Migration

Extract from National Geographic Nov 2010 (rephrased):

“Animal migration is a phenomenon far grander and more patterned than animal movement. It represents collective travel with long deferred rewards. Five characteristics that apply to all migrations: 1) they are prolonged movements that carry animals outside familiar habitats; 2) they tend to be linear, not zigzaggy; 3) they involve special behaviors of preparation (such as overfeeding); 4) they demand special allocations of energy; 5) migrating animals maintain a fervid attentiveness to the greater mission, which keeps them undistracted by temptations and undeterred by challenges that would turn other animals aside.

An arctic tern on its way from Patagonia to Alaska, for instance, will ignore a nice smelly herring offered from a bird-watcher’s boat. Local sea gulls will dive voraciously for such handouts. The arctic tern resists distraction because it is driven at that moment by an instinctive sense of something we humans find admirable: a larger purpose.”

Arctic Tern in Migration

Ever wondered what the name “Gershon” meant? The word in Hebrew means “Stranger in a foreign land.”

Yes, I know, I got the same “huh???” look like you do  now when I first learned about my name. Other people have cool names that meant warrior, courage, solid rock, or wisdom. My name? It sounded like a tagline from a Giordano advertisement.

I always lamented about my name as a child. I was named by a Christian nun - a best friend of my mum. I know God sends blessings; I didn’t know He delivered jokes too, or so I thought.

That was until one day someone at Citi where I interned saw my name on a document and tracked me down. She told me her son was named Gershom, and she wanted to see her son’s namesake. I went on my usual lamentation that my name didn’t mean much, but she interjected and said it was very meaningful. “Yea, right” I thought to myself.  She thoughtfully added, “It actually portrays the fact that we are but pilgrims and strangers on this earth, destined for somewhere better and far more glorious.” [Heb 11:13-16, Ps 119:19, 1 Pet 2:11] Wow, THAT’S a revelation.

We are all on a journey, aren’t we? If there is a larger purpose in life, what are you doing as you migrate towards it? There are lessons that we can learn from animal migration:

[1] Movement beyond the norm. A migration is a prolonged movement that carries us outside familiar habitats. A human migration. A migration to somewhere far better. Far glorious. For something much bigger than ourselves. For we are but strangers and pilgrims on this temporal earth, destined for something eternal.

[2] Linearity. Are you focused on your purpose? Or are you zigzagging your way there, wasting precious time and energy along the way? Or worse, are you just circling round and round, not knowing where to go? Some of us may even just be standing still. But the worst of all are those of us who find ourselves going backwards, perhaps back to the place where we have been oh so familiar with – our comfort zone.

[3] Preparation. Reaching somewhere higher than where you are now requires effort. In science it is called work. It requires preparation. And no, I am NOT asking you to overfeed and get fat (don’t ask me if that explains my obsession with KFC please). But perhaps we need to prepare ourselves mentally for the obstacles ahead. And have friends that will walk with us in the journey ahead. Like they always say, Make friends before you need them. Or maybe you need to arm yourself with a revelation, a rhema. That is preparation too, for you need a word to hang on to when the trip gets arduous.

[4] Special energy. What takes up your most of your time and energy? I often find myself wasting time on things that are absolutely useless – Taiwanese drama serials, Naruto, Facebook, YouTube. You name it, I have done it (am doing it!) But moving towards your purpose requires special energy. I’d better channel more time and effort to things that really make an impact on my life, and those that make a difference in the lives of other people!

[5] Undistractibility. Do you get distracted easily? Are you an Arctic tern or a sea gull? Gulls live for the moment. Terns live for a larger purpose. What drives you? “The tern senses that it can eat later. It can rest later. It can mate later. Right now its implacable focus is the journey; its undivided intent is arrival.”

The ability to overcome tension between fleeting pleasures and longer-term purposes separates the men from the boys. In the finance world there is a reward for delaying gratification. In fact, the longer the delayed consumption, the greater the expected returns.

Okay, if you’ve made it this far in the post, thank you for your love and patience, it takes a certain kind of friendship to make it through such boring stuff, so hurray for you (and for me!)

Looking back, I now know God didn’t send a joke, but He sure does have a good sense of humor.

So my friend, are you merely moving or are you migrating? Are you a tern or are you a gull? What larger purpose are you migrating to?