Two Are Better Than One

Two Are Better Than One

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.

Ecclesiastes 4:9

Because of the work we do with engaged couples, we get a lot of wedding invitations. And we attend a lot of weddings. Sometimes we feel like we have seen or heard of everything you could possibly do to make a wedding ceremony memorable and special. But not long ago we discovered something we had never seen before, and it impressed us.

You have probably seen the use of a unity candle where a couple joins two individual candle flames together to light a larger candle symbolizing their union. Well, in this case, the symbolism went much deeper. Our friends Jim and Jeannette wanted something that would express their trust and dependence on God in their marriage, so they came up with what they called the “unity cord.”

In front of the congregation, they braided three cords together symbolizing the powerful strength of their marriage when they lean not on their own understanding but on the wisdom of God. The three separate cords represented the three participants in this lifelong union—Jim, Jeannette, and God’s Son, Jesus Christ. By the braiding of these three cords, Jim and Jeannette visually illustrated their new oneness, intricately interwoven and strengthened by their love of God. The minister explained that the new, braided cord was far stronger than either of the individual cords representing Jim and Jeannette. He then read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

When we acknowledge God’s presence in our marriages, we are braiding our marriage with the strength of God’s power. Think about your marriage in view of that image. Is it tightly woven, or has it come loose? Either way, pray today that God would tighten and strengthen the cord.

What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.

—Aristotle