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!
-Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV)
On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary became the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world at 29,029 feet. That’s a fairly well-known piece of trivia. What many don’t know is who the second person to achieve the feat was. That man is Tenzing Norgay, a Nepali mountaineer who served as Hillary’s guide and partner while on Everest.
As the story goes, while on the mountain, some ice gave way and Hillary began falling into a crevice. Norgay, who was following, quickly slammed his pickax into the ice, pulled the rope tight, and saved Hillary from falling to his death. When asked about his heroics later on, Norgay deflected any credit by nonchalantly saying, “Mountain climbers always help each other.” He was just doing what he was supposed to do.
Solomon is echoing the same thoughts in Chapter 4 of Ecclesiastes.
You see, we were not designed for isolation but rather for relation, specifically with God and people. It’s easy to pull inside our shell and bottle emotions up when life is painful, but often opening up is the best medicine. As the verse says, having no one to lift you up from a fall only makes things worse. It’s virtually impossible to heal without help.
The point is that as Christians, being there for each other is a two-way street. Sometimes we will be the one who falls, and despite our pride, we must be open for help from others. Furthermore, sometimes we will be the one there when someone else falls, and despite our selfishness, we must also be open to help others. Regardless of which role we are filling, two are better than one.
Like Tenzing Norgay said about mountain climbers, our attitude should be equally simple and clear — Christians always help each other.
It’s just what we’re supposed to do.
