We must journey in Pairs

He sent them out in Pairs (Luke 10:1)

Last month I attended a weekend retreat in a conference center located in the countryside of Ogun state. The retreat program included talks, group meditations and other spiritual exercises. In between the various activities, there was quiet time set aside for individual meditation. During one of these quiet time periods, I had gone to sit in the garden under the shade of the flowers to wait for the next activity. While there I dozed off and ended up missing the next activity. None of the other retreat attendants had thought to look for me, which was understandable, since I did not know anyone else there. I knew that if I had gone with a friend, for sure she would have been looking out for me, same as I would have been for her. This is the beauty of journeying in pairs.

In the gospels, we read that Jesus sent out his disciples two by two. The Legion of Mary, which is the Catholic church's primary evangelical society, also emphasizes that its members must go out for evangelization in pairs. 

I believe that this injunction is not only applicable to evangelization, but indeed to life's journey. Genesis 2:18 says 'Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion for him". 

Our journey through life is intended to be done with a companion, and this injunction is applicable to everyone irrespective of the path one has chosen. It is applicable to married people who in their case have their spouses as their companion. It is also applicable to the singles, whose companion is that one friend, chosen from amongst many, who understands what their purpose is in life and can support towards the fulfillment of that purpose. 

Having become aware of this, let us note that we have a duty, an obligation, to be that companion. We must not forget that we have been sent, not alone but as one of a pair. In an earlier article, I discussed how Heaven is not a journey made alone. In this journey, our first obligation is to our companion, and then we need to carry others along.