On the Weight of the World

History is. We live in it. Black Death: yesterday; ice winter, when the Thames froze solid, a few hours past. Now we live in transforming times, so mutable. Do we carry the world’s weight in a declining era? Or is it building out of sight?

            Buddha said: suffering is. St. Paul said: this mutable must put on unchangingness. Eternity is. So heavy, the world.

            Methods of carrying the world and its griefs: you can be angry at yourself (so weak), or angry at the cause (those people), or angry at the sufferers (why are you suffering in my face? And why so many?) You can have fear. You can cultivate fear. From there but a close step to hatred, the devil’s treasure.

            ‘Have mercy on me,’ said blind Bartimaeus.

            ‘What do you want me to do?’ said Jesus.

            ‘Let me see again.’

            Good question. Good answer. The labour of building; the ease of destruction. Ways in, out, over, through? Learn to ask: ‘What do you want me to do?’

            ‘Be of good comfort,’ they said, ‘rise, he calleth thee.’

            Anger doesn’t bear the world’s weight; fear doesn’t bear it.

            Lord, that I might receive my sight.