Aspects of justice in nature?

Yung Suk Kim

While strolling through my neighborhood boardwalk, I pondered the concept of justice in nature. To come to any conclusion, I need to observe nature more closely. Nature is different from humans in many ways. First, it exists without mobility; trees and plants remain rooted in one place. Although seeds may be carried by the wind to new places, the trees and plants themselves do not move. Second, things in nature do not have a will and simply follow their genetic programming. Third, they do not have the freedom to move like humans do. Fourth, there is no protective system for justice in nature. For example, when lightning strikes a big tree, it may fall onto other trees, which are then affected and sometimes killed. All things in nature must endure whatever happens. Finally, there is no control center in nature. Everything flourishes and perishes without care.

Despite these differences, we can still ask questions about justice in nature. But what kind of justice can we apply? If justice means things like air, wind, earth, water, chemicals, or genes, it is present in nature because all living things benefit from these conditions. However, if we think about other aspects of justice such as the freedom to move or systems for protection, justice is not there. These aspects are uniquely human and apply only to the human world. 

Looking at nature from a micro perspective, however, we may identify some "ideal" aspects of justice, which can be defined as "the right mode of living" as per nature. First, plants and trees don't fight to get more. They are satisfied with what they have and do not move to take more from others. Second, they flourish together in diversity, maintaining their own identity. Third, we can learn the lesson of social justice from a mustard seed. Jesus pointed out the importance of smallness in his parable teaching. The small mustard seed has great potential to realize what it is. Even if it is the smallest seed, it grows big enough, albeit unlike a cedar tree. The point is not to become the largest tree but to realize one's potential. No one can discriminate against others based on their appearance, race, gender, class, or any social determinants.