by Ronald B. Webb, Jr.
In a suburb of Omaha, Nebraska called Boy’s Town, until recently there was a statue of a boy carrying another boy across his shoulders. There is no explanation of what has caused the weaker boy to develop his condition; all we know is that he needs to be carried. An inscription at the foot of the statue reads “He ain’t heavy…he’s my brother.”
All of us, regardless of our place in life, will someday find ourselves in a condition that will require someone to carry us. Similarly, we all will come in contact with someone else who needs to be carried. There are many people in our lives who need to be picked-up: the depressed co-worker, the recently divorced family member, the child buffeted by peer-pressure, the friend suffering with illness, the acquaintance with an addiction. Regardless of where we are, we will always find ourselves in a position to lift someone else. But in order to respond to the needs of others, we must be able to say, “He ain’t heavy…he’s my brother.”
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.” - Matthew 25:40
In Matthew 25:40, Jesus is giving one of His last discourses before He is to be crucified, and He lets His followers know that there is a direct relationship between our service to mankind and our service to Him. A lack of commitment in serving our brothers and sisters is indicative of a lack of commitment to serving God. There are many persons in our respective spheres of influence who are experiencing sickness and situations they have never before experienced. As they go through these difficult times, how will we respond? Will we take an active role in providing encouragement and strength, or will we simply say “too heavy.”
Christ has called each of us to serve Him by serving the Christian community and the world at-large. Prayerfully consider what you can do to help someone else who may need to be carried. Remember that God will always provide the strength and resources necessary to fulfill His will because as we carry one another, Christ is carrying us.
To learn more about St. John ‘A’, click here.
