In This Together

In May of 1953, two men became the first in history to summit Mount Everest: Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand beekeeper and explorer, and a man named Tenzing Norgay, his Sherpa guide from Nepal. Hillary’s name remains famous for this inspiring achievement, but how many of us remember Tenzing Norgay?

We should, though, because on the descent from the 29,000 foot summit, Hillary slipped and began sliding down the very steep, icy side of the mountain. He would have fallen to his certain death, except that Tenzing instinctively dug in his ice ax and braced himself for the sudden, heavy pull of the rope linking them together, thus saving Hillary’s life--but at the risk of his own, if his anchor hadn’t held.

Back at base camp, reporters made a great deal over what they called Tenzing’s heroism in that incident. But through it all he remained entirely unfazed and responded only matter-of-factly, “Mountain climbers always help each other.” He honestly couldn’t see why that should be considered extraordinary. It would have been exceptonal only if he hadn’t tried to save his friend.

“Mountain climbers always help each other.” It’s a matter of life and death in that context. But that truth also applies equally to the rest of us as well--or it should. As human beings we've been created to benefit from a network of mutually supportive relationships that both nurture and strengthen us, God’s good gifts to us in the form of family, friends and communities. They are just as life-saving, emotionally and spiritually. In fact, the Church is the supreme example of that vital reality. As the Apostle Paul taught, just as all the parts of the human body--our eyes, ears, hands, and even its “weaker” and “less honorable” members--rely on one another and work together, so is that also true of the Body of Christ. We need each other in order to become whole and to live in the fullness of God’s blessing.

The Old Testament has its own demonstration of this truth, found in a story from the Book of Exodus (read 17:8-13). As long as Moses held up the staff of God, Israel was strong and prevailed in battle. But whenever he tired and lowered it, the enemy began to win. Seeing this, Aaron and Hur moved a stone for Moses to sit on and then held his arms up, one on either side, so that the staff remained lifted up--and as it was held high, Israel overcame their enemy. We have this very simple, memorable illustration of our need for each other’s help, and the crucial difference it makes for the sake of our salvation.

It’s also noteworthy that in the very next passage in Exodus we’re told the story of Moses’s father-in-law Jethro visiting Israel at Mount Sinai and observing that Moses was overwhelmed by trying to govern the people single-handedly. Jethro could see that he needed to delegate responsibility and appoint other “capable men” to help him. He couldn’t do it alone. Moses did as Jethro suggested, and it solved the problem: both Moses and Israel were far better off for it. The point was made once again that we need each other, and that’s as it should be.

Jesus himself honored this truth by forming a band of apostles who had one another for support and encouragement. He even sent the Twelve out two by two, not singly, when he commissioned them to go out on their own to preach and to heal the sick (Mark 6:7-13). He never intended there to be any solitary disciples because he knew very well that we need one another to become our best selves.

Jesus also knew that there’s strength in numbers. There’s an important principle in nature called “synergy.” Synergy is the interaction of forces to produce a result greater than the sum of their separate parts. In just one example of this principle, it’s an amazing fact that a draft horse working alone is only capable of pulling about two tons, but two horses harnessed and pulling together can move over twenty tons! It’s a case of two plus two equals twenty. That’s the miracle of synergy, when the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

The principle of synergy also applies in the spiritual realm. One person serving the Lord is only able to do so much with their gifts and graces. But working together with other believers, the result can be multiplied many times over. God created the Church with that reality in mind.

Did you know that there are over sixty verses in the New Testament using the phrase “one another,” admonishing us to live this out: to serve each other, to honor others over ourselves, to pray for one another, to encourage, to forgive, to bear one another's burdens, and in many other ways to help each other. God clearly wants us to live out this shared life together for the sake of establishing the Kingdom, and for our own blessing.