The Burdens of the Heart

Proverbs 14-15

            Solomon understands the experience of suffering. First, in Proverbs 14:10 he notes, “Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.” Suffering isolates us. Lamentations 1:12, “Is any suffering like mine?” Job felt deeply misunderstood by his friends. On and on it goes. Suffering is like a cage, like invisible bars around us. We feel like no one understands, like we can’t express it. Now, St. Paul says that things are different in the body of Christ, that we suffer and rejoice together (1 Corinthians 12:26), and that is something to rejoice in. Still, in our human experience, we often fall back into our fallen loneliness and reject any empathy given.

            Second, in Proverbs 14:13, Solomon notes that we hide our grief behind laughing faces. Consider the casual greeting, “How are you?” The expected answer is, “I’m fine, thank you.” It’s just polite conversation; nothing more is expected. How surprised we are when someone takes the question seriously and answers it honestly! Our age has a proverb of its own, “Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.” People who seem well-adjusted and happy may well be bearing griefs we know nothing about.

            Third, Proverbs 15:13, “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” The weight of our emotional troubles is every bit as heavy as the more obvious  burdens of life.