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Together

by Stenoy (Steve) Stephenson

 
God would have us: "Consider the ants!" What a request - mankind, which is so mentally elevated above all other creatures, philosophers by divine design, scholars, and great minds, capable of profound knowledge and industry, is told to examine a creature so tiny and common that one would hardly notice them, let alone make them the subject of our study or keen consideration. However, many have devoted their life's work to studying ants based on God's suggestion through the writings of one of the wisest men that ever lived - King Solomon. Myrmecology is the study of ants, an entire field of study from which was derived some of society's most complex structures and organizations.

Today, ants continue to be the subject of study in attempts to answer questions on the development of social systems due to the ants' complex and numerous forms of sociality. Their prominence and diversity in ecosystems have also made them important components in other fields such as biodiversity and methods of conversation and communication. The ants' ability to employ several different techniques in their day-today life has fascinated the educated world for years. Studies show that ants employ an art when faced with any and every situation in their journey. Higher studies have given ants more complicated terms for the different skills and characteristics they possess, but for the purpose of this Mission Message I shall name it 'The Art of Togetherness'.

The theme of Focus Day 2023 is 'TOGETHER', collaborating as a community to get where we need to go. Benjamin Franklin said, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately". He said this to the fellow patriots before they signed the Declaration of Independence. Ants successfully evolve, adjust, and survive in many environments as a result of their social organization and their ability to modify habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. Ants live in colonies and operate without any central control and that no ant have power over another. Yet they harmoniously perform very complex tasks; including nest building, navigation, foraging, food storage, tending the young, garbage collection and even war. Ants, lift and move things that seem impossible, but by hanging together they lift and move the seeming impossible. The fire ants in South America, during flooding, form a link together to build a watertight raft. They not only survive but thrive as a direct result of hanging together.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul says, "be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Paul is giving us the recipe of togetherness. Paul encourages us to hang together in order to thrive as an institution. Desmond Tutu said, "If we could but recognize our common humanity, that we do belong together, that our destinies are bound up in one another's, that we can be free only together, that we can be human only together, then a glorious world would come into being where all of us lived harmoniously together as members of one family, the human family." "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success" (Edward Everett Hale).

Mother Theresa said, "None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful." Love is what compels us to be together in all things. The more our love grows for one another, for God and for the institution, the closer we will be with each other. "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law: love your neighbor as yourself". Romans 13: 8-10

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