Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Ecclesiastes 4 - Slow or Faster? Cheetahs and Bombs

Have you seen the latest commercials for the AT&T Apple IPhones? Beck Bennet and a group of children sit around a table discussing things like which is better. Would the children rather have more or less? Is slow or faster better. They, of course, all think that more and faster are are better. The line I love comes in the commercial when they discuss how to make grandma faster. The little boy says: "Tape a cheetah to her back."

Yes, there are times when this grandma wishes she was a little faster and that there was a little more of me to go around to get everything done that I'd like done. I have found that as I have slowed down, more is not better. More means more work. More means more to take care of. Thanks be to God that there are others around me to work with me. I don't need a cheetah taped to my back, although that might prove to be a real interesting experience...

Solomon writes: 
"Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them 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."  (Eccl 4:9-12 NIV)

Two can definitely be better than one. It is good to have someone there to help you in your labors, to pick you up when you fall, to comfort, and to help defend you.  Two is better than one, but it is not perfect. Sometimes when there is more and no matter how fast you are stuff still happens.

Yesterday, April 15, 2013, at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, two bombs exploded. There were many people there. It was a crowd.Which meant even more got hurt. In just a flash, over 140 were hurt and at least 3 were killed in the blasts. 

Two might have been able to defend themselves in Solomon's time. In many cases today, it is just not so. Technology has made our arms able to destroy many more, much faster. Technology has done some great things. It has given us some awesome ways to communicate with one another more and faster. But, technology has provided humankind faster and easier ways to destroy one another, as well. Technology has provided humankind ways to be inhumane without even being present. It is possible for multitudes to be murdered without even realizing that they were in danger. ...with no opportunity to defend themselves.

Two are better than one in many cases. We could afford a few more allies. But, more is not always better when you're gathered together as one target. Yesterday, my desire to live in relative isolation was affirmed.

It might be helpful if I were a bit faster. I really appreciate that the internet is much faster than it was a decade ago. But, still, some things may be better faster, but not all.

There is way too much evil being done under the sun. Let there be peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J

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