Ants

I was mowing the lawn today and in the middle of it, I stopped for a water break.  I was sitting on the front stairs when I noticed some ants moving across the sidewalk.  I watched as it started out with one ant.  He ran across the sidewalk and disappeared into the grass.  After a few minutes he reemerged and went back across the sidewalk to where he came from.  A few moments later, a line of about fifty ants came across the sidewalk.  I sort of cocked my head in amazement.  They again disappeared into the grass.  A few minutes later they reappeared but this time they were carrying what seemed to be a small piece of bread.  It took almost all of them to carry it, but they worked as a team and before I knew it they had crossed back over the sidewalk and out of sight.

I laughed out loud.  I don’t know why I laughed, but I think it was because of how exciting and interesting it was to watch these ants work.  Was the first ant a scout sent out to find food?  Did he know where he was going or was he just going in a general direction?  Was he always the scout or did he have other duties?  I am not sure what the hierarchy of ants is but I do believe that no person, animal, or insect works as well together as the ant. 

People have a tendency to fight against each other instead of working together.  We are often selfish and when we act on it, our selfishness destroys any thoughts of working as a team.  We often think about ourselves first and others second.  It often leads to bad situations.  If we could all just work together then a lot of the world’s problems could be solved.   

Take hunger for example.  There is no reason why people on this earth should die from hunger.  There is plenty of food to go around, but it is not shared or put in the right places.  If you have money or live in the right area of the world, there is plenty of food and water.  If we worked on a plan that would distribute food to others that need it, then everyone could be feed.  But would people really be willing to let go of what they have to help their fellow man?  We like to think so but unfortunately what happens is that we end up worrying about ourselves.

Hunger is just one issue that could be solved by us as the United Nations of the world working together.  If we could look inside ourselves as people and find our inner ant then we would make such a difference.  If we worried about the collective instead of individuals then we would be able to work together, we would be able to work as a team. 

The ant seeks food and shares it with the rest of the colony.  Each ant has a job that it has to do for the good of the colony.  I am not saying we give up our individuality to be a collective.  I am just saying that if we took the time to think about the concept used by the ant then we could figure out a way to work better together.  We could figure out a way to help with some of the problems of the world.  Let’s send someone on a scouting mission to find out what needs to be done, and when they come back we will send out the rest of us to do what needs to be done.  We will cross the sidewalk, road, country, or world to help and work together. 

Those were some mighty deep thoughts from watching ants.  Who would of thought that one of the smallest creatures on God’s world would make me think so deeply.  I guess I was channeling my inner ant.  I think I will go on a scouting trip.  Anyone what to go with me?