Have you learned what Bono knows? ‘Two are better than one.’
By Dean Collins
Two on one is easier than one on one. Sure, there are exceptions. Whether you are older and have a Michael Jordan preference or younger and think LeBron is the guy, they still need teammates to win. Yes, these guys and a few others are exceptional, and sometimes even two defenders can’t stop them. But overall two working together will score more points and defend more baskets than one.
If it’s a team sport you need a team. Yes, it’s true that one special player can make all the difference, but without a team, there won’t be a championship. Just ask Tom Brady or the Tampa Bay Bucs. And even in individual sports, you will find that golfers, tennis players, and NASCAR drivers have teams of people to help them train, carry a bag, change a tire, or plan a strategy.
Designed for community
Long before there were sports, the Creator said it’s not good for man to be alone. And while this verse sets the stage for Adam to find his helpmate, Eve, throughout Scripture we see that God is all about community, not individuality. The Bible is filled with examples of how God designed us for community. Jesus called the twelve. He sent them out in pairs on discipleship trips. Over and over in the epistles, we read about how the body of Christ is made up of many parts, all cooperating together. Establishing and growing the Kingdom of God is a community effort, not a solo mission.
Solomon puts it this way: “Two are better than one.” He goes on to explain the reasons; we can accomplish more, have better results, have help when we make mistakes or fall, find comfort, and prevail over difficulty and enemies.
In Proverbs we read, “Iron sharpens iron.” One piece of iron alone can never sharpen itself. The singer-songwriter Bono gives us a contemporary example.
A lesson from home
Bono, the frontman for the band U2, was born in 1960 to Robert and Iris Hewson, who named him Paul David. The Hewson family experienced loss in 1974 when Iris died. She collapsed at her father’s funeral and never regained consciousness. Paul David went through a tough adolescence with his older brother and their father as they all tried to deal with their grief.
Bono says his father was a tough man. While they loved each other deeply, they had different views on many things. Bono chose to become Protestant like his mother while his father never gave up Catholicism. Bono was working on a song about his dad with the working title of “Tough.” It was the best way to describe the older Hewson, who often was adamant about dreaming big. It was worthless, he said, but Bono had a lot of big dreams.
When Hewson died in 2001, Bono finished the song and changed the title to “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own.” Bono sang it for the first time at his father’s funeral. He credited his dad for his voice and his love of music. The song expresses what Bono had learned: Through hard times we are better together, better in community, better when iron sharpens iron.
A principle for all of us
Bono’s life work is much greater than just music. His philanthropy and his advocacy for the poor not only inspire but also bring results. I’ve had the pleasure of serving as a faith partner advocating for vaccines for the least of these with the leaders of a nonprofit he co-founded, ONE. They were working on global health and poverty long before our recent pandemic, and they will not relent until the mission is accomplished.
Bono knows what Solomon wrote about in Ecclesiastes: Two most certainly are better than one. Jesus gave his all for not just one of us but for all of us. When we embrace his work in community we will not only see his Kingdom advance, bringing final restoration one day. We will also know the love and support available for the people of God now and forever.
Your time with God’s Word
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Proverbs 27:17; 1 Peter 4:10 ESV
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash • This post appeared originally July 28, 2021
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