The Burdens We Bear

Our burdens are plenty, yours and mine. 

Of course, if we are honest with each other; which we rarely are, we might admit most of the burdens we wrangle with day-in and day-out are self-imposed.  I suppose even a host of seemingly uninvited health challenges and difficulties could be linked to personal choices made somewhere back there down life’s trail.  Never-the-less, our reality is we bear burdens.

You and I, we come to morning’s light with the weight of darkness languishing somewhere in our souls.  And we carry the weight of these burdens in any number of ways.  Most certainly, some of you all carry them more gracefully than me, and at times I carry them more gracefully than others. 

To be sure, much of our manner of carrying is related to the nature of the burden.  Yet, have you noticed, in many instances we all tend to walk about pretending we have no burdens at all? 

I know I am – and I have been around the block enough to know that you are also – tempted and tried to move through these days as if not encumbered by the weight of anxiety or fear.  We plod along life’s trail attempting to leave nary a hint that deep within our soul – or maybe not even that deep – we are being crushed by a broken relationship, a recent lost job, or a series of chronic headaches. 

Did you know, in Galatians 6:2, the Apostle Paul implores the people of God to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”  I have always appreciated the picture of bearing one another’s burden; to bend down and squeeze right in there next to those being folded over by life, and then lift it slightly, just enough to provide some relief for a time.

Question then:  How shall others bear our burdens with us if, by our show, everyone presumes we have no real burdens to bear? 

It strikes me at this point, maybe we rob the people of God in their task of loving others – love us even – when we, by our show, pretend we are doing just great…  No burdens here folks, move along!

Of course, It doesn’t seem reasonable to walk about with all our visible faculties hung low; sort of an Eeyore manner and mentality.  Goodness sakes, no one wants to get close enough to them to bear their load for fear that it’ll be too heavy.  But I wonder if we might at least be honest when folks ask us how we’re doing, and therein offer them the time and space to fulfill the law of Christ?

“The law of Christ,” from that verse in Galatians, points back to Jesus’ stated great command in the gospels.  Paraphrased here, but aptly so, the law of Christ is to love God wholly and to love our neighbor radically. 

Tied into Paul’s imperative then, we fulfill the law of Christ when we notice the burdens of others, get right down under with them, and help them muscle it up and move forward toward Jesus. 

The picture here that comes to mind is Simon of Cyrene.

In the gospels, after Jesus’ arrest, after the trial, after the beatings, Jesus is forced to carry his cross beam to where he’ll finally be nailed to it and left to die.  Somewhere along the trail Jesus finally breaks and his physical strength fails him.  He falls to the ground, the cross beam presumably lying on top of him.  As the plume of dust settles, here comes Simon from the crowd, chosen not volunteered, to take up the cross of Jesus and bear it for him to Golgotha.  The scene must have been something awesome to behold. 

Imagine then, if you might serve similarly in the life of those around you today?  Indeed, when folks ask how you’re doing, be honest and give them something more than “Good, how are you?”  But further, keep your eyes and ears open to the needs of others; the burdens that are burying those around you.  And choose to tuck yourself right down there with them and bear their burden.