Mine! Mine! Mine!!

As I sit watching “my seagull friends”—as my wife Becky affectionately calls them—while we vacation in St. Ignace, I can’t help but recall the flock of seagulls in Finding Nemo, endlessly screaming, “Mine! Mine! Mine!”

Seagulls are fascinating creatures, but they are fiercely selfish, even to the point of harming one another for the sake of their own survival. A lone seagull is as wondrous as any other bird, soaring gracefully across the sky. But within a group, it becomes something else entirely. Gulls will dive-bomb, attack, and even kill fellow birds, just for the chance to steal a tiny morsel. Their competitive and jealous nature fosters a ruthless “look out for number one” mentality.

Philip Yancey once described this phenomenon with unsettling clarity:

"If one were to tie a red ribbon around the leg of one gull, making him stand out, you sentence him to execution. The others in his flock will furiously attack him with claws and beaks, hammering through feathers and flesh to draw blood. They'll continue until he lies flattened in a bloody heap."

Morbid? Yes. But the picture is clear.

On a brighter note, another bird offers a vastly different model for how we might live: the goose. Unlike seagulls, geese thrive in a flock, embracing cooperation rather than competition.

Here in St. Ignace, I watch as geese swim with their babies—moving in harmony, looking out for one another. When geese take flight, they do so in a V formation, a remarkable strategy that eases the burden of travel. The lead goose takes the brunt of the wind resistance, but this position is rotated every few minutes, allowing each bird to share the challenge. The strongest geese protect the young, weak, and elderly by placing them in the rear, where the journey is less taxing.

If a goose grows too weary to continue, it is never abandoned. A stronger bird will leave the flock to stay with its struggling companion, waiting until it has regained enough strength to rejoin the journey. The honking we hear? It’s believed to be a form of encouragement—urging the flock forward, lifting those who may falter.

The contrast between seagulls and geese is striking. One species fights for dominance; the other thrives in unity. Seagulls model selfishness, but God calls us to something different. We are designed to walk together, as a family, caring for those who cannot carry their burdens alone.

The Apostle Paul reminds us to live by the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). There is no place among them for self-serving behavior (Philippians 2:3-4).

These principles may seem simple, yet they often challenge our very nature. But each time we practice them, they become easier to live out.

Life’s journey can feel long and difficult at times. When someone wavers, we can offer encouragement. When the weak, young, or elderly struggle to bear heavy burdens, we can help carry them. And when someone among us is weary, downtrodden, or ill, we can stay beside them, ensuring they have the strength to continue.

This is what allows a flock of geese—and the people who model their example—to remain strong.