The gospel reading of this 15th Sunday in ordinary times, Year B (Mark 6:7- 13), tells of Christ sending His disciples, in pairs, for mission work. Sent out individually, they presumably could have covered more territory. But the Master knew better and as Scripture says, “Two are better than one… If either of them falls, one can help the other up. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). This quote reminds me of the lyrics of the song by Hezekiah Walker, “I need you, you need me, Stand with me … You are important to me; I need you to survive”. Yes, my friends, we need each other to survive.
After creating Adam, God quickly realized and immediately declared, “It is not good for man to be alone”. Research has shown that when we are isolated and lack support and connection with others, loneliness, cognitive decline, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicidal tendencies can easily set in. It is the same in spiritual life. Spiritual isolation has loads of adverse effects including spiritual decline, decreased interests in things about God, feelings of emptiness, anti-social behaviors, indifference, etc. Christ knew better not to expose his apostles to these dangers. So, by sending them out in pairs, He was providing them with a foundation for success, as well as giving us a model for our own spiritual growth.
Life is not easy, and our spiritual journey is not easy, either. Being in twos, the apostles could become a source of strength, encouragement, solace, and comfort to each other when the going gets tough. In spiritual life, it is very easy to lose focus, become distracted, indifferent, and, or lose faith completely. The presence of another can act to stir us up, to help us refocus, and to reignite our faith in moments of spiritual crisis. No wonder the book of Hebrews admonishes us never to stay away from the community of believers (Ref Heb 10:25) because spending time in a faith community builds connections and helps us cultivate a sense of belongingness and provides a tremendous source of encouragement in our faith journey.
Therefore, to protect ourselves from spiritual decline, it is always good to spend time in the company of spiritually like-minded fellows to pray, share God’s Word, our spiritual struggles, and questions about our faith. It also provides opportunities for us to give testimonies of God’s goodness and faithfulness. As Scripture says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!
Isolation, be it social or spiritual, is not good. This is why God gave us families. Every family member and every church member is a gift of God to us and to be cherished. Let us find ways to appreciate that gift. Let us work to be a source of strength and encouragement for one another, providing comfort and consolation in times of difficulties and providing needed support, in every way we can, to keep our family members and our church family moving forward. This is what God expects of us. It is the reason why He put our brothers and sisters in our lives and why He brought us together as members of this parish. Together and with the support of each other, we can do and accomplish all things. “I need you, you need me, stand with me … you are important to me, I need you to survive”. Christ knew these lyrics and that was why He sent His apostles out in pairs. Let’s cherish and appreciate one another and be there for each other. It is good for life and for the soul.
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