Bonfire of Burdens
Woes, up in smoke.
Yesterday’s burdens sit in a heap, fuel for a bonfire. The new day promises light and air.
I thought lightening my load would free me to bear others’ woes. The new load is even harder to bear than my own was.
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Lord, can I cast others’ burdens on the same bonfire? What do I act as if they are mine?
What if I walked into the light you promise?
– from the mountain
Consider:
Can I shed even others’ burdens?
Reading:
“To lay a burden down is not to abandon it, but to return it to the ground that knows its weight.” — Wendell Berry, Sabbath Poems
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“Compassion that exhausts itself has crossed an invisible line.” — Simone Weil, Waiting for God
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“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.” — Psalm 55:22 (KJV)
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The Simone Weil quote hits hard -- that line about compassion exhausting itself crossing an invisible boundary. I've spent way too much time trying to shoulder things that weren't mine to carry, thinking it was being helpful. The bonfire metaphor works because it's not about abandoning responsibilty but recognizing when holding onto something stops serving anyone. Sometimes the most compassionate thing is acutally letting others handle their own weight.