Recently I was reading the story of Cain and Abel. The line that struck me in this story was Cain’s response to God’s question, “Where is your brother? Cain said, “Am I my brother’s keeper? Cain’s response certainly seems to be one of arrogance and an “I don’t care” attitude. We all know there was a sense of guilt there as well but the whole story about Cain’s part is truly an absence of love.
To me it seems this is a story that challenges our own response to love in many ways. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” I believe God’s question is being asked of us as well. This question of, “Where is your brother?” should cause us to be more aware of each other and those around us. I believe God has created within our hearts the desire to help each other. How we respond is up to us with our free will.
We have friends who live in New York City. We had the opportunity to get together with them at an out-of-state event a couple of months after the twin towers attack. They were almost emotional when they described to us how the people of New York City had experienced a transformation. Before 9-11 hundreds of people could be walking the busy city streets of New York without actually looking at a passerby or even acknowledging others. People would avoid any type of interaction even to the point of ignoring a mugging occurrence and no one would stop to help the victim.
After 9-11 people would acknowledge others, even saying “hi” as well as help another person in need. You could say the citizens of New York had experienced an Epiphany and they now realized they needed each other. That inner-heart desire to help or should we say to love our neighbor had been reborn.
God calls us to be aware of two things in our mission of love in our life. First, we truly have a need to love and care for each other. It could be as great as running to help someone in a serous accident. It could be helping someone carry a bag of groceries that they are struggling with the load. It could be helping an elderly neighbor. It could be holding the door for someone or visiting a sick friend. My mother used to say when you see something or someone that needs attention, do not wait for someone else to take care of it. You take care of it! Even if it involves inconvenience and sacrifice on our part we should be willing to step up and help. She understood and encouraged simple acts of Love!
Second, it is to be aware that we ourselves sometimes need help. I can be a bit independent (ok, no comments out there) and maybe even prideful when I am going to handle a challenge that would seem beyond my ability or even safety to do alone. Asking for help is the second area of awareness that we need possess. Asking for help is not always easy but God uses one person’s weakness to draw other’s strengths into the picture. We become stronger when we use our abilities for the good of others. When anyone steps up to help others, God’s grace shines through them and they may find they have strengths and gifts they did not know they had.
You may not realize it but an act of kindness towards another person, no matter how small it may seem, could be a turning point in their life, a new beginning for them. I am reminded of a story about how an unaccepted young boy at school was homebound one day and struggling to carry his full load of books. Years later at his college graduation as the Valedictorian he told that story and how another boy had come along and helped him carry those books. It was an action that prevented him from carrying out his plan to commit suicide that day. We never know what acts of love we share will be a life-changing event for another.
So, are we our brother’s keeper? In the Spirit of Love and God’s call to us, YES! So let us accept God’s call and go forth and Shine Like the Son. God bless you!
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