The City by the Bay is a special place and I have left my heart in San Francisco many times.  With its distinct neighborhoods, hills, fog, enriching ethnic diversity, food, cable cars, bridges, and much more, the city exudes character and charm.

For a number of years I have enjoyed the Pier 39 area.  Yes it is full of tourists and stores that sell things I have no interest in, but it is a blast to spend a few hours among the throngs of people.  Since the Loma Prieta quake in 1989, it has also become the place to watch California Sea Lions up close.

For some reason, following the quake, the sea lion population grew tremendously in the Pier 39 location.  Now dozens of sea lions flock to floating wood pallets strewn about in an area within the adjacent marina.

It is fascinating to simply sit and watch these creatures and the antics they engage in.  From barking sounds to shoving matches, I can watch sea lions for hours.  One thing, however, especially intrigues me.

Sea lions seem to like hanging out together on just a few pallets rather than spreading out among the many empty ones that are available.  What is interesting is that dominant males spend hours pushing other males off the pallets they happen to be enjoying.

I have to wonder, why on earth don’t the males just spread out and have their own space?  Why the fighting and territorial aggression?  There is plenty of room and many pallets floating nearby with nothing but a gull or two on top.

Perhaps the sea lions are dealing with the age-old question, “Is there plenty to go around or is there barely enough so I better hold onto what I have and get even more?”

All of this reminds me of the great story in the Book of Exodus, chapter 16.  The people are wandering around the desert, totally dependent upon God.  God does provide, daily in fact.  When the people take just what they need and nothing more, everything is fine.  When others, however, try and hoard more than their share, the extras rot and become worm filled.

Although I have no clue why the sea lions behave the way they do, or why some people in the Exodus story had to pick up more than they needed, watching the seals and thinking about the Exodus story causes me to pay attention and ask questions about my own attitude about space and what I am accumulating.

Questions such as, “How much do I really need?  Is there room for more than me?  Can I take another person into account?  How might I see this situation from the other person’s perspective, the one who has no place of his or her own?  What might happen if I make room for the other?”

The sea lions, the story in the Book of Exodus, and our journey in faith all compel us, I believe, to explore where we are with possessions, assets, and space when it comes to others.  I for one, need to spend some time with Jesus getting a clearer picture of what Jesus would have me do with regard to all of this, especially in a time when “me” is a much louder voice than “we.”