“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
Today, I find myself unsure of what to say.
So much of me wishes I had a story of hope and encouragement to share with others as we remember the tragedy of September 11th, 2001. I hadn’t even taken my first breath yet, while thousands took their last in panic, fear, confusion, and shock.
Today, for the 25th time, we as a united nation took moments in schools, jobs, homes, and parks to honor those who lost their lives and remind one another of something so special, yet we seemingly forget so often. We are one nation. One people. One human race united. For life, freedom, and love.
Over the years, I have heard story after story of people retelling what they witnessed that day. But amidst those stories filled with sadness, fear, and trauma were stories of hope as well. Because after such an impact on our nation, these people who experienced great loss were the same ones who claim America felt more unified than ever.
Despite the pain many felt, their hearts were still open to pour into one another. And that reality is something that makes me slow down and stand in awe of what could arise out of such a devastating time.
As a child growing up hearing about this every year, I will admit, it never quite felt so personal until now. My story is the same as it was since birth. I wasn’t alive yet and praise God my family was a state away from the danger. But this year as I heard more stories and recalled the ones I heard as a teen, my heart aches deeply while at the same time, it is overwhelmed with hope.
Today’s verse of the day on the Bible App was Galatians 6:2.
It reads: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
I am filled with hope despite the deep grief I feel for others because whether or not every person in this nation knows Jesus, 25 years ago, we saw glimpses of what Galatians 6:2 calls us toward.
And today, through moments of silence, half-staff flags, sharing stories, and comforting those who remember the loved ones they lost, we as a human race experience a glimpse of what Jesus desires for us.
But I can’t lie. Every moment I stand in awe of how our nation united, my heart grows eager to not let this be something we only remember once a year.
Forgiveness, comfort, a listening ear, and shared burdens seem so hard to come by as I have seen so much division among our own people and even the church. Selfish desires for our individual success has drawn us away from the harmony God created us to live in. The harmony we tend to only remember when we all get hurt at once.
We seemingly experience this unity, the kind that looks past race, class, status, and interests, only after things as detrimental as mass shootings, natural disasters, and unexpected tragedies of things malfunctioning. Only when it costs lives do we seem to remember the kind of people we are to be.
To carry another’s burden isn’t to negate your own. It isn’t to show others how good of a person you are. It isn’t to be seen.
To carry another’s burden is to stand beside one in need and be a vessel of the love God gives. It is to comfort in grief. It is to point to truth in the tone of grace. It is to forgive even when it’s hard. And it is to look past their brokenness and hunger for them to experience the mercy and love of God no matter how long it takes.
Yet every day in homes, classrooms, offices, traffic, on the news and beyond, we see humans justify inflicting harm and hurt on one another. From telling lies to taking lives, we do anything but carry one another’s burdens.
So I sit here writing this. Unsure of what to say to those who remember the tragedy of 9/11 from a first-hand experience, I do know one thing to be true. That is how we all ought to respond to the each other. Not just as Americans, but as a human race. May a day like this bring us to remember the brokenness this world is filled with and how it should bring us together more than cause division.
My dear friend, I don’t know your story. I don’t know if you have a 9/11 story. But what I do know is that we have a duty to carry each other’s burdens. Not because we agree on everything. Nor because we always get along. But because Jesus led the way in a life of service and humility. A life set on pouring out love to everyone He could. May we, in hurting times and in the rejoicing, carry on in this life together. A united people under God.
Thoughts To Consider:
What would it look like to carry someone’s burden without expecting recognition or anything in return?
Are there people whose pain you have become accustomed to overlooking?
How might remembering Christ’s sacrifice change the way you respond to the burdens of others?
Consider what would change if you treated every ordinary day as an opportunity to live out the unity we so often seek during tragedy.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
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