Burden Bearing
Originally Published January 3, 2022
Being married to a theologian, it’s easy to feel like there are many things in the Bible that are difficult to understand...what did Paul mean by “justification,” who were the nephilim, and, the kicker, did Adam have a bellybutton? But perhaps, as Kirkegaard said, in reality, “the Bible is very easy to understand…” and the truth is, “we pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly.”
For instance, “fulfilling the law of Christ.” What a difficult concept that seems to be! How could I ever know how to attain this lofty goal, much less figure out what it means?
But there it is, quite simply, in Galatians 6:2: “Bear each other’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Is it really that easy!? my internal bible scholar asks incredulously.
And yet, it seems that it is. What is required of us to fulfill the law of Christ is simply to bear one another’s burdens, carry each other’s heartaches, share in the pain and join in the cries.
I have spent so much of my time living with a disability trying to avoid “being a burden” to others. I have answered, “I’m fine” when my soul was screaming, “I’m not sure I can make it another moment;” I have tried to manage my own accessibility concerns instead of inconveniencing others; and I have been ashamed when I haven’t been able to achieve that all-important 21st century ideal of independence.
Why is it that, if our scripture tells us clearly that we can fulfill the law of Christ by bearing others’ burdens, that it is so abnormal to share our burdens? Why did I spend so much of my 20’s feeling like I was the only one who might heap a burden upon others by requiring assistance or requesting accommodations – even in the midst of a community that is supposed to be boasting in our weaknesses? And why does it feel so abnormal to practice dependence on others when God designed us as his body to be in need of each other?
I believe the core problem comes back to our missed mandate. We have forgotten that Jesus told us to “invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind” (Luke 14:13) into our churches, and have instead prioritized the independent, self-sufficient, and convenient (which, by the way, if we were truly letting our guard down, none of us are). If we are to have a shot at fulfilling the law of Christ, we need to re-address our invitations – we need to go quickly to the highways and byways and make it clear that we are eager to bear other’s burdens and share our own. We need to welcome disruptions and thank people when they share ways that we can accommodate their special needs. We need to be eager to modify our routines and invest time and resources to include others fully. We need to make our “banquet tables” places where people are not expected to be on their best behavior, pasting on a smile and keeping their burdens tucked away. Only then, will we be able to attain the precious privilege of bearing others’ burdens, the priceless gift of sharing our own burdens, and the astonishingly simple but heart-wrenchingly difficult task of fulfilling the law of Christ.