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| Submitted by: Keith Johnson - Guest Writer |
Read Geneses 4:1-15
…Am I my brother’s
keeper Geneses 4:8
Are you your brother’s
keeper?
Everyone has heard that question before. It would appear to
be a simple question that should be able to be answered one of two ways. Yes or
no. The answer given may not be as
straightforward as yes or no. Yes, with an explanation. It could be no with an
explanation. There could be a why. Or even the possibility of a maybe.
Cain and Abel
In the Bible, when brothers Cain and Abel brought their
offering to the Lord, the Lord respected Abel and his offering, which came from
his flock of sheep. His brother Cain also presented an offering to the Lord,
which was fruit that came from the ground. The Lord did not respect Cain and
his offering. Cain got very angry and his countenance (his face or features)
“fell” as Scripture says.
In Genesis 4:7 (NKJV), Cain got instructions from the Lord.
“If you do well will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies
at the door. And its desire is for you; but you should rule over it.”The
instructions were direct and to the point. Cain, however, did have choice of
free will. The choice Cain ultimately made has continued to affect mankind as
much today as it did then.
He chose not to follow God’s instructions. In Genesis 4:8 it
says “Now Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass, when they were
in the field that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him”. God
already knew what had happened but asked “Cain, where is Abel your
brother?” Then Cain used the line that
has been used for centuries. Verse 9 says “I do not know. Am I my brother’s
keeper? The Lord asks in verse 10 “What have you done? The voice of your
brother’s blood cries out to Me from the Ground.
Voices cry out from
the ground
How many voices, like Abel’s, cry out from the ground? Over
time, there are too many voices to count that cry out. The voices of Trayvon
Martin, Jonathan Davis, most recently and Renisha McBride cry out. Unarmed
young people whose lives were lost to gun violence and laws allowing for deadly
force to be used based on the assailant’s fear. Despite the confusion and chaos
from these earthly laws, God hears those voices. Awareness through social
media, non violent protests become voices to move the legal system to speak for
these victims...
Australia is not a brother’s keeper
Here in Australia,
refugees from war torn countries like Afghanistan,
Iraq and even Syria risk
their lives to come to settle where there is peace and no war. The current
government, which just came into power, says “we will stop the boats”. These
refugees come to Australia,
risking their lives, but most will never step foot on the Australia soil.
The “boat people” as they are called, are processed in detention centers off
the Australia
mainland. Most will be sent to Papua
New Guinea as a result of this new
“immigration” policy. Am I my brother’s keeper? If you are a refugee and expect
Australia
to be your “keeper, it is highly unlikely.
We as people can not exist alone or in divided groups. We
all need one another. There are voices that are not in the ground, that are
among the living that are crying out. When we are asked the question “Am I my
brother’s keeper? Our answer should emphatically be “YES I AM!” Be blessed.
Keith Johnson is native of Minneapolis,
Minnesota currently residing just outside Brisbane, Queensland,
Australia. A
mass communications graduate of Morehouse
College and a elementary
education trained teacher. Keith is a Christian, who believes "God's
will" be done by "loving thy neighbor as thyself".
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