What does "Echelon" mean? Click here to listen to Lowell Explain (3MB mp3 file)

Have you ever seen geese or ducks flying over in that big "V" formation? That formation is called and "Echelon." The birds fly like that is because they are drafting, which means the first bird creates an updraft for the birds behind it and those birds, in turn, create an updraft for the birds behind them and so on. Using this system, the old or sick or injured birds are able to fly in the back where the wind resistance is the least and the entire flock can travel 70 times further when they work in community. Any bird trying to migrate on its own would never get far enough south and would die from either exhaustion or exposure to the elements. Only when they all work together can they accomplish their goal.

As the body of Christ, we are similar to those birds in the echelon. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do many great things for the Kingdom of God, but how much more effective can we be when we work together in our youth groups, congregations and the Christian church throughout the world.

We have another problem, however; we are the sick and injured birds at the back of the flock. Because of the sin in our lives (Romans 3:23-24), we can never fly at the front, where the wind is the greatest. We can do nothing good on our own except by the power of Jesus who is within us. Being perfect, Jesus was the only one who was able to take that lead position in the echelon. He took the brunt of the wind which we could never take on our own (Romans 5:6). Jesus sacrifice took away our sins and gave us a place in the echelon, in the family of God. Now, we fly, following Jesus and encouraging each other because we know what Jesus has done for us. Our Savior promises us that He is going ahead of us to prepare a place for us to spend eternity where there is no sin, no sickness, no age and no wind (John 14:2-4).