Cast Your Cares
Counting the Cost of Burden Bearing
Greetings!
How are we all this Friday? I have been reading about the spiritual identity formation, of "burden bearers." People who are ‘highly sensitive’ to what’s going on around them and in the world. You might recognise them as those that retreat from busy crowds to process data in their quiet time. Or they default to intercessory prayer to help lighten their load. A lot of us can relate. We simply can’t bare all the troubles of humanity, locally and globally all at once, it’s just too overwhelming! Yet whilst all are called to carry their own knapsack of cares, the spiritual among us, are also called to help carry the burdens of others for a time too.
I am sure the author wasn’t thinking specifically about black women or their intersectional challenges when she wrote about bearing burden’s and identity formation. For me, the phrase "black women are the mules of the world" from Zora Neale Hurston's novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God" kept coming to mind. In the novel, the character Janie Crawford reflects on the struggles and burdens that black women face, comparing them to the hard-working and enduring nature of mules. Literature that supported slavery at the time likened black bodies as beast like, which legitimised brutal behaviour. So the use of the word mule, like the word Ox is a very deliberate choice on Hurston’s part. Our intersectional invisibility makes burden bearing a thankless task as we continue to be overlooked for what we bring to the table and for what we share of ourselves, whilst showing up and ‘being there’ for everyone- leaving ourselves behind as the world pushes messages that we are not deemed worthy of the same dignity or respect as others. Does it sound a little gloomy? Would you rather I paint an all singing all dancing ‘aunt Jemima’ portrait of black womanhood to make you feel more comfortable?
In leadership (and elsewhere) we are still considered ‘not good enough’ when compared to black men or white men and women. The image of the beast, whether mule or Ox in scripture are both labouring in the field without true recognition for their dignity. They work behind the scenes from the margin.
A Sense of Worth.
Brown emphasizes that a sense of worth comes from inclusion, while exclusion leads to a lack of worth. Black women are often seen as ‘strong’ because, they graciously bare the weight of the tension; overcoming obstacles designed to block, silence, and delay progress. That labour goes unpaid. Yet scripture says not to muzzle the Ox (or Mule)!
But it’s not just black women who seem to be bearing a large share of the burden. It is impacting the whole community of global majority south heritage. This week, I caught up with elements of the Church of England’s general synod online. A presentation and discussion from the Racial Justice Unit was one of the main items on the agenda, following their Lament to Action report. The first black female Bishop in the CofE, Rose Hudson-Wilkin of Dover, opened up the discussion by giving a corrective on the definition of the word ‘woke’; then pointed out that those who considered themselves ‘first world’ had no problem referring to others (of GMH heritage) as coming from the ‘third world’. Lay member Daniel Matavu stepped up to make his 3-minute speech:
‘Take up your cross and follow me – said the lord. But we have all been given different crosses to bear. When I was born, I had no idea how big a cross I would have to bear because of the colour of my skin”.
He goes on to talk about the impact of that burden bearing on those of global majority heritage, including to the well-being of GMH clergy. To be continuously side-lined, silenced, and resisted takes its toll. “You white folks have no idea…” he stated. Directing his next line to white male able-bodied men, he pointed out that in comparison, they had “only been given a small stick to carry, with which to beat the rest of us”. Looking across the sea of mainly white faces, he pointed out the painful truths of navigating life as a high achieving black man who was constantly ‘the first’ or ‘only’ in his context. Matavu speaks as the prophet – telling the painful truth of systemic injustice to those with the power to change or maintain it.
Cast Your Cares.
As we navigate our post-pandemic lives in this Lenten season, more of us find ourselves re-examining our beliefs, thoughts, and actions. What have we inherited that is not helpful? What do we need to divest of? What are we carrying that is not our portion, and how can we help lighten the load for someone else? We are dismantling false ideas and systemic shackles so that we might rediscover our original design as intended by God, not someone else's limited imagination or ideas of who we are. We appear to be approaching another Exodus.’ Movement of Jah people as Bob Marley once sang. The prophetic and apostolic voices like that of Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Daniel Matavu, and all the others that were given the opportunity to speak, witness to the reality that things are still a long way from being equitable.
But the work has begun.
If those with power and resources who are also called to be burden bearers don’t find it in themselves to help lighten the load in this hour, we risk having an unhealthy body that is never fully restored to the creator’s original intent. While restoration is a messy process, I’d rather be an addition to the rising prophetic voices than pretend that I am satisfied with the way things are. I am not. Yet it is not right that the Ox be muzzled while treading the grain. The labourer ought to be rewarded for the work they do, particularly the thankless burden bearing behind the scenes.
Christ calls us to cast our cares on him, the ultimate burden bearer. Whilst on this Earth, may those of us with capacity and resources have ears to hear what is being said in this hour. May we be prepared to open our arms to embrace one another, open our hands to give with generosity and open our hearts to finding the capacity to take responsibility and share the weight. May those who have more than enough help alleviate the disproportionately heavy load that has been placed on some to the comfort of others.
Selah.
Please do share your thoughts.
Part of what is so distressing, is that we have had so many high-profile Black women academics, in the US, die suddenly. The unfair burdens placed upon Black women is egregious. Typical Black women in the US will arrive in their jobs early (to avoid assumptions about their professionalism). They will leave work to pickup children or head straight to church to fulfill additional duties, come home to review homework for children, cook, feed and put them to bed. Most married Black women carry all those burdens, even if they have a spouse. The unfair burdens placed on Black women carry unfair burdens at work, come home to manage the house so their husbands can "relax," navigate the work of cooking for the church "fish fry" to raise funds for the leaky roof ... these stories are typical. But the burden is heaped upon Black women in settings which include the wider community, their own community (such as the church) and then their private spheres of home. What infuriates me is hearing people say, "Wow! You're so strong," instead of "Wow! How can I help?" It is that question which allows us all to help shoulder burdens together. This is the mandate of the Church. This is why "My yoke is easy and burden is light." That's a statement of God's "with-ness." Because God is "with," then we never have carry it alone. But the way God provides "withness" is through the "witness" we provide to each other.
I've recently shared that timely quote of "Black womens is the mules of the world, fer as I can see." I was surprised that this classic quote was unknown to people - but it was also helpful to see the weight of its wisdom as it descended upon the room. Mules are in "communities" where it's presumed they have no burden until others place their burdens upon the mule. It's presumed Black women have no needs of their own - so others can place their burdens upon them. This has been true historically (the Black "mammy" had no real humanity of her own. It was presumed she didn't need to care for her own children or partner, and that she had no needs or wants of her own. But it's time to stop placing undue burdens upon Black women. Instead, we need to understand that "burden bearing" belongs to the entire community. Labeling Black women as strong is simply a rhetorical device to make us complicit in our own pain!