We know that if we look, we can often find contradictions in the Bible. It is one of the reasons that we shouldn't just pick and choose verses. We must read in literary and historical context. But it isn't often that we find contradictions like the one above in the very same paragraph... separated by only two verses! So what is it then... do we carry each other's burdens or carry our own load? I think the answer is... Yes!
I read a story about a man who was on retreat at a monastary. At dinner, as some delicious homemade bread was handed to him, he asked the monk sitting next to him, "Did we make this or was it given to us?" The monk thought a moment and then answered, "Yes." It reminds me of the often taken out of context quote by President Obama: "You did not build that."
We ALL need each other. Even the wealthiest or smartest or most creative or most ingenious or most beautiful. We cannot build something from nothing without help from another. And we cannot carry our own loads for very long without help from another.
Paradoxically, if we look at this paragraph of scripture, we might find that our OWN load is in fact everyone else's burdens, and we should not look to others to carry everyone else's burden... that is our own load to carry.
If we all thought about it this way, we would be the first to offer help to another instead of waiting for others to do it, because it is our job and no one else's.
Father,
Help us to realize that we are all in this together and let us be the first to step up to the work of this togetherness. Amen.
Joys: Kevin officially finished with school; 3 more weeks until Richard gets home; a Cecelia day!
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