Lessons from the Geese

Lessons from the Geese, was written in 1972 by Dr Robert McNeish of Baltimore. Dr McNeish, for many years a science teacher before he became involved in school administration, had been intrigued with observing geese for years and first wrote the piece for a sermon he delivered in his church.

In Christian application there are 5 distinct lessons to learn from the Geese.

Lesson #1

Cooperation. A flock of geese is like a team. Flying together creates an uplift, a surge that carries the whole farther than its individual parts could go by themselves. Solomon illustrates this principle in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. When a group or team cooperates, it can achieve great things.

Lesson #2

Unity. Going it alone—being independent of the flock—leads to falling behind. What happens when a goose falls out of formation and cannot or will not reform? If the flock can fly 71% farther as a group, then the lone goose is left behind.

Notice Ephesians 4:3-4, 14-16 (Phillips): Make it your aim to be at one in the Spirit, and you will be bound together in peace. There is one Body and one Spirit, just as it was to one hope that you were called. . . . We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching, and of the jockeying of men who are expert in the crafty presentation of lies. But we are meant to speak the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into Christ, the head. For it is from the head that the whole body, as a harmonious structure knit together by the joints with which it is provided, grows by the proper functioning of individual parts, and so builds itself up in love.

We continue to see brethren sidetracked by "crafty presentation." When this happens, and they remove themselves from the flock, this "chance wind of teaching" adds drag and resistance, and suddenly, they find themselves alone.

Anyone who has played team sports knows that the individual must subordinate his desires to those of the team. His goal may be to have the highest scoring average, but that may not help the team to win the championship. Likewise, a church member may think he has discovered the secret to a doctrinal question that no one else has found. But what does he do if others fail to recognize his brilliance? If he pulls out of formation, he may still make it south for the winter, or more likely, he will find himself wintering on a frozen lake in Minnesota! To do its work most fully and successfully, the body of Christ must "fly" together.

Lesson #3

Leadership. Throughout the Bible we see God providing fresh leadership to preside over His people. When Moses' work had been completed, Joshua was trained and ready to take over. Elisha picked up the mantle that had fallen from Elijah's shoulders. When it became clear that Jesus' ministry had begun, John the Baptist humbly said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). But sometimes a leader's power goes to his head, and he swerves off course. If a flock of Canada geese leaves the Hudson Bay area headed south for Lake Lanier, Georgia, and the lead bird makes a hard left over Toronto, well, the flock is off course! They will end up in Lake Ontario instead!

In love for us, God has never failed to provide leadership for His people because our chances of attaining our goal on our own are nil. When God told the children of Israel that they would wander in the wilderness for 40 years (Numbers 14:33), some of them decided to strike out on their own (verse 40). Moses warned them that God was not with them, yet they tried to enter the Promised Land anyway. The Amalekites and the Canaanites mercilessly cut them down (verses 41, 44-45). It is a tragic but pointed object lesson. Paul writes in I Corinthians 11:1, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." There is nothing wrong with following a person who faithfully follows Christ's lead. At some time soon, we hope and pray that God brings us together again to follow the leader He has prepared for us.

Lesson #4

Encouragement. To lead any endeavor, especially a scattered church, requires huge amounts of effort. To break the trail for others, to be the lead bird, is to be a target, and that can be stressful and wearying. The leader does not always know what is going on among the membership, how they feel or what questions or misconceptions they may have. Too many times all the shepherd hears is the grumbling of the vocal few.

Through our prayers and kind words we can give strength to those up ahead of us. A minister hears many tales of woe, complaints and arguments, but a sincere thank you or gesture of support sometimes makes it all worthwhile. Counseling, preparing messages, traveling and speaking are not easy to do, so any amount of holding up a minister's hands is greatly appreciated and benefits the entire congregation (Exodus 17:8-13).

This need to encourage also applies to our brethren. Health issues have put me on the bench so to speak. But I can still encourage all those around me. In the parallel sports metaphor, being part of a team sometimes means we are watching from the bench. We still participate, however, by giving encouragement, by rooting for our teammates who are on the court. Many a winning team has heaped credit on their "sixth man" or "twelfth man," the fans who cheered from the sidelines and boosted the team's efforts during critical moments of the game.

Paul writes, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15), and "Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:24-25). Now more than ever, we all need the encouragement only our fellows in the flock can give.

Lesson #5

Family. The church, God's flock, is composed of His called children, thus it is a family. He expects us to extend the same care to each other as we would any member of our physical families. Our Savior—our Elder Brother—sets the example: For it was fitting for Him [the Father], for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He [Christ] is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." . . . And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me." . . . Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:10-13, 17-18)

The apostle James writes that we have the same responsibility toward each other: "Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19-20). Peter says, "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins'" (I Peter 4:8). Jude shows two opposite approaches to this problem: "And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh" (Jude 22-23).

These are just other ways of saying we must help a brother who has dropped out of formation (see Luke 15:4-7). We should never abandon a sick or wounded brother (see Luke 10:25-37). As long as there is hope, we should be there to help.

At some point, though, it may become clear that the family member is "dead." He no longer responds to any help or encouragement from the church. If this happens, we must figuratively leave him behind. Paul says, "Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (I Corinthians 5:5). At that point, it is best to let him go his own way, and we must rejoin the flock without him.

"Lessons from the Geese" is a beautiful analogy for any Christian, but especially poignant for this end-time church. Imagine if the church of God behaved like a flock of geese, flying in perfect formation, cooperating as a team, unified behind godly leadership, constantly encouraging those around us, and helping our brothers and sisters in the faith. Those who practice these things will reach the flock's destination, the Kingdom of God!