If you have kids, you might remember the nursery rhyme that goes something like this: “The animals went in two by two, Hurrah! Hurrah! The elephant and the kangaroo, Hurrah! Hurrah! The animals went in two by two, the elephant and the kangaroo.” Pretty catchy lyrics, huh?!
The two by two part reminded me of another life lesson… for safety’s sake, travel in pairs. In other words, “Two heads are better than one.” This basically boils down to the issue of teamwork and cooperation, working together as a unit. We live in a culture that honors “rugged individualism,” but more often than not, it’s teamwork that wins the day. And who better to have taught us this than the animals that boarded the ark?!?
My major in college was zoology. As part of my studies, I had to take entomology, the study of insects. One think I learned that I actually still remember today is that grasshoppers and locusts don’t have any organization or leadership structure. They work together to get things done, like devouring a field in short time. Piranhas are like that, too, they get the job done as a group. The idea is that more will get done when they all work together to accomplish one common goal. If they spent their time arguing over whose territory was whose, or had to fight over which insect could accomplish more, they wouldn’t accomplish their goal in near the amount of time that they did.
Solomon said, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls sown, 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 quickly broken.”
So when you’re temped to go at something alone, instead, fight the urge and consider Solomon’s wise advice. Or even take cues from the lowly grasshopper. I hope we can all see the value in agreeing with Solomon – two are definitely better than one.
So who do you know that could use a teammate, a partner, a friend?