From Loners to a Swarm in Just Two Hours? No King, Yet They Move as One

The desert locust is a loner. It shuns others, hides, lives alone. Then, in just 2 hours, the same locust joins a swarm of billions, darkening the sky for miles. What happened? In 2009, Oxford and Cambridge researchers published the answer in Science. When locusts are crowded together, their hind legs touch. And that touch, the repeated rubbing, triples their serotonin levels. Scientists tickled a lone locust's legs. 2 hours later, it craved company. No leader, no queen, no commander, no one giving orders. Studies found crowded locusts simply align with their neighbors. Suddenly, thousands march like a trained army. But nobody trained them. Loners become one force simply by drawing close and touching. Friends, we keep waiting for unity from above, a leader, a big event, a dramatic move. Meanwhile, we hide in our corners, sure alone is safer. Years sharing a wall, never knowing our neighbor's name. In Proverbs, four little creatures are exceedingly wise. One, the locusts have no king, yet all go forth in bands. No king, yet together in perfect order. At Sinai, Rashi says, "A whole nation, unbidden, faced the mountain as one man with one heart." But every other camp, grumbling and strife. That unity wasn't imposed from above. It came from closeness, side by side, one purpose, hearts align naturally. Right then, as one, they were ready for the Torah. Not to scattered individuals, to a people standing [music] together. That's unity's secret. Not a grand speech, a small touch. Drawing close, shoulder to shoulder. Letting our neighbor move us. One touch can make a loner part of something greater. Faith isn't waiting to be united. Faith is knowing, as we draw close, one heart starts beating. Next time we feel alone, each in our corner, let's pause. One small step, a hand, a kind word, a visit. Even without a king, whoever draws close goes forth together.