Deacon Jude Tam Tran

THE V-FORMATION

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” — Proverbs 27:17
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2

If you’ve ever glanced up at the autumn sky and seen a flock of geese cruising south in that perfect V-formation, you might’ve thought, “Wow… that is some impressive bird choreography.” (Frankly, better coordinated than my church trying to take a group photo.)

But behind that graceful aerial parade is some pretty brilliant goose science. Yes—goose science. Stay with me.

Every time a goose flaps its wings, it creates a mini air-lift for the bird behind it. It's basically the avian equivalent of someone holding the door open for you but in the sky—and with significantly more honking. By flying in that V-formation, the entire flock saves around 71% more energy than if they were flying solo. Seventy-one percent! To put that into perspective, I don’t even save that much energy when I switch from doing actual work to “thinking about doing work.”

The geese figured something out that we humans often forget: life is easier when we don’t try to push through it alone.

And here’s where it gets interesting. The moment a goose gets the genius idea to try a solo flight—maybe it wants to “find itself” or “take a break from the group”—it immediately feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. And just like any of us who’ve tried to move a couch without help, it rushes back, basically saying, “Okay, okay, I get it—bad idea. Teamwork it is.”

If we humans had an ounce of that goose wisdom, we would also understand the importance of aligning ourselves with people who share our goals, values, and dreams. Proverbs 27:17 puts it pretty simply and beautifully: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” The geese get this. They sharpen each other—mostly by yelling (supportively!)—but still, they’re onto something.

Now let’s talk about leadership. In the goose world, leadership is not about holding onto power like it’s the last slice of pizza at a youth group gathering. Nope. When the lead goose gets tired—and who doesn’t after flapping nonstop like you’re racing to beat an early Amazon delivery window?—it casually slides to the side and lets another goose take the front. No ego. No drama.

Just a smooth rotation like, “Tag, you’re it.”

They understand that sharing leadership actually benefits the whole flock. Because no one—not even a goose—can keep pushing indefinitely without rest.

Imagine if we lived that way. Imagine if we took turns carrying the heavy emotional and practical loads. Imagine if leaders felt just as supported when they stepped back as when they stepped forward. It might look a little more like Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way,  you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

And here’s my favorite part: the honking.

You may think all that honking is just unnecessary noise—like geese arguing about where to stop for snacks. But apparently, that honking is encouragement. They’re cheering on the lead goose, reminding it to keep the pace, saying, “You’ve got this! Keep going! We believe in you!” Which, honestly, is much nicer than anything that’s ever come out of my mouth when someone is driving 10 mph under the speed limit.

It’s a beautiful reminder that encouragement should be loud enough to be heard. Not whispered.
Not assumed. Sometimes people need to know that someone behind them has their back—and is not afraid to honk about it.

But the last lesson from our feathery mentors is the one that always gets me right in the heart.
If a goose becomes sick, injured, or just too exhausted to continue, it doesn’t get left behind. It doesn’t get a “good luck, buddy” wing-wave. Instead, two geese—yes, two—drop out of formation and follow it down to the ground. They stay with it. They protect it. They wait until it recovers or, if it doesn’t, they mourn and then join another passing flock.

Those two geese don’t gain anything from doing that. They’re delaying their migration. They’re losing the V-formation advantage. They’re doing something wildly selfless—and yet utterly normal in their world.

That is community.

That is love.

And that is what we humans were made for.

Life isn’t meant to be a solo flight. We weren’t designed to flap our wings alone until we pass out somewhere over Kansas. We were created to uplift others, to be uplifted, to take turns leading, to cheer each other on, and to stand with those who are hurting—even when it slows us down.

When you and I embrace the “spirit of the geese,” our daily life starts to change:

We look for ways to encourage instead of criticize.
We recognize when someone’s tired and step in to lead for a while.
We stop pretending we’re fine when we’re struggling.
We choose relationships where there’s shared direction—not chaos.
We show up for each other in the hard moments, not just the convenient ones.

We remember that vulnerability and interdependence aren’t weaknesses—they’re strengths.

So, the next time you look up and see a flock of geese slicing through the sky in that perfect V-formation, don’t just think, “Cool birds.”

Think: This is what community looks like. This is what love looks like. This is what life could look like if we learned from nature’s loudest, most underappreciated professors.

And maybe—just maybe—let it inspire you to lift someone, lead someone, encourage someone… or land with someone who needs you.

After all, you and I have been given the privilege of belonging to a flock too.