Canadian Geese. For some of you, I need say nothing more. Over the past three weeks, they’ve started landing in our front field, our soy bean field. They swoop in about 7:00 pm. They swoop out some time during the night because they swoop back in starting at 6:15 am, or so.
There are many recommendations on how to move them on. So far the repeated foot chase with arms flapping, a git holler, and waving scripture cards has not been successful. Oh, they move when the Worst-Best comes close, but only about 10 feet. They’re diligent about the claim they’ve staked.
Despite our frustration with them, their swooping in is interesting. The other morning, while walking the Worst-Best, I watched as they gathered – party time in the soy bean field. The first dozen or so came a honkin’, circling, and then they picked a spot in the field. I guess they were the ones who planned the vacation itinerary and they were told to go and grab a table. The Farmer has assured us that they don’t eat too much and they are just passing through — we shall see. Anyway, after they’ve gotten a table, they then start arriving from all different directions, north, south, east and west — a group will come honking in and get settled, then another group will do the same until we’ve got 100(?) or so buggers.
The thing I noticed when they came swooping in, what I thought was dangerously close over my head, was the sound they made. Not the honking, but the sound of their wings and the sound of the air as they cut through the sky. Even when they’re not honking, they sound like a rush, their flapping wings, their angles, their formations, generate a powerful force, an undertow, a sound. Aside from the obvious honking, they generate this loud hum, they generate a buzz.
It fascinates me that they may not be announcing their arrival with their honking, but you can hear them moving, you can hear them in action, at work. It reminded me of that saying: Preach the Gospel. Use words if necessary.
As believers we should live our lives so that they point to Christ, always. Sometimes we can create a hum, or a buzz, without using any words at all, with just our actions — good or bad. Every one of us is called to preach the Good News — don’t get hung up on the word preach, it simply means to tell others about Christ, that obviously takes words. But sometimes, we think we have to have a big long speech ready in order to do that, we think we have to honk-honk. Not so.
Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, “Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well’–but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? James 3:14-16
Yes, we must use words for telling others the Good News, but sometimes we need to create a buzz with our actions too. We have to remember there’s an undercurrent, or an undertow in the world, it is spinning pretty fast, and there are many voices vying for the attention of those we want to introduce to Christ. The audible hum or buzz of our lives, can create a powerful force in people’s lives that gives us opportunities to talk about Christ, to use our voice, to honk, if necessary.