Help, I Need Somebody
From “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy
The Body to the rescue
From an early age, we learn that strength looks like independence and that control equals competence. But what if the most faithful thing we can do isn’t to have it all together, but to admit when we can’t?
A friend recently gave me a small illustrated book called The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. It’s full of simple wisdom that children seem to understand far better than adults. One line stood out to me:
“What is the bravest thing you’ve ever said?” asked the boy. “Help,” said the horse.
That one word might be the most courageous prayer we ever learn to say.
In the gospels, Jesus tells the story of two men at prayer. One is confident and composed, a Pharisee who thanks God that he has his life together. The other is a tax collector, despised for his profession and painfully aware of his shortcomings. He simply says, “God, be merciful to me.”
The Pharisee prays to convince himself he’s righteous, but the tax collector prays because he knows he’s not. He needs help.
When we feel that we’ve got it together, it’s easy to confuse control for faith. But faith begins when we let go of control and trust that love will be there. Children understand that naturally.
My godson never hesitates to ask for help when his backpack feels too heavy. He just calls out, “Help me!” because he trusts that someone will respond. When his parents lift the weight, they’re given the opportunity to live out who they are. Asking for help, it turns out, isn’t selfish. It gives someone else a chance to love.
That’s what it means to live as the Body of Christ. We are meant to rely on one another. When one part suffers, the rest respond. When one part rejoices, all rejoice together. The Church is not just an institution we attend, but a living body we belong to. It is a body that breathes mercy and grows stronger through shared need. Asking for help awakens love in others, just as giving help strengthens the one who gives it.
It’s how grace circulates the world.
Fr. John Gribowich
