The practice of accompaniment
Two are better than one…
—Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV
The book of Ecclesiastes is written by a teacher (1:1), an individual who has learned things not by just reading books and attending a bunch of classes. One can read that through his experiences in life, he has gained valuable insights that he shares with his readers. While biblical scholars debate the authorship and the time period in which the book was written, no one can deny the timeless advice written in it.
The beginning of the book seems to have a bit of a pessimistic tone — no matter what the author did in life, the results were the same. He summarizes his findings by saying “Everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (2:26)
As we continue reading, it appears the author stops focusing on his own journey and instead shares his observation about the experiences of others in society. In chapter 4 verse 8, he describes seeing a man all alone. It appears he had no one in his life, and no matter what he accomplished there was no one to share his successes. The teacher captures the sad realization of this individual “For whom am I toiling and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” and concludes, just like in his own journey, “this too is meaningless.” The author then transitions from describing this man’s sad situation to giving a practical recommendation to his readers: “Two are better than one”(4:9). Basically, he is using contrast to illustrate how togetherness is better. In the following verses, the author describes some of the benefits of having company: 1. You’re able to accomplish more (4:9); 2. You’re able to get help if needed (4:10); 3. You’re able to share resources (4:11), and 4. You’ll be able to find safety in the company of others (4:12).
Once again, the author is trying to highlight in these verses the importance of journeying with one another. The practice of accompaniment, which is practiced in many communities of the Global South, may be the best way to summarize Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. The late Harvard Global Medicine expert Dr. Paul Farmer learned of this concept in his medical practice in Haiti and defines it in a 2011 speech as the following: “Accompaniment is an elastic term. It has a basic, everyday meaning. To accompany someone is to go somewhere with him or her, to break bread together, to be present on a journey with a beginning and an end…There’s an element of mystery, of openness, of trust, in accompaniment. The companion, the accompagnateur, says, “I’ll go with you and support you on your journey wherever it leads. I’ll share your fate for a while” — and by “a while” I don’t mean a little while. Accompaniment is about sticking with a task until it’s deemed completed — not by the accompagnateur, but by the person being accompanied.”
Unfortunately, the concept of journeying together seems foreign to our society, which places more importance on individualism. If we’re honest, we’ll recognize that our culture invites us to see each other as “competition,” and many times we’re forced to step on one another in order to “make it to the top.” Yet as the author of Ecclesiastes would say “this is too is meaningless” (2:23).
Dr. Barbara Tomlinson and Dr. George Lipsitz in their book Insubordinates Spaces: Improvisation and Accompaniment for Social Justice call us to use accompaniment as “the basis of powerful counterculture inside our communities, worksites, and schools.” In journeying with one another, we’re not only able to accomplish more, but perhaps the meaning of life is actually being more for others. May God help us see the value of accompaniment.
—Saul Barcelo, PhD, is director of the Center for Whole Person Care and an associate professor at the School of Religion.
