He ain’t heavy, he’s my father
As I write this, I am gradually recovering from jet lag. I had gone over to Scotland to help organize and attend the funeral of my father, who passed away at the ripe old age of 94 after a short stay in hospital. In Scotland, the tradition surrounding funerals dictates that the coffin be carried into the church on the shoulders of the pallbearers. I was one of them, and was twinned with my younger son, Jerry, who is of a similar modest altitude.
As I write this, I am gradually recovering from jet lag. I had gone over to Scotland to help organize and attend the funeral of my father, who passed away at the ripe old age of 94 after a short stay in hospital. In Scotland, the tradition surrounding funerals dictates that the coffin be carried into the church on the shoulders of the pallbearers. I was one of them, and was twinned with my younger son, Jerry, who is of a similar modest altitude.
You would think that a coffin would be relatively manageable, given that there are six strapping male bearers, but when we hoisted the thing onto our shoulders, I immediately regretted agreeing to it. Of course, I had brazenly put myself forward, to defy anyone who thought I might be too old and decrepit. I did not have the humility to see that it was not my burden but that of younger, fitter men. It was only about 50 yards that we had to totter, but by the time we reached the front of the church, I was puffing like a surfacing whale, and tears of pain stood out in my eyes.
Nevertheless, as I thought about the fragility of, not only the human body, but the human soul, it got me thinking about that saying of Jesus in the 11th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30)
Isn’t it always the case that if we choose to take on some task that the Lord is not asking of us, we feel the crushing weight of it? The same thing happens when we do what the Lord is asking of us, but we do it using our own strength only.
But how do we take on the Lord’s “easy and light” burden? In the end, we do so by using the power of the Holy Spirit that we received in baptism. And all it takes is the humility to ask him for guidance and help.
Jesus is “gentle and humble in heart,” and we must follow his example and pursue humility if we are to discover God’s will for us and receive the strength of the Holy Spirit to carry it out. Whether we are choosing a marriage partner, thinking about changing our employment situation, or simply taking the time to listen to someone who is bereaved, lonely, or troubled, seeking God’s will and acting on it is what we are here on earth to do. What he is always asking us to do is to love. And that is what we will be judged on when we leave these mortal bodies and pass into infinity forever.
My father was a great teacher, especially about the life of faith, and it was as if he had sent me a last nugget of wisdom as I carried his coffin — a message about humility and burdens and leaning into the power of the Spirit.
What is the Lord asking of you? What is his will for your life? And are you strong-arming the task and doing it under your own steam? One thing is for sure, if we humbly rely on the Holy Spirit, that is how we will find rest for our souls. For, unlike the weight of a massive oaken box, “ his yoke is easy and his burden is light.”
