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The People on the Roof

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Even if you've never cracked open a Bible, you've probably heard the famous question from Luke 5:17-26: "Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?"

The story is well known. Jesus heals a paralyzed man. The man gets up, takes his mat, and walks home. It's a miracle. End of story.

Except it isn't. As usual, my attention wandered from the main character to the people in the background. Luke tells us:
"Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus."

Those are my people. Yesterday I was attending a retreat at the Old Cathedral, sitting in the shadow of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. As I reflected on this Gospel, I found myself thinking less about the man who was healed and more about the friends who made the healing possible.

Imagine their determination. The crowd says no. The doorway is blocked. The room is packed. Most people would have shrugged and said, "Well, we tried."

Not these guys. They climbed onto a roof. They removed tiles. They created a hole in somebody else's ceiling. Then they lowered their friend directly in front of Jesus. That wasn't convenient. That was a commitment.

These men did everything within their power to make sure their friend got what he needed to survive, be healed, have a level playing field, and have a chance at a better life.

I wonder how many times we overlook the people who have done exactly that for us. The mentors who opened doors. The spouses who carried more than their share. The friends who listened when we were falling apart. The coworkers who quietly covered for us. The family members who believed in us when we couldn't believe in ourselves. The people who removed tiles from roofs so we could get where we needed to be.

Tina and I are currently binge-watching the TV series The Man in the High Castle. One of the characters who has captured my attention is Ed McCarthy. Over and over again, Ed absorbs pain, disappointment, sacrifice, and heartbreak so that his friend Frank Frink might have a chance at a better life.

Ed isn't the hero of the story. He's the guy on the roof. Every great story seems to have an Ed. The truth is, none of us get through life alone. If we're fortunate, we've all had people carrying our mat at one time or another. People who lifted when we couldn't. People who believed when we doubted. People who refused to accept barriers that we had accepted ourselves.

Looking back over my life, I realize there have been many people on the roof for me. Teachers. Friends. Colleagues. Family members. People who sacrificed time, energy, opportunities, and comfort so that I could get closer to where I needed to be.

Some of them probably never realized the impact they had. Some may have wondered if their efforts mattered at all. YOU did; more than you'll ever know. So to all of you who have spent part of your life removing tiles and lowering me through the roof, thank you.

To those who endured setbacks, disappointments, heartaches, and sacrifices so that I could move forward, thank you. And if I never properly acknowledged what you did, please accept this overdue expression of gratitude. The miracle may have happened in the middle of the room. But it started on the roof.

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