Living by the Law of Love
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Pastor Bob Henry
February 8, 2026
Good morning, Friends, and welcome to Light Reflections. The scripture I have chosen to support my sermon is from Galatians 6:2-10 from the Message Version.
Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience.
Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
So, let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
This morning, I must be honest, even though as a pastor, I usually I am drawn to scripture, other writings, poetry, meditation, or prayer in difficult moments and times – and I often guide others in these same paths – this week, I just wanted to throw up my hands and cry out, saying “enough is enough.”
I wanted to literally “cast my burdens upon God” – “cast” in the true sense of throwing them with great force at God.
I also know that if anyone would have known I was considering casting those burdens at God, they would probably be quick to recite me another verse from the bible like
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest…for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
But let’s be really honest, that all sounds wonderful, easy and quickly resolved, but I have never found it happens that way.
Our burdens often abide. [Sigh]
Our casting them off may be better described by a fisherman’s line that is sent far across the water and then slowly comes back to us as we reel it in.
Yet, as I continued to ponder this week, I noticed again that line from the text from Matthew – his yoke is easy and his burden is light – it may be easy and light, but did you notice…
IT’S STILL THERE?
Even Christ has a yoke and a burden!
I think we too often miss that in our desire to have our burdens removed, but it also helps us identify and feel a real sense of connection with Christ.
Even in scripture we too often write off the fact that Jesus was greatly burdened, he held such a heavy load that at one point he breaks down in tears looking out at Jerusalem and realizing their bad decisions, and on another occasion even runs away to the Garden of Gethsemane and with great force throws his burdens back at God.
I can relate to this Jesus.
Folks, please hear me on this, we must get past the sugar-coated Christianity that leaves us with useless memes and scripture soundbites, which we too often translate as “hope and possibility”…yet often leave us feeling empty or even more burdened.
Imagine, if I was meeting with you and you had a major burden, and as your pastor, I said, “I think you should just cast your burdens on Christ or leave that at the feet of Jesus for him to take care of, or Jesus’ yoke is easy and his burden is light.” There is something off putting and even demeaning in that. Like it is magic or even simple. Casting our burdens on Christ are anything but that and it takes much more than some choice words from scripture without dealing with the process involved, the emotions involved, the life situations involved.
I have also heard good meaning Christians and Friends throw out flippant verses, memes or soundbites with no context or explanation – often filler for neglecting the deeper work. They are like a comfort Band-aid in the moment, but the reality is that life will rip that band-aid off with no warning.
So if this is how we respond, we have missed an opportunity – we have missed how God handles those burdens through us.
The author of the epistle to Galatians was having a hard time explaining this to the people. So, they wrote a letter to clarify, saying,
“Carry one another’s burdens, and when you do this, you are fulfilling the law of Christ.”
Wait a minute…I thought we could just send those off to Jesus and magically the burdens will be lifted, made lighter, made easier. See what I mean. It seems like that, but there is more.
Sadly, too many people miss the fact that Jesus was clear that when he left this earth, we, his followers, were going to become his hands and feet, and even do greater things than he did.
If we take this seriously, it is going to mean that we will need to become burden bearers.
Now, before we go to much further, we better take a moment and find out what the “law of Christ” is, in which the author of Galatians is referring?
If you remember, Jesus summed up his Law this way – starting with the Great Shema in Deuteronomy 6 and then even adding his own additions…
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the law and prophets hang on these two commandments.”
When you begin to put this together, it is not hard to see why God would ask us to carry or bear the burdens of our neighbors.
By doing so, we are loving our neighbors as ourselves. We are becoming the incarnate Christ to those around us. We are picking up the mantle that Christ left us.
I don’t know about you, but when I am facing a burden, I want some tangible help, I want someone to sit with me and listen, to understand, to give advice at times, to just be present with me, to empathize, to even be willing to help me lighten or even carry that load.
God is saying to each of us (and we Quakers know this),
“I am in you and it is your job as my church to carry one another’s burdens so that you will fulfill what is the essence of your very nature – LOVE”
I find it interesting, have you ever noticed that often when a neighbor or friend is burdened, you seem to be able to help them carry that burden easier than the burdens you are carrying yourself?
Some of the most burdened people I know are also the people who are able to lift the burdens of those around them.
I sense that is a part of our essence, the image of God within us. I believe humanity is divinely wired this way so we can take care of each other.
Folks, this shows how much we need one another. That our lives are not just dependent on our relationship with God, but they also are dependent on our relationship with one another.
Sadly, many of us, including myself, have too often woefully neglected the call to love our neighbor and carry their burden. We have looked the other way, given excuses, even blamed them for their own burdens. That is not living by the Law of Love.
We may celebrate our independence in this country, but it is going to be our DEPENDENCE, love and willingness to carry one another’s burdens that is really going to bring us true freedom and hope.
Folks, I will be the first to say that it is easier to seek comfort and lean on my own privilege, even point a finger at someone else instead of myself, and focus on my own needs before helping carry someone else’s burden.
But the reality is that for many of us, God has given us an abundance of resources to begin to lighten the loads of our neighbors.
I think it might be time to return to our Quaker Spices for a couple quick reminders. Our spices or testimonies speak directly to why we are called to carry one another’s burdens – let me point a little something out from each one:
Simplicity
Quakers have always felt they should live simply, tending to basic needs and avoiding luxuries. They were aware of the poverty around them, and that resources needed to be shared.
Peace and Nonviolence
Since most conflicts do not escalate to war...pursuit of peaceful approaches to conflict resolution in our personal lives and in the wider world is seen as a constant obligation.
Integrity and Truth
A manifestation of this testimony is often called “speaking truth to power.” Quakers are exhorted not to stand by, but to speak out about injustices they see.
Community
Quakers commit themselves to responding to the needs of others, and to the flourishing of local and global communities in all their diversity.
Equality
Also following from the principle that there is that of God in everyone is the notion that all people must be treated and cared for equally regardless of gender, ability, race, socio-economic status, sexuality and any number of other identifying characteristics for which people may be privileged or disadvantaged.
Stewardship
Stewardship is a not a choice it is a responsibility; it is what we owe the future. Three phrases used by Quakers to describe how we should take care of the Earth are “right sharing, right ordering and good stewardship”
Please remember these Spices or Quaker testimonies are the way we, Quakers, work for a connection between our inner and outer lives. They are the way Quakers take their relationship with the Divine Spirit and turn it into action.
They are also the foundation for why we, Friends, tangibly carry one another’s burdens and lighten each other’s load.
For now, let us enter into waiting worship and ponder or meditate on the following queries:
· Who are the people in my life that help carry my burdens, how have I connected with and thanked them lately?
· How well am I living out my call as a “burden bearer”? Is there someone in my life currently that I am neglecting being the incarnate Christ to in their daily struggle?
· Which of the S.P.I.C.E.S. challenge me the most and draw me to further exploration this week?