The pleasant cooler weather of autumn has arrived, reminding us that much colder weather of winter is soon to follow. The geese know this cycle very well and begin making their journey south to a warmer climate. I always enjoy watching them in flight overhead and listening in on their honking conversation as they travel together.
In reflecting on the importance of community for the past several weeks, my attention was drawn to Milton Olson’s Lessons From Geese. He has studied Canada geese for many years and has compiled the following five lessons that geese teach us humans about living together in community and the importance of “interdependence.”
- Geese fly in a V formation for greater range of the entire flock. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an “uplift” for the bird following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if the bird flew alone. Lesson: People who share a sense of common direction and sense of community canget where they are going quicker and easier.
- Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the “lifting power” of the bird immediately in front. Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go (and be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to the others).
- When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the point position. Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership – with people as with geese, we are interdependent on each other.
- The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Lesson: We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging – and not something else.
- When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out on their own, with another formation, or to catch up with the flock. Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we too will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.
According to Milton Olsen, that is “interdependence.” And I add, this is community at its best. The sense and belief in “interdependence” gives energy and strength to being community.
You may ask, does God speak to us through the behavior of geese? And my answer is “Yes, he can and does.” As much as we may dislike the geese dirtying our ponds and campuses, we can and should learn from their behaviors truths that enrich and strengthen community.
It is important to remember that it was God who taught the geese their behavior, and why would he teach them this behavior of interdependence, if not to give us a good model to follow in our efforts to be a Christ-like community of Jesus followers.
I invite you to imagine how much stronger our church communities would be if we routinely practiced these lessons in our living, working, and worshiping together. Imagine how many neighbors, co-workers, and friends may be watching, listening, and wishing to join such a community of interdependent, geese-like human beings.
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows, and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:14-16).
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“Healings Rays of Righteousness” – September 30, 2020
Ray M. Geigley
Healing Rays of Righteousness 
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