager to share them, given opportunity and encouragement.
In this connection it is interesting to recall that people of certain ancient times appear to have been great virtuosos in the art of living, particularly skilled in the delicate science of being in right relations with everything, including animals. These people recognized the inseparable unity of Creator and creation. They were able to lend themselves with the universal Presence, Power and Purpose that it’s forever moving back of all things, in all things, and through all things. Life to these ancients was an all-inclusive kinship in which nothing was meaningless, nothing unimportant, and from which nothing could be excluded. They refused to make any separating barriers between mineral and vegetable, between vegetable and man, are between man and the great primal cause which animates and governs all things. Every living thing was seen as a partner and a universal enterprise. Each had an individual contribution to make to the general good witch it, and it alone, could supply. Everything lived for everything else at all times and under all circumstances.
Those were the days when the whole earth was of one language and speech, and always one grand concord. Humans, animals, snakes, birds, insects– all shared a common language. By means of this language, all were able to express their thoughts and feelings freely on matters of mutual interest. From out of divinely bestowed wisdom, they could reason together for the common good, the common happiness, and the common fun. Evidently this was so simple and natural a part of every day living as not to need explaining any more than breathing. However one may regard this ancient relationship phenomena, there is evidence that at one time on earth every living thing was able to be in rational correspondence with everything else. Humans and animals moved in full accord, not only with one another, but with the cosmic plan as well.
Can we modern humans recapture the seemingly lost universal language? Can we buy means of it learn to move in genuine good fellowship not only with the members of our own species, but with other creatures? I believe that we can.”
Borrowed from the foreword of J. Allen Boone’s 1954 book, “Kinship with All Life”