Living Wittily

A three stranded cord is not easily broken – friendship defined.

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Was speaking with a close friend the other night and quoted the text about the threefold cord that is not easily broken. The faithful strengthening that comes from woven companionship has been important in this and many friendships.

Decided
to play around with this maxim from Ecclesiastes, that good natured Jew who was
gently sceptical about life, God and the elusiveness of happiness:  “a three stranded cord is not easily broken.”
(4.12).

Tried a little Midrash on this, exploring the multiple choice interpretations, not
to choose the right one but to see the rich possibilities in each.  The complete verse says, “If one person can
overpower another who is alone, two can resist his opponent. A three stranded cord
is not easily broken.”

The Jewish
setting and background is that of a journey. The danger of being on the road
alone. Vulnerability and risk are lessened when there are those who stand with
you, one on each side. That’s what friendship is. Those who stand on either
side of you, between you and those who mean harm or hurt.

Or from
another angle, this time Christian, the threefold strand could be the
companionship of the Triune love that is God. In the old Irish prayer, “I bind
unto myself today, the strong name of the Trinity.” The grace of Christ, the
love of God, the fellowship of the Spirit.

Then
again, from an ethical perspective “these three abide, faith, hope and love,
but the greatest of these is love.” Yet they belong together in a threefold strand.
Love without faith and hope lacks trust and promise. But where there is trust,
and forward looking promise, then love lives again and abides.

Whichever
way we take it, the three stranded cord of human friendship, of God’s enfolding
love, of the cardinal virtues, provides support and strength that is beyond any
one of us, but belongs to us together. Indeed human friendship, entwined with
divine love, and kept faithful by the three virtues, is just about the most
secure place any of us can be.

Comments

6 responses to “A three stranded cord is not easily broken – friendship defined.”

  1. Catriona avatar
    Catriona

    Three times people have asked me to use this passage for their weddings (and I’ve only done five weddings in total), once alongside the 1 Corinthians 13 passage.
    On two occasions I used the three stranded cord as the basis for a symbolic action, whereby each member of the congregation was given three strands of embroidery silk, tied together, and invited to plait (or twist!) them together as a symbol of their support for the couple, or to symbolise that the unity of faith/hope/love or God/couple/them as they found helpful.
    On two of them (one used both symbols)I used a three branched candle stick in a similar way, once to symbolise two birth families equidistant from, but united to, the new couple and the other to symbolise the common root of the faith/hope/love which would provide strength to the marriage.
    It’s a good little verse to ponder, and it does have echoes/hints of Trinitarian themes (even possibly of perichoresis in the plaiting!).

    Reply
  2. Catriona avatar
    Catriona

    Three times people have asked me to use this passage for their weddings (and I’ve only done five weddings in total), once alongside the 1 Corinthians 13 passage.
    On two occasions I used the three stranded cord as the basis for a symbolic action, whereby each member of the congregation was given three strands of embroidery silk, tied together, and invited to plait (or twist!) them together as a symbol of their support for the couple, or to symbolise that the unity of faith/hope/love or God/couple/them as they found helpful.
    On two of them (one used both symbols)I used a three branched candle stick in a similar way, once to symbolise two birth families equidistant from, but united to, the new couple and the other to symbolise the common root of the faith/hope/love which would provide strength to the marriage.
    It’s a good little verse to ponder, and it does have echoes/hints of Trinitarian themes (even possibly of perichoresis in the plaiting!).

    Reply
  3. Mike Coumans avatar
    Mike Coumans

    Hi Jim,
    I remember volunteering at a children’s address. You gave me and another volunteer (Lesley?) a strand of wool, and a pair of gloves. We pulled and the strand broke, quite easily. Then on to two strands. Not so easy this time. Three twisted strands … could not be broken even with the protection of leather gloves.
    A very powerful illustration of love and faithfulness between a married couple – together with love for God.
    I do like the ‘out of the box’ thinking which has resulted in other illustrations such as faith hope and love. etc. etc.

    Reply
  4. Mike Coumans avatar
    Mike Coumans

    Hi Jim,
    I remember volunteering at a children’s address. You gave me and another volunteer (Lesley?) a strand of wool, and a pair of gloves. We pulled and the strand broke, quite easily. Then on to two strands. Not so easy this time. Three twisted strands … could not be broken even with the protection of leather gloves.
    A very powerful illustration of love and faithfulness between a married couple – together with love for God.
    I do like the ‘out of the box’ thinking which has resulted in other illustrations such as faith hope and love. etc. etc.

    Reply
  5. Jim Gordon avatar
    Jim Gordon

    Hiya Mike – and Lesley – and the gang of two. Looking forward to our invasion of the North East again, and the chance to pick up with the kind of friends who in the end didn’t tell their minister to format his hard disk! 🙂

    Reply
  6. Jim Gordon avatar
    Jim Gordon

    Hiya Mike – and Lesley – and the gang of two. Looking forward to our invasion of the North East again, and the chance to pick up with the kind of friends who in the end didn’t tell their minister to format his hard disk! 🙂

    Reply

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