Knowledge Johnson
Nonfiction
Hate is too Heavy a Burden to Bear!
The late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was an advocate of love as a social force. He is quoted as saying, "Hate is too heavy a burden to bear!". (See, "Where Do We Go From Here?", an address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at their 11th annual convention on August 16, 1967.)
The bible and mostly all other holy books reference a "breath of life" having been imparted into the first human being. The "breath of life" statement is one point in eastern and western philosophy that I see rise above secular distinctions that often lies at the root of separation and confusion among varying religious beliefs. Because Dr. King was a religious man and said to have fashioned his life in such a manner the best he could, I study his life from a religious perspective, however limited my religious understanding may be.
My life experience (and I do not impart this upon anyone else) has helped me to recognize the distinction between religion and culture which I have adopted as a guideline in my life's journey. I have accepted as a truism this phrase of Dr. King and in doing so I have fashioned a foundation for myself to work from.
What little I know about Dr. King and his work has inspired me to try to work within myself to allow my outer-self to reflect what I desire and seek for myself within. I seek peace, first and foremost, in my life and in the lives of others as well. To have peace does not mean that all is or will be perfect in life, but only that we as a society can move forward in this life as a helpmate to others in their journey. Of course I have my faults and I struggle with them every day, but now I know I have a more concrete destination to reach, which opens the door to another destination along the way.
"HATE IS TOO HEAVY A BURDEN TO BEAR!" is a very powerful revelation to me as the hate I carried blinded me to the point of making it impossible to see the forest because of the trees or the fire because of the smoke. For me the hate I carried blinded me to the gifts that were awaiting me, sitting right before my very eyes, and the many other gifts in life one could enjoy throughout their journey in this world. Most of all, hate blinded me to relief from the suffering I endured all these many years.
At the same time, some burdens are not so easy to unload. Some burdens have been a part of my life for so long and carried so far that it almost seems to have become a natural part of me. I mean, when we look at our memories and constantly replay in our minds the actions and deeds of others or a series of events, we actually begin to incorporate some portion of these memories into our psyche. The longer we retain the memory, subconsciously, the greater the impact it may have in our lives. We have both good memories and bad memories. Certain events in life trigger these memories and bring them to the forefront of one's thoughts and we must then navigate our way with these thoughts in mind. There are many attributes of unseen burdens, both mental and physical. How to unload and ease the burden we carry becomes our objective once we recognize and accept that we have burdens to unload. What is a burden? A thought or idea that tends to flow freely in your mind that causes one to revisit an act that has occurred and has impacted one's life.
I share all of this not to boast or brag but to share what has helped me these past few years and how life seems to me to be a little bit easier for me. Burdens are a heavy load. There is not enough strength in no one person to carry such weight for eternity. Eventually it wears one down and before too long, minor decision-making can become disastrous in results ... all because of thoughts of burden weighing ones sense of reason down.
Let us learn to do more for ourselves and take the opportunity to help others along the way. Let us let go of the unnecessary lights and ideas we carry that can become a burden and problem to ourselves and others. We have enough to deal with without having to invite extra problems into our lives. We have nothing to prove except to ourselves. Let us make this challenge our best challenge. Let us unleash the burdens we carry.