He Ain’t Heavy
Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 1 John 2:10
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
Earlier today I heard an old song that used to be one of my favorites. It’s called “He Ain’t Heavy.” I am quite familiar with the song, the saying and the story behind it. I was raised Catholic and every year we got Christmas seals from Boy’s Town with the picture of the bigger boy carrying the little boy and the words, “He ain’t heavy Father. He’s my brother.” I’ve heard the story since I was a small child of how the priest admonished the older boy for trying to carry the younger one saying, “He’s too heavy for you” and receiving the now familiar response.
I have no idea how the writer of the song became familiar with the story. I do not know what he thought about God or what he thought he thought about God but I do know that on some level he understood Scripture. There is nothing spectacular, from a musical standpoint about the song and yet it’s one of those that I love to this day. It makes me feel hopeful. I know that I am not alone in that. The love displayed in the picture on the Christmas seal and in the song lyrics is one that I was quite unfamiliar with while growing up. Watching my own sons grow up I began to understand it a little better. There are things that become much more bearable if your dearly loved brother is on the journey with you. The simple presence of that kind of love lightens the load. Time after time my sons have displayed this to me in ways large and small.
The song is written from the perspective of the older brother. He says that he is not laden by the weight of his brother but that any sadness he feels is that other people do not have the joy that he feels in loving his brother. Right after that is one of my favorite lines, “For I know he would not encumber me.” There the older brother speaks to a love that does not weigh him down because it is reciprocal. His brother is not a burden because any love given to the younger brother comes right back to the older one. The older brother speaks of the younger brother and says, “His welfare is my concern.” Yes, we are our brother’s (and sister’s) keepers. We need to be concerned with how our actions and words impact those around us. What face do they see? Do we bear any resemblance to our Father or our brother, Jesus? Jesus, who by the way, carries us on his badly bruised and bloodied back.
Toward the end of the song there is a line that says, “It’s a long road from which there is no return.” My husband is a painting contractor and his company slogan is “Have it done right the first time.”
In our journey toward home we need to get as much right the first time as we possibly can. It is a long road and there is no return, no do over, no try again, no hire a different guy, no, oh gee you were serious about that love your neighbor, option. We are all traveling together. Sometimes we are the carriers and sometimes we are the carried. When the burden is on my back I hope and pray that my sentiments echo, “he ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.”
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
Earlier today I heard an old song that used to be one of my favorites. It’s called “He Ain’t Heavy.” I am quite familiar with the song, the saying and the story behind it. I was raised Catholic and every year we got Christmas seals from Boy’s Town with the picture of the bigger boy carrying the little boy and the words, “He ain’t heavy Father. He’s my brother.” I’ve heard the story since I was a small child of how the priest admonished the older boy for trying to carry the younger one saying, “He’s too heavy for you” and receiving the now familiar response.
I have no idea how the writer of the song became familiar with the story. I do not know what he thought about God or what he thought he thought about God but I do know that on some level he understood Scripture. There is nothing spectacular, from a musical standpoint about the song and yet it’s one of those that I love to this day. It makes me feel hopeful. I know that I am not alone in that. The love displayed in the picture on the Christmas seal and in the song lyrics is one that I was quite unfamiliar with while growing up. Watching my own sons grow up I began to understand it a little better. There are things that become much more bearable if your dearly loved brother is on the journey with you. The simple presence of that kind of love lightens the load. Time after time my sons have displayed this to me in ways large and small.
The song is written from the perspective of the older brother. He says that he is not laden by the weight of his brother but that any sadness he feels is that other people do not have the joy that he feels in loving his brother. Right after that is one of my favorite lines, “For I know he would not encumber me.” There the older brother speaks to a love that does not weigh him down because it is reciprocal. His brother is not a burden because any love given to the younger brother comes right back to the older one. The older brother speaks of the younger brother and says, “His welfare is my concern.” Yes, we are our brother’s (and sister’s) keepers. We need to be concerned with how our actions and words impact those around us. What face do they see? Do we bear any resemblance to our Father or our brother, Jesus? Jesus, who by the way, carries us on his badly bruised and bloodied back.
Toward the end of the song there is a line that says, “It’s a long road from which there is no return.” My husband is a painting contractor and his company slogan is “Have it done right the first time.”
In our journey toward home we need to get as much right the first time as we possibly can. It is a long road and there is no return, no do over, no try again, no hire a different guy, no, oh gee you were serious about that love your neighbor, option. We are all traveling together. Sometimes we are the carriers and sometimes we are the carried. When the burden is on my back I hope and pray that my sentiments echo, “he ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.”
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