Week 6 – Lent Series 2025

Lent, Stories | April 16, 2025

Solidarity Leads to Partnership

Partnership with people with disabilities is working alongside them to build an inclusive and accessible world.

Each one should carry his own load (Galatians 6:5). Carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)

CBM Australia works to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities who live in poverty. We carry out this work in partnership. Partnership alongside people with disabilities and their own organisations. Partnership with allied organisations.

During this season of Lent, we have been reflecting on the theme of solidarity. Solidarity is seeing and valuing the humanity we share with others. This gives birth to empathy and the adopting of responsibility for their well-being.

CBM’s partnership approach exemplifies solidarity. It is founded upon a sharing of humanity and empathy with people with disabilities. God created us all in his image… there is no distinction between people with and without disabilities. We are each created to find fulfilment in shaping our own lives. We each have contributions to make in shaping our community.

Galatians 6:2 says that we should carry each other’s burdens. Just a few sentences later, verse 5 says that we should carry our own load. Therefore, there is a distinction between ‘loads’ and ‘burdens’. To carry one’s own load is to take responsibility for shaping our own life. To carry somebody’s burden is to help them with that which they can’t manage. To carry people’s burdens while allowing them to carry their own load is a beautiful illustration of partnership.

The partnership approach is the most effective way to build an inclusive and accessible world. People with disabilities have firsthand experience and insight into the barriers that they face to shaping their own lives and contributing to shaping their community. Their gifts, skills and knowledge are assets to their community, and to the building of an inclusive and accessible world.

CBM’s partnership approach firstly seeks to deeply listen to and understand people with disabilities. Secondly, we collaborate with them to enact effective change.

We invite you to reflect on how you can take a partnership approach alongside people with disabilities to build inclusivity and accessibility into your community.

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord God, we ask that you give us insight into how we can allow people to carry their own load and show us where we can carry each other’s burdens. Help us take steps towards building an inclusive and accessible world, amen.

Back to Stories

Your donation could save lives

Donate today

Week 6 – Lent Series 2025

Solidarity Leads to Partnership

Read more

Your donation could save lives

Related Stories

Frock Up For Fistula: a High Tea of hope and healing

Week 7 – Lent Series 2025

Nancys journey from advocacy to leadership