Rather than viewing the world from the top rung of the ladder of creation, Francis saw himself as part of creation. Instead of using creatures to ascend to God, he found God in all creatures and identified with them as brother and sister because he saw that they had the same primordial goodness as himself. By the end of his life, Francis considered himself as a brother to all creation. 

We might say that Francis saw with the eyes of God. He saw that all of creation was good—the sun and moon, the stars and the heavens, the wind and air, water and fire, flowers and fruits. Francis’ heart overflowed with gratitude for all God’s gifts. We can do the same.

— From the book Live Like Francis: Reflections of Francisan Life in the World