What does it truly mean, in Christian doctrine, to bear each others burdens? Gal 6:2
I am currently reading, quite slowly, Charles Williams' Descent Into Hell. This is the start of a life goal to read all of his stuff, if my life is long. I am in the middle of reading the chapter on substitution, where Stanhope is taking Pauline's fear on himself. He is bearing her burden. In the book he decides to sense her fear and feel the terror of it in order that she will not. I haven't quite grasped this yet. Thoughts on the subject are very welcomed!
I have also been reading some stuff about Williams' work and some background. I don't know why, but his themes and writings are to be my new fascination. I hope that it helps me.
I also just had a portfolio review in art. So i will have pictures up soon with the titles of the works! No matter what my professors say, i am pleased with the titles to my art. God truly pulled some out of nowhere. Yes it's small, but I will bless His name for the art.
2 comments:
Hey. I'd really appreciate it if you could bear the burden of my last two papers....okay...that sounds great!
Man, I wish it were that easy. :)
I don't know...sounds like he's talking about literal sympathy....? although i think sympathy has to be a shared activity not a transferrable activity ...if he actually intends to take the burden of another, "In the book he decides to sense her fear and feel the terror of it in order that she will not".
Hmm. interesting.
so does she actually experience the absence of the fear?
I am not sure that the actual absence of the burden is necessarily the outcome of bearing someone's burden...this is the one part that for does not quit seem clear...but certainly the object would be the lessening of the weight on the original bearer.
To get embroiled in semantics--the word "sympathy" literally means "to feel with" and would therefore imply a shared activity. But I had always considered sympathy to be a more removed sense of compassion, something maybe you have even if you don't understand exactly emotions of the situation...I don't know. But it seems to me that the act implied in the phrase "bearing another's burden" involves more than simply emotions. I think it involves actions and support and prayer that not only takes on the weight, but helps drive onwards towards a solution, a relief, an outcome.
Post a Comment