Since the 1920s the High/Low has become a common part of industrial heavy lifting and warehousing.
With the convenience comes the risks of working with heavy, potentially falling loads. So, many of the modern forklifts are designed with an overhead guard and also a heavy counterweight behind and below the driver (neither of which is pictured in this warning sign).
What the sign does capture is the danger that comes with heavy lifting.
As we’ve noted together in the last post, there are important high/lows, counterbalances, and overhead guards in the Bible’s solution for the heavy lifting. (Yeh, I’m realizing that if I push this too far it’s going to sound forced. But am seeing similarities for which I’m deeply grateful.)
Here’s what I find so compelling. In our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount we find him lowering the bar as low as any of us need (Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, and the meek). Then he lifted it higher than any of us could ever begin to rise (Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for the best of reasons).
Jesus lowered the bar to the dust so that the most broken, helplessly weak persons could simply fall down over it. In the rest of his teaching, and by his own example, he raised the bar so high that the most proud, self-made person would have to look away to avoid being humbled by it.
Then, after helping the broken–and lovingly humbling the arrogant–the Son of God, himself took the inexpressibly heavy wrongs of the world in his own bleeding outstretched hands, on his own ripped back, and with a groan that must have caused the angels of heaven, and the demons of hell to shudder.
Low enough to help us again today. High enough to inspire us forever. Powerful enough to lift our deepest regret. Present enough to help us– wherever we are today.
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