Every single day, there are real, raw, human stories of suffering in the news cycle. And likely, some of those harms are impacting real people we know and love. There are times when we feel helpless to prevent suffering and powerless to change it.
It’s incredibly understandable to fall into those feelings. In such times, we need the solidarity of one another – that is,
. . . the sense that we are in each other’s view, that we encounter each other’s pain with empathy,
. . . the sense that we have each other’s commitment, that we are in each other’s corner for the long haul,
. . . the sense that we have each other’s action, that we covenant to act on behalf of one another, especially and most readily for those who are made vulnerable by harms and barriers.
In some spiritual traditions, we hear language of bearing each other’s burdens. Lately, within that vision, I find myself thinking about what it means to shift each other’s burdens.
We can easily become incapacitated once we realize we cannot instantly fix the systems that are causing burdens. But our empathy, and most importantly, our committed action can change these systems and these burdens. Do not underestimate what these can do.
When we see pain for what it is, we add our validation, and it shifts burdens.
When we add our resources of money, time, or skills, it shifts burdens.
When we use our voices to name wrongs for what they are, it shifts burdens.
When we use our minds to create solutions, it shifts burdens.
When we honor the humanity of people who are being dehumanized, it shifts burdens.
When we take direct action and demand justice for the oppressed and vulnerable, it shifts burdens.
If we want to change the large-scale systems that cause harm, we have to disrupt them. But alongside that commitment, we have to live and model our lives with a different rhythm altogether – with different commitments and ways of relating to one another.
We practice solidarity. Frankly, we practice love.
And within that way of living, we share and lighten the loads that people are carrying. We assign energy and responsibility to where they really belong.
We shift each other’s burdens.
–Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 