He ain't heavy . . . He's my brother

In 1884 James Wells tells the story of a little girl battling to carry a big baby boy. Seeing her struggling under the weight of the baby, someone kindly asked if she wasn’t tired. With surprise she replied, “No, he’s not heavy; he’s my brother.” These simple words have inspired organisations like Boy’s Town and are perhaps best known as the Holly’s song of the same title.

Think about it . . . he’s not heavy, he’s my brother . . .

. . . what an amazing concept!!

When you love someone, really love them, serving them is not a burden. You see, love makes our burden light  . . . always.

How many times are we asked to serve others? Fix a meal for someone who has just had a baby, friendship the new family at church, help our children with homework, piano practice or to learn to tie their shoe laces or  . . . to CHEERFULLY pick up the slack when our husband or wife is working to meet a deadline or away at a meeting.

Matthew tells us that after loving God, the second great commandment is to love our neighbours. I don’t think that this commandment was meant to be a burden. I think it was given to us to help us . . . to help us cope with the demands of living in a world full of people and opportunities to serve. Knowing that I am a child of God means that everyone that I meet is my brother or my sister. As I learn to truly love strangers, neighbours, friends and family as if they were my brother or sister, I am empowered to serve them with Christlike care. You see . . .

He ain’t heavy . . . He’s my brother

Lyrics for He ain't heavy, he's my brother

(B. Scott and B. Russell)

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

He's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother...