Bear One Other’s Burdens

Last updated on: May 28, 2014 at 1:55 pm by Guest Contributor

Bear One Other’s Burdens 2014-05-28T13:55:00-05:00 Guest Contributor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

by Peter Gathje
R3 Contributor

Odell fell down this morning on the brick walkway that goes into the backyard along the side of the house. He was having a seizure. Thankfully, another guest, a friend of his, caught him as he fell, preventing him from hitting his head on the bricks. A second guest immediately called 911 to request an ambulance. An ambulance did eventually show up, and I can report that Odell is doing fine now.

This is the third time I have seen a guest have a seizure at Manna House. Somehow over the years, I have gained quite a bit of experience with people having seizures. When I taught at St. John’s Preparatory School many years ago, a student of mine, a freshman in high school died in the night from a seizure. In addition to teaching there, I was also a dormitory prefect, and each night this student would come to my room to get his medication before going off to sleep. But medication doesn’t always prevent seizures. About five years or so ago, Donald Bradshaw, who had been a regular guest at Manna House, had a seizure while walking near Methodist Hospital. He died.

When I taught at Kalamazoo College, in the midst of teaching a class on Thomas Aquinas, a student had a seizure. She eventually had to leave school as the seizures became more and more severe.

Last winter, at Manna House, we had just finished singing “Happy Birthday” to a guest when he came up quickly from the couch in the house and then lunged forward and fell onto the floor. He banged his head hard as he fell. A few days later when we talked, he shared that a previous head injury had left him susceptible to seizures. Then we joked that maybe it was my bad singing that had caused the seizure this time.

But seizures themselves are definitely not a joking matter. They are scary in how dangerous they can be, and they are disturbing in how unpredictable they are. It was just a few weeks ago that I came across an article about the number of persons experiencing homelessness who have had serious head injuries. No doubt, a number of those also struggle with seizures.

Odell’s seizure today, and those in the past at Manna House, remind me that so many of our guests carry heavy burdens of physical and/or psychological wounds, and they do so with courage and grace. So I get frustrated and even angry when I hear people make harsh judgments about people on the streets. To me it seems that such judgments reflect a failure in empathy, the ability to enter compassionately into the realities and challenges of another person’s life. There is a saying, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” And St. Paul tells us, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). For Paul the law of Christ is love, an abiding concern for the good of others. We could all use more of love, more of empathy and compassion.

I saw such love today as Odell’s friend caught him as he fell, making sure Odell did not hit his head. I also saw such love as Moses, with his arm raised heavenward, walked toward Odell lying on the ground, and prayed for him as we waited for the ambulance. I learned a lot from my teachers from the streets again today.

Follow Peter on Twitter @petegath

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 28, 2014

The Real Origins of the Religious Right

Next Post

May 29, 2014 Myth or Method in Religious Education

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Amy Steele Andre E. Johnson Book Reviews/Series Brian Foulks Call for Chapters Carol Howard Merritt Classes Conferences Contributors Crystal St.Marie Lewis Daniel White Hodge Earle Fisher Eulogy Fredrick Robinson Guest Contributions Henry McNeal Turner Institutes Interviews Joseph Boston Katherine Whitfield Kimberly Peeler-Ringer Lectures/Roundtables Natalie Bullock Brown R3 Book Series R3 Contributor Rashad Grove Readers Reflections Symposiums Teaching Traci Ellis Travis Harris Uncategorized Video

Select a Month June 2020 February 2020 December 2019 November 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 October 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz