In Tandem

I saw them on a country road.
A bicycle built for two upon which an older Mennonite couple rode.
If I was an artist, I would have painted a picture to capture the moment.
Since I am a writer, painting a picture with words will have to do.

I watched as they pedaled in tandem.
Their legs moving in unison.
The ground they gained was far better than the ground I gained in my car.
The familiar clothes, the head covering, the bike basket that held their packages.

Everything about the scene said simplicity.
Every ounce of my being longed for it somehow.
I imagined what chores they had already accomplished that morning.
The chores they accomplished together.

In tandem.
Alongside.

I saw a woman in the store with her working dog.
Her faithful companion right by her side.
She shopped and the dog waited.
There was a sign on the dog’s collar: Do not pet me. I am working.

Everything about the scene said simplicity.
Every ounce of my being longed for it somehow.
In tandem.
Alongside.

I stopped at a home improvement store and saw them.
An elderly couple shopping together.
The wife was in a wheel chair.
Her husband was pushing her around the store.

They talked and laughed and just enjoyed each others company.
Did they ever imagine what their journey would look like as they grew old together?
Did they ever think that one would have to care for the other?
Their vows were being lived out among the light fixtures.

Everything about the scene said simplicity.
Every ounce of my being longed for it somehow.
In tandem.
Alongside.

We are a people of community.
We need each other.
We need to walk alongside.
We need to work in tandem.

We have forgotten.
We have become lone rangers.
We have a do-it-yourself mentality that often excludes others.
We are lonely.

We were not meant to journey alone.
We need to walk and laugh and share experiences.
We need fellowship.
We need togetherness.

I think we have forgotten.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

A cord of three strands.
Anyone with a daughter knows about braiding hair.
If you try to take two handfuls of hair, you only get a twist that can easily come undone.
However, when you take three strands of hair and braid them together, it is tight.

It is difficult to unravel a braid, a cord of three strands.
The three strands together form a bond that is difficult to separate.
And so it is with life.
A cord of three strands.

Marriage needs three strands if it is to thrive: husband, and wife, and God.
Parenting needs three strands if it is to be effective: Parent, and child, and God.
Friendship needs three strands if it is to be fruitful: friend, and friend, and God.
A necessary cord of three strands.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter Him saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17)

The Cord of Three Strands.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Present together at Creation.
Present together at Jesus’ Baptism.

Present together.
In tandem.
Alongside.
Every ounce of my being longs for Them.

Three Persons in One God.
The Trinity.
Trinitarian Faith.
A faith of Three.

A Cord of Three Strands.
And we are made in their image.
In the image of the Three we are made.
We cannot be broken if we are intertwined with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In tandem.
Alongside.
Everything about the Trinity says simplicity, yet impossible to believe in without faith.
Every ounce of my being longs for the Three in One.

You, too, can live life in tandem with the Three in One.
Alongside.
Ask God to give you that longing for His Cord of Three Strands.
It is a prayer He is delighted to answer.