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May 14, 2012Am I My Brother’s Keeper?
Figuring out our responsibility to care for and serve others
It’s not the jealousy or the murder that I connect with; rather it’s that self-justifying question he tosses back to God that jumps off the page and often echoes in my own thoughts: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9, NIV).
Cain’s motivations in this defiant interchange with the Almighty are as complicated as any twisting and turning modern-day crime novel.
When I have this attitude, on the other hand, my motivation is pretty simple: I’m aiming to justify a self-focused life.
Let me be honest: There are plenty of days when just “keeping” my own life running—and “keeping” my beloved family—are about all I feel I can handle!
And yet, though God doesn’t directly answer Cain’s question, God does provide you and me with an answer that resonates throughout the entire Bible: yes. From laws about caring for strangers and aliens in the Pentateuch (Exodus 23:9; Leviticus 19:34) to strident calls for justice for the vulnerable in the Prophets (Isaiah 58; Amos 5; Micah 6:8); to Jesus’ challenge to love our neighbors—even our enemies—as we love ourselves (Matthew 5:43–48; Luke 10:25–37; to Paul’s teachings about hospitality (Romans 12:10–13); to John’s vision of the just, peaceful kingdom of God come to earth (Revelation 21), the answer is yes, yes, yes.
I am called to be my brother’s . . . my neighbor’s . . . even my enemy’s keeper.
God invites us to love, stand up for, and kneel down in humility to serve others in our lives. And that call challenges us to step out of tight-knit circles of loved ones and out of our comfortable routines to see life through the lens of the kingdom.
Does this mean God wants you or me to serve in a homeless shelter or soup kitchen (as often comes to mind for me when I hear the word service)? Perhaps yes. But also the answer may be no or not now. God may have other avenues of service in mind: ways to love, sacrifice, extend compassion, and minister that are incorporated into our everyday lives. In other words, service may not be so much about clearing off a space on the calendar as it is clearing out an open, welcoming space in our hearts.
Who is your “brother”? Who is your “neighbor”? . . . Will you keep? Will you love? Will you serve?
Kelli B. Trujillo is an author and editor who lives with her family in Indianapolis. http://www.kellitrujillo.com.
Comments
Although I understand the message you are conveying in your article, I don't think you are using the Scripture concerning Cain in the right context. God already knew Cain had killed his brother, so there was no need to give him an answer to his question. If Cain had asked this question knowing that God expected him to look after his brother, and he neglected his duty to do so, that is a different story.
Posted By: Carolyn | May 23, 2012 8:54 PM
Yes, I am literally my brother's keeper...and my uncle's. I am guardian for my developmentally disabled brother and co-guardian for my developmentally disabled uncle.
Caring for them is a promise I made to my parents, siblings, myself and God.
Yet there are so many more, abandoned by family, neglected by churches, who need "keepers."
Posted By: Kathy | May 29, 2012 9:22 PM