For years scientists were baffled by the mystery of floating fire ants. When placed in water, an individual fire ant will flounder, struggle, and then eventually sink. But when the fire ants band together they form life rafts that help them survive the flash floods of the Brazilian rain forests. As a unified raft, they can even travel for months before reaching dry land.

An article in the Los Angeles Times summarized a new research study that has unlocked the secret of this natural mystery. After collecting a bunch of ants, scientists dropped them into containers of water. The ants quickly spread out and formed themselves into rafts. Each individual ant used its claws and the adhesive pads on their legs to grip onto each other. One researcher said, "At first it just looks like a tangle of bodies and limbs everywhere, but the longer you look at the picture, the more you're able to distinguish between different body parts and see the connection." Then the insects use air pockets that form around their bodies to keep themselves afloat.

The article concluded, "The research sheds light on how deeply social insects act together: almost as if they're part of a superorganism …. [As one scientist said], 'The individuals acting together create this awareness of the environment that no individual ant has.'"

Preaching angle: The New Testament often speaks of our need to be connected to fellow believers in order to survive and grow spiritually. Alone, we can sink; but clinging and growing together in Christ, we can ride out any storm.