A Heavy Load

Mr. Wu and I had a conversation last week when I was in the car alone with him. It's not quite a conversation when you have to communicate one word at a time through an electronic translator, but sometimes when it's only one word chosen to express an entire thought, it comes across that much more poigniantly. Mr. Wu actually has quite a few English words, but he resorts to the translator when he gets stumped. I am no help, with my minimal Chinese.

Anyway, he started telling me about what life is like for Shanghainese people, and he was trying to explain (I think) the financial strain that it is. One of the words that came through translator was loan, when he told me about his house. I told him I understood, we have a loan for our house too. But the word that got me was when he said, "In Shanghai, man, work..." and then through the translator came the word, "Burden."

It's a huge responsiblity to provide for one's family, one that I know I don't fully understand. I know Scott does, though. He is glad to do it, he's told me, and is thankful that he can.

Apparently it's a heavy burden for Mr. Wu. When I first looked at that word, burden, I felt for him, but I also thought, if only there was a way for me to communicate to Mr. Wu about the One who said that His yolk is easy and His burden is light.

That's my burden. And I guess also my challenge... can I learn enough Chinese to communicate deep truths like faith? I'm a little doubtful that I can. I've prayed that Mr. Wu and Mrs. Shi and other people we connect with, the people Scott works with, would see Jesus in us. Even if our words can't express Him. But can words ever adequately express Jesus anyway?

In church a couple of weeks ago it was mentioned in the sermon that God did not call people of faith to be "a house set on a hill", but rather "a city set on a hill." In order to be light to others, we must be a united community of believers. We can't go it alone.

Because doing life alone... that would really be a heavy load to carry. Find someone to walk with you. The load will be so much lighter!

On the street between the two sections of our complex, a man pulls a load of lumber slowly toward its destination. Note the cloth strap tied to the wagon underneath the bundle that comes up over his shoulders and around his neck. This is a very common sight in Shanghai.