A Chord Out Of Cords

If you’ve attended many weddings you’ve likely encountered the “cord of three strands” image.

It’s a scriptural metaphor based on the weaving of husband, wife, and God to form a strong marriage bond. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

Interesting to notice, though, that a cord of three strands is still a single cord. In musical terms, one cord equals one string equals a single note.

One note, one string vibrating alone. Not all that interesting.

However, combine that string with others and you can produce a chord. Multiple strings, of different thicknesses and lengths, vibrating together can produce a deep, rich, interesting sound.

It’s much easier to just pluck a single string. Takes a great deal of skill, patience, and practice to create the beauty and art of combining multiple strings.

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One person riding a bike is a bit like a single cord. God and me out there doing our own thing, playing our one single note. It’s easy.

But it strikes me that we were created by a community to be in community. My note, my cord, was intended to be part of a chord.

Riding with a team is hard. People have different abilities and ride at different speeds. Some like to talk while they ride; some don’t. Some folks get cranky.

Multiple strings, different thicknesses and lengths, vibrating together. It takes skill and patience to produce the beauty and art of a community moving down the road in harmony. It’s cool music when it works, worthy of the shared sacrifice required to make it happen.

It’s easy to play Chopsticks over and over. If easy is the way you want to go.

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How about you? What’s your community, your team? What can you do to help your community strike a beautiful chord?

(HT to Seth Godin for inspiring this blog. Thanks, Seth.)