Light Yokes

“And to try to be happy by being admired by men, or loved by women, or warm with liquor, or full of lust, or getting possessions and treasures: that turns you away, soon, from the love of God; then men, women, and drink and lust and greed take precedence over God; and they darken His light… And then we are unhappy and afraid and angry and fierce, and impatient, and cannot pray, and cannot sit still. That is the bitter yoke of sin: and for this we leave the mild and easy yoke of Christ.” – Thomas Merton

He said it so well. I think I should keep a separate journal to store these kind of quotes in. I’ve been doing quite a lot of reading nowadays, to the deterioration of physical fitness, due to inactivity. Nevertheless, I realize that the more I read, the more I find good quotable quotes. If I can compile then and sort them out by category, it will surely come in useful for speaking or writing assignments.

Anyway, back to Thomas Merton. It’s true, isn’t it? We’re all too familiar with the words of Paul, when he said that greed causes people to stray from the faith and be pierced with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10). But Merton puts it in such a way that relates so well, I can see myself caught in the vicious cycle that he paints.

When there is a lack of choice, there will be a lack of dissatisfaction. When a choice arises, so does dissatisfaction. Sounds silly in a world where freedom of choice is upheld to an almost sacred position. But think about it: If Adam and Eve never had the choice to partake of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, then temptation would never arise, and dissatisfaction about not having the knowledge of good and evil would not have plagued them.

God proved His point there. It is by giving humans free will can humanity be truly free. But along with free will comes freedom of choice. And freedom of choice can entrench a man in captivity, as much as it can set a man free. Free will is the element that gives the worship of God any true meaning, but it can also take people away from the worship of Him.

If we can gain the admiration of men, or attain the love of women, why don’t we go for it? There are ways of getting those things without being in sin. What’s wrong with keeping warm with liquor, if we know how to use it sparingly without getting drunk? Yes, lust isn’t good, but isn’t it an inescapable trait of humanity? Why can’t we actively engage in getting possessions and treasures, as long as we let this pursuit remain as 2nd place after God?

It is exactly these same arguments that I constantly battle with. And in more times than one, the feeling of unhappiness, fear, anger, and impatience comes when I choose to dim God’s light with my choices. I find that I’ll have trouble praying, and I cannot sit still to spend time with God. With a sense of dissatisfied restlessness, the more I will plunge myself into attaining the contentment I wanted, and the tighter I will fetter myself under the bitter yoke of sin. When the yoke gets too heavy, then only will I realize the mild and easy yoke of Christ when God’s grace breaks through as fresh and new all over again.

I often wonder. When (or if) I have “made it”, will I find myself doing good, seeking justice, rebuking the oppressor, defending the fatherless, and pleading for the widow? How can I be confident of finding myself doing those things, if I cannot find myself constantly doing it during the process of “making it”? Didn’t Jesus heal the sick, favour the poor, feed the hungry, have compassion on those who weep, and identify with those who are hated by men? It is because Jesus delighted in humility that He was highly exalted and given the name which is above every name (Phil 2:5-11). How close am I to the pattern that Jesus set?

Mei Yee is at SWEEP now. It’s a 2-week social work “camp”, where they will go to the shelter every day, visit orphanages, prisons, go to red-light districts, and get exposed to the plight of all kinds of poverty and deprivation. Hearing that it will be emotionally draining, I didn’t feel any real motivation to go to such a program. I always thought that Mei Yee has a bigger heart than mine.

Which is the more stressful thing to do, I wonder. Trying to be responsible and think about the future, or delving into social work and see the ugly side of society. Jesus said this regarding finding true rest. He said the secret of finding true rest is something that is hidden from the wise and prudent. He said, “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30).

What is Jesus’ yoke? How is it lighter than the one we carry? He asks us to learn from Him. Learning from Him also encompasses doing what He does. I know it mystifies the human reason. But Jesus teaches that giving up on self for the sake of others is actually a lighter burden to bear.