the slow progress of a pilgrim

I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face
from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I saw
him open the book, and read therein; and as he read, he wept and trembled; and
he cried out, “What shall I do?”

Yet at the foot of the cross we can find relief from all our burdens, whether they be of moderate weight or heavy burdens that we have been carrying with us for years as shackles. These shackles are constantly tripping us, hindering the race towards the goal.

How often do we allow ourselves to be carried away by the reading of a story, that we sit, weeping and trembling? In Guy Vanderhaege's story "How the Story Ends" a young boy sits, immersed by the story of Abraham leading his only son to be a sacrifice. The old man who reads him the story is also engrossed, so much so that he does not notice the battle waging in the young boy. He himself sees where the story is headed, the image of the Angel and redemption before his eyes. The boy only sees death, death and blood, a father trying to appease a god with the life of his son. So terrified, he rips the page out of the book, wanting to know the end but not waiting to hear.

Either we are too impatient to hear the resolution that we skip to the end or we sit passively, allowing the words to surround and wash over us but never affecting and filling us.

Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses,
affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons,
subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by
the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us do we not bleed?
If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die?

- Merchant of Venice, Act III, scene i

Are we not stirred by the words of Shylock? Do we then cry with Abraham as he walks forward in faith to give up his son? Do we feel the anger of Jonah? Do we rejoice with Naomi? Do we cry as we look to the cross although we know that Christ will be victorious? Are we filled with awe as we read John's description of the new Jerusalem, filled with the light of the Lamp?

We are pilgrims on a journey. Let us weep with those who weep, laugh with those who laugh, sharing in both their joys and sorrows until every tear shall be wiped from our eyes.