Sometimes thoughts are triggered by the most mundane of events. November 3rd is the day we “turn back” the clocks. We know it is coming. It happens every year - that time when we experience shorter, colder days and longer, darker nights. It is a ploy created by man for the sake of agricultural and economic efficiency many years ago. But it got me to thinking about geese.
We hear them, long before we see them. We know they are coming. They do it every year. Sometimes it is in the early morning, sometimes mid-day. But my favourite time is on a moon-lit night. That unseen V moving steadily across the sky. And then, there they are – silver winged and bathed in light.
Geese, unlike so many of us, are disciplined. They fly in a V formation because they somehow know that a V increases flight efficiency. The leader heads the pattern, parting the wind and showing the way. Those flying behind the leader have an easier journey because they fly in the slipstream of the bird in front of them.
But, even the leader tires and, when exhausted, rotates to the end and another goose flies forward.
They honk, not because they are in a hurry to pass, but as a means of encouraging one another. How like prayer this is…..words lifted to an unseen presence; persistent and demanding, like the widow in our reading from Luke this coming Sunday. (Luke 18:1-8)
However, when a goose leaves the formation, it becomes aware of the resistance of the air and the difficulties of flying alone. Quickly, it returns to the V to take advantage of the flock’s power and songs of encouragement.
Going it alone is the trend these days. “I’m not religious, but I am spiritual”, they say. “I don’t need the church or organized religion – I can do it on my own”. They may or may not be right – only time will tell.
Most of us know that even Jesus did not do it alone. He gathered family and a close group of friends around him. Jesus knew the value of flying in the slipstream, of alternating leadership when needed. He knew the group provided support, strength and yes, even more fun.
Our “New Creed” opens with a solid reminder that “We are not alone, we live in God’s world.” We need to read these words on a regular basis. They reinforce our belief that God is with us always. In fact, the Creed ends with the words “In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone.”
May God bless us, and the geese, as we move through the seasons of our lives.