There are moments on our journey—moments when the path grows difficult and the weight of our limitations presses down on our shoulders…and even our ankles. Following Jesus does not spare us from these moments. The invitation into formation in the image of Christ is not a solitary road. It is a shared pilgrimage—a painful and beautiful journey in which we walk with Jesus and with one another, carrying and being carried along the way.
Years ago, while backpacking in the mountains with close friends, I learned this truth in a visceral way. Near the end of the trail, just a short distance from the car, one of my dear friends badly sprained his ankle. He was unable to walk the final stretch due to the pain. One thing became immediately clear: someone would need to carry him the rest of the way.
One friend hoisted all of our backpacks onto his shoulders—no small task—while I lifted our injured friend onto my back. Step by step, we made our slow, determined journey toward the car together. It wasn’t graceful. It wasn’t efficient. But it was exactly what the moment required.
Looking back, that experience has become a lens through which I understand the Christian life. No one questioned whether the extra weight was “fair.” No one tried to hide their weakness. Vulnerability simply became the doorway to love. Carrying one another wasn’t a strategy—it was the only response that made sense.
Scripture reminds us that we are called to carry one another’s burdens, and in doing so, to fulfill the way of Christ (Galatians 6:2). As we choose this way, Christ is present—carrying us as we carry each other. He meets us when we cannot walk on our own. He meets us when we are willing to admit our limits. And as He carries us, He teaches us how to carry others with the same gentleness, patience, and commitment.
Our shared mission flows from this place of vulnerability. We walk together not as people who have everything figured out, but as people who know they are loved, carried, and redeemed by Christ. And through a community willing to walk vulnerably with Him and with one another, Christ continues His work of healing and restoration in the world.
May we become a people unafraid of vulnerability.
A people known by love.
A people who refuse to leave anyone behind.
May we be a people who carry—and are carried—by Christ as He continues His redeeming work in the world.
Jesse Engle
