Celebrate National Wildlife Day – September 4th
Mufasa: Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.
Simba: But, Dad, don’t we eat the antelope?
Mufasa: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so, we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.
Ah, the Circle of Life! In The Lion King,Mufasa uses this classic concept as a teaching tool in explanation of how the Pride Land will thrive if all creatures allow for, and respect nature to follow its natural course.
Simba does not embrace the lesson when his father is tragically murdered. As a consequence, the Pride Land is sunken into a severe drought and famine, affecting each class of animals in some negative way.
Later, the ghost of Mufasa appears to remind Simba that he needs to restore the order of the Circle of Life in his homeland. Luckily, Simba follows his father’s wishes, defeats Scar, and completes the Circle of Life. The Pride Land is restored to its former glory, and we like that happy ending.
What if we all took Mufasa’s theory to heart? Imagine a world were humans appreciated and expressed gratitude, kindness, and love towards each other, and all things – grass, dirt, breath, air, rocks. What if we show respect towards all that this beautiful Earth has to offer? Can you even slow your mind down long enough to think about this concept?
Please take a moment to really let this world sink in.
Here’s the truth, we don’t live like this. Most humans do not think this way. Humans, for centuries, continue to abuse and exploit the Earth’s resources. Think of each part of the Earth – soil, clouds in the sky, water in the oceans – all clearly damaged.
Human and Nature make a point. Humans do not have a relationship with Earth and think of themselves distinctly separate from Earth.
“Abuse occurs when there is an absence of relationship, absence of care, absence of love; it occurs when we live in a state of alienation.”
You might think about a father who abuses his own son. The son presents as disconnected and alienated. Similarly, an alienated CEO will bulldoze the ocean floor for shrimp because he is alienated from the sea and all its wonders. Read more about the Root cause of our Separation.
Here’s something to think about…
Spiders are our friends. They play a significant role in the ecosystem by controlling the number of bugs that can destroy plants in the wild. Spiders regulate crops that humans are dependent on, and without them, there would be less produce to consume.
According to SOS Bees, one-third of all food depends on bee pollination. Yet, What’s Behind the Problem of Disappearing Bees?“
Rodents live all around the world, assisting in plant growth by dispersing seeds, aerating the soil and distribute fungus.
The ecosystem is delicate, and its parts are all connected – remove one player, and the effects will ripple to all edges.
Ecology is literally a great idea that everything is connected. If everything is connected and everyone has respect and acts out of love; the connection may as it was initially intended to. If so, Nature may be allowed to run as it should, and the ending to the story may be happy (and we like happy endings).
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