The Kitchen Sink
An occasional piece of paper
March 28, 2010
Vol. 13 no. 13
Have you noticed that it usually takes two? I know that there’s a popular song about that, but for the moment consider the situations in which the Biblical number was two for important assignments.
I will miss some for sure, but at least one version required that two by two all the animals should enter the Ark of Noah. Jesus sent out 70 disciples to preach and heal in his advance, two by two. Today, two disciples are sent to fetch a colt for the ride into Jerusalem. Neither one of them knew what he was doing, maybe there’s strength in numbers! Later this week, Jesus sent Peter and John - that’s two! - out to prepare the Passover Seder meal, the Last Supper, and find a secret upper room. Finally, a sneak preview - on that dark Easter morning, the women came to the tomb and found instead of Jesus two men sitting there in dazzling apparel. I would have thought one angel would be more than adequate.
All this two-ness in a Trinitarian faith. Although there is the famous quorum, “Where two or three gather, there I am in the midst of you,” there doesn’t seem to be a particular idea behind the Two. Practically, two people often function well together, especially if they are not exactly alike. One keeps an eye on the other to watch out for unhelpful behaviour, the other encourages the companion when she is discouraged. Together, two people can accomplish more than twice the work of one. Add a third person, and they would be lucky to pull off the work of one.
Christianity is not a solitary task, though many individuals have tried hard to do it their way, alone. Our faith is fundamentally a matter of relationships, of how we work together, learn from one another, tolerate one another’s strengths and weaknesses, and love one another, two by two.
Preached by Robert Kitchen
Knox-Metropolitan United Church
Regina, Saskatchewan