Sleeping can be dangerous if you’re a duck.

There are lots of creatures that appreciate a good duck, and so will wait for one to fall asleep.  And a sleeping duck is—sorry about this—a sitting duck.  

Except that ducks team up when they sleep.  They will sometimes choose a log, and sleep with two on the inside and two on the outside, in a line. (In a row. Again…sorry.) The ducks on the outside will keep one-half of their brains awake to keep one eye opened—the outside eye—to watch for predators on that side of the log.  And then the inside ducks will rotate with the outside ducks, so that each can get the sleep they need in a dangerous, ravenous world.

I’m not making this up.  (Listen to the Sleep episode on the Radiolab podcast.  Binge the rest of the episodes…after you read all of my posts, of course.)

Apparently, lots of creatures do this.  Sleep, for many creatures, is best done in community.

In fact, for most creatures, everything is best done in community.  And we are most creatures. 

We’re pretty much like ducks on a log.

Which means we have always most thrived in community, in meaningful connection with others.  Which is also concerning, since each new technology seems to move us in the opposite direction: car, garage door opener, central heat, Netflix…good things, that keep us from having to engage unnecessarily with our neighbors.

When my wife and I were looking for houses, we noticed that the older the house, the larger the living room, guest bath, front porch.  The newer the house, the smaller the living room, guest bath, front porch…and the larger the master bedroom, master bath, and backyard deck.

We have been in retreat.  From each other. 

And, I am persuaded, our spirits are shriveling because of it.

Even those that find it helpful to gather in communities to pay attention to and care for each other’s spirits are finding it less important.  It is not just that fewer people are a part of spiritual communities, it is that those who are a part of one just gather less often.  Its perceived value is diminishing.

But…that which we most value about our selves require this kind of community.  An early Christian sage provided a list for his spiritual community of what the Spirit wanted to birth in them.  Here is that list: “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  All of which require bumping up against others, listening to and learning from others, encouraging others, stepping on others’ toes and allowing our toes to be stepped on.  None of these things happen in isolation.  These immeasurable goodnesses require an intentional life with others to grow.

Father Greg Boyle puts it this way, “Community is the singular place where patience and steadiness can be practiced, compassion can be expanded, and gratitude can be nurtured.”

It has become trendy and even customary to say that one is “spiritual, but not religious.” Meaning: “I don’t need anyone else to foster my spirit.” But I would argue that we need to be religious to be spiritual.  The word “religion”, after all, comes from the Latin religare, meaning “bundled together for a common purpose.” 

And I would argue, in the land of smartphones, ear buds, self-checkouts and streaming services that we need to be more vigilant about “being bundled together for a common purpose”. We need to be more intentional than ever about fostering spiritual friendships, gatherings, and conversations.

Because in our broken and dividing world, it takes a people to foster gratitude, awareness, and meaningful participation with the Spirit that desires to put us—and our world—back together.

Otherwise, we might all just be sitting ducks.