Lesson 5: Help and protect each other

Milton Olson's final lesson from geese reads like this:

"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 catch up with the flock."

Lesson 5

How does this relate to our lives? "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."

Application

Everyone loves a winner. We rally around, offer congratulations, wanting to be part of the celebration. Wouldn't it be great to be friends with a winner? Instant popularity. Instant notoriety. All because you hang out with the winner.

What about someone who isn't a winner? Your friend just said or did something incredibly stupid and one of the "winners" picked up on it. There she is, in humiliation, being picked on, teased, and tormented. What do you do?

Fly in formation

It would be easy to turn and walk away. Who wants to stick around a goose who gets sick or wounded or shot down? If you stop to defend your friend, the same treatment could happen to you-or worse. Besides, the bell has rung. If you stay, you may be late for class.

Drop out of formation

This requires self-sacrifice. You are in the middle of formation. Your course is mapped out. Things are going okay-not great, but okay. Now you are asked to step out of your comfort zone, to put your own interests on the back burner and offer help to someone else.

Christ's example

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends"- even friends who desert him. Like Peter. You remember the conversation early Good Friday.

The questions: "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" "You are not one of His disciples are you?" "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?"

The answer (punctuated with curses): "I am not!" (John 18:17-27).

Jesus knows how it feels to be deserted. Yet he dropped out of formation to save us all.

Conclusion

It isn't hard to stand by each other when things are going well. It is another thing to stand together during difficult times. But focusing on Jesus' sacrifice for us-the sacrifice that forgave us and transformed us-makes the difficult do-able. To be self-sacrificing and to put the needs of others ahead of our own, keep your eyes on Jesus.

Susan Bondow, MSW, member of St. Peter, Appleton, is a wife and mother of three. Susan has written Through The Looking Glass and Back with Pastor Paul Kelm and has a CD of original music, A Child Is Born.