Birds of a feather, flock together

Lessons we can learn from Canadian Geese

Isa 31:5  As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.

1.) Have you ever wondered why the Canadian geese fly only in the “V” formation? For years specialists in aerodynamics wondered the same thing. Two engineers from California calibrated in a wind tunnel what happens in such a V formation. Results showed that as each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. Each depends upon the other to get to its destination.

Application: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. The church needs to fly in a spiritual V formation, "honking" one another into steadfastness. "Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works" (Heb. 10:24).) “V” is for Victory.

2.) Geese enjoy the presence of other geese and will stay in family groups. As a result, they are safer and their numbers are ever increasing. While eating, you will always notice that at least one goose (usually more) has his head in the air looking out for predators. At the first sign of trouble, the honking begins and they band together in preparation.

• In contrast, have you ever noticed what happens at a humming bird feeder? On the feeders are four places for birds to feed. But you know what? There is never more than one bird there at a time. If one is there and another comes along, the one that was there first invariably chases the other one away and the battle begins. I don’t know if humming birds are all like, but the ones I have seen eating at feeders are – utterly selfish, territorial, looking out only for themselves. They have no sense that they are members one of another.

Application: Their population is low too! Is there not a cause? There are lots of people around today acting like humming birds. Paul has this notion that we ought to behave more like the Canadian geese: “flying united”, supporting one another, working together for the common good. We will do that if only we can remember that we “are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

• 1Cor 12:12-18  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

3.) When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. When a goose begins to lag behind, the others "honk" it back into place. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Application: We need to stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others. If one should wander and go astray, let help recover them with a humble spirit.

• Gal 6:1-2 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

4.) When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose another flies forward to take his place. Canadian geese even have a system of shared leadership so that the burden of being in the lead is shared by more than just one goose. They all know the way home, or which way leads to warmer weather, but they take turns leading the way.

Application: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources. In the body of Christ, all the gifts should be able to freely operate.

• 1Cor 14:29-32  Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
   

• Eldership - If we could let the teaching of shared leadership shape us as the church, what might our life together be like? One of the great principles of earlier Reformations was, of course, the concept of the ministry or priesthood of all believers - the affirmation that each of us is equally a minister of the body of Jesus Christ. Some are apostles, or prophets, or evangelists or pastoring teachers - each with different gifts -but each working for a common purpose. This is not a “declaration of independence” but always as a “declaration of interdependence.”

 5.) The geese flying in formation “honk from behind.” to encourage each other. They are not complaining, nor are they honking like some folks do with their car horns when they grow impatient at a stoplight.  What they are doing is offering encouragement.  It’s also the means by which they keep in touch and alert one another to danger.  By changes in modulation and pitch and frequency they have a vocal network of communication and encouragement.  

 Application: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one's heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

6.) When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, at least one other goose will drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. It will stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock. 

• There is a story about standing with the fallen from a book called High Flying Geese about a goose and a gander on flight to Canada. Flying in formation over a bog, the goose gets struck on the wing by a hunter's bullet and falls crying and spiraling to earth. Her mate drops out of formation and dives after her. Struggling in deep water, her mate pushes her towards the shelter of brush at the side of the bog, just as the hunting dog bounds through the water to collect his master's prize. The gander, it is reported, honked and flapped and savagely attacked the dog, effectively sending it howling back to the hunting party. The hunter, who owned the land, circled his property days later to discover the gander still by the side of his mate, bringing her food, nursing her back to life, sheltering her from the storms of goose life, whatever they may be, until she was healed and could fly. One day they were gone. When one was made well, they both could fly and continued on their long migratory flight.

Application: Keeping company with the hurting and the fallen is also, of course, a hallmark of the Christian community. "If one member suffers, all suffer together, " Paul said. "If one member is honored, all rejoice." "Truly I say to you, as you did to the least of these,"- the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned-"you did it to me." We need to stand by each other in difficult times as well as the good times. 

Remorse

by Truman P. Reitmeyer

A hunter shot at a flock of geese
That flew within his reach.
Two were stopped in their rapid flight
And fell on the sandy beach.

The male bird lay at the water's edge
And just before he died
He faintly called to his wounded mate
And she dragged herself to his side.

She bent her head and crooned to him
In a way distressed and wild
Caressing her one and only mate
As a mother would a child.

Then covering him with her broken wing
And gasping with failing breath
She laid her head against his breast
A feeble honk...then death.

This story is true though crudely told
I was the man in this case.
I stood knee deep in snow and cold
And the hot tears burned my face.

I buried the birds in the sand where they lay
Wrapped in my hunting coat
And I threw my gun and belt in the bay
When I crossed in the open boat.

Hunters will call me a right poor sport
And scoff at the things I did.
But that day something broke in my heart
And shoot again? God forbid!

7.) Geese mate for life and keep the same partner until death. I read the other day about a pair of geese that had chosen a nesting spot located close to a road.  A few days after laying her eggs, the female wandered into the path of a car.  Luckily, she only suffered a broken leg.  But while she was taken to a veterinary clinic and admitted into a recovery ward, her faithful mate was left alone to tend their nest.  The male not only continued to do all the nest sitting; he also established a unique “coffee break” ritual for himself.  When he would leave the nest to eat and drink, he would return by way of the road where his mate was injured.  Then he settled down and patiently waited for his wounded mate to reappear, which she did in a few days.
 

Application: Matthew 19:4-6  And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

8.) Goslings spend their first summer of life learning from their elders how to be geese. They train hard until they know what they need to survive. The family group remains together for several months after hatching the young. A gander protecting the nest makes a very formidable adversary, and his wings are capable of delivering a blow of surprising force, sufficient to rout foxes and similar predators, not to mention humans. 

Application: Titus 2:1-8  But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
 

• Col 3:20  Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

9.) Geese have a preflight, takeoff ceremony.  Before they are about to take off after having settled down on the ground for awhile, they encourage one another, offering a kind of preflight support system.  Experienced observers can even tell whether they intend a short flight or a long one by their movements. 

Application: That says something about our need to worship together, to study together, and to meet together. I sometimes wonder if our meetings shouldn’t be our “preflight, takeoff ceremony.”  A church is doing what it was created to do when it is going somewhere.  Worship is the time we’re down here on the ground, encouraging one another, offering support to those who are trying to live out their Christianity through the week. 

·        In the 12th chapter of I Corinthians, Paul affirms that to each one the manifestations of the Spirit are given “for the common good.”  That is absolutely crucial to our understanding of the church.   The gifts we have are not for our own use or for personal edification, but are to be used for something greater than ourselves. The edification of the body. We are to edify one another. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul says that God gave us gifts “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”

10.) Something fascinating to me in the behavior of birds than their seasonal movements, their migratory patterns.  It is still a mystery how they find their way over vast distances with such apparent ease.  Some scientists believe they fly by means of visual landmarks like river valleys or mountains. Others say they use the sun as a compass or it is the bird’s response to the earth’s magnetic field. 

Application:  We need to stay on the well traveled road and keep a look out for the old ancient landmarks. Pro 22:28  Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. We need a keen ear to hear what the Spirit says. Keep our eyes set on the Son!

11.) Flocks of geese know their territory pretty well. They know from experience where to find food and shelter. Geese stay in a place as long as it meets their needs. When it gets too cold or too hard to find food, they move on.

 Application: When it's time to migrate, migrate. Sometimes it is time to move on to something different.