The Wonder of Instinctive Wisdom

“Migration is probably the most awe-inspiring natural phenomenon.”​—COLLINS ATLAS OF BIRD MIGRATION.

ON December 9, 1967, an airline pilot spotted a flock of about 30 whooper swans flying toward Ireland at the amazing altitude of 27,000 feet [8,200 m]. Why were they flying so high, where the air temperature was about 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit [-40°C]? Besides escaping the persistent snow squalls at lower altitudes, they were riding a wind current that gave them a ground speed of about 125 miles [200 km] an hour. It was estimated that the birds completed their 800-mile [1,300 km] flight from Iceland to Ireland in just seven hours.

The world champion migrator​—the arctic tern—​breeds north of the Arctic Circle yet spends the northern winter in the Antarctic. In a typical year, this small seabird travels between 25,000 and 30,000 miles [40,000 to 50,000 km]​—the equivalent of circling the globe!

White storks breed in Northern Europe and winter in South Africa, making a round trip of 15,000 miles [24,000 km]. Thousands of these birds pass through Israel in the autumn and the spring, following a timetable known back in Bible times.​—Jeremiah 8:7.

Who implanted that instinctive ability? Some 3,500 years ago, God posed the following question to the righteous man Job: “Is it owing to your understanding that the falcon soars up, that it spreads its wings to the south wind? Or is it at your order that an eagle flies upward and that it builds its nest high up?” In his reply Job rightly praised God for the amazing abilities of birds and other animals.​—Job 39:26, 27; 42:2.

Superior to Instinct

Humans, the crowning achievement of God’s creation, are not governed primarily by instinct. Instead, we are free moral agents with a conscience and the capacity for love. (Genesis 1:27; 1 John 4:8) As a result of all these gifts, we can make just and moral decisions that sometimes reflect extraordinary love and self-sacrifice.

A person’s attitude and behavior are, of course, largely a product of the moral precepts and spiritual tenets that he was taught, or not taught, from infancy. As a result, people may differ in what they consider to be right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable. These differences, in turn, can lead to misunderstandings, intolerance, and even hatred, especially when such factors as culture, nationalism, and religion exert a strong influence.

How much better the world would be if the entire human family adhered to one set of standards that reflect moral and spiritual truth, just as we obey the one set of physical laws that govern the universe! But does anyone have the ability and the knowledge to set universal standards? And if so, will he or has he? Those questions will be considered in the following articles.