Am I My Brothers Keeper

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?” (Genesis 4:9)

Ah yes...the age old question – am I responsible for keeping my brother? What does keeping mean and just how far does it extend? Who is my brother and why should I care about his welfare? The list goes on and on. Today God is asking you and me “Where is your brother?” To which we give back, perhaps, some of the questions I listed above along with more.

Growing up I always wanted a brother or sister with whom I could play. As I grew older I wanted a sibling with whom I could share life with – you know, someone I could teach childhood pranks and general orneriness. As an adult, I always wanted a brother or sister I could share life with – someone who knew me, someone who understood my quirks, someone who knew my deepest hurts, desires, and dreams. But alas, in the natural it was not to be. My older sister was fourteen years older than I and she passed away when I was only twelve. She hadn’t been a part of my life since I was two so I never really got to know Sandy, but oh how I wish I had! Mom and dad tried to have another when I was about eight or nine, but mom miscarried so I have walked the world alone all these years.

This is referring only to the familial bloodline sibling however. As I matured I became a law enforcement officer, gaining a solid band of brothers in that thin blue line. We risked our lives for one another as we went into undercover operations, we stood proudly alongside one another in inspections and in the field of operations. And although we worked closely together and thought as one in that area, we were never allowed to get to know one another personally because it would affect, potentially, our working/professional duties. Were our partner to get wounded in the line of duty, we were supposed to be able to separate ourselves emotionally and perform almost mechanically to the letter of the law. The same applied when I entered the military. Again, we were a blood-stained, duty-sworn band of brothers and sisters in the thin green line – acting as one in the defense of our nation, thinking as one in combat operations, feeling as one as touching our “hunches” in maneuvers. Yet never supposed to bond as true brothers and sisters lest it restrain our duties should our fellow soldiers became injured or unable to perform. Yet we operated under the silent oath – “No man or woman left behind.” As a biker we swore the same oath to one another – never leave a brother or sister stranded, and never let them fight a battle alone. On and on I could go.

Isn’t that supposed to be the functional stance of the body of Christ? Aren’t we, as brothers and sisters bound by the blood of Jesus in the family of God, supposed to think as one, function as one, and maneuver as one? If one is injured, aren’t we supposed to stand or kneel alongside our spiritual sibling and offer aid and comfort while they recover? Aren’t we supposed to look after each other and walk the dark places of life with each other while offering hope and our strength until, once again, the light shines in their lives?

While I have never been a father I have been an uncle. As such, I have observed babies as they grow and develop into young children and adults. It is interesting to me to watch them go through the stages of development. At a very young age a child will begin to develop the concept of self – become self-aware. There are two words children learn early on that, while funny at the time, must be taught to use properly. Those two words are (say them with me, parents) “No!” and “Mine!”. It’s cute to see them begin to understand and speak; however, if this self-awareness isn’t tamed and trained it can and does become a monster. Imagine little Adolph sitting on his daddy’s knee or crawling around learning to stand and walk. How cute he must have been! Yet thirty-plus years later how monstrous his evil desires and plans as he saw the world as “Mine!” What was once cute had now become sinister and a fright to behold. Such is our mission as Christian fathers and mothers, pastors and teachers, elders within the church and the community. We are duty bound to train up our children (those put in our care and under our watch) in the way they should go. This includes not just our blood children, but also friends, family, strangers, and church brothers and sisters.

God taught me years ago that there are those in our lives whom God has placed there for our overwatch and care. They may be younger than we or they may be chronologically our peers or even our elders; however, they are there for our teaching, for mentoring, for growing alongside in order to share with them the knowledge and wisdom of God we have gained. But lest we get too proud, we need not forget that they can teach us also. Sometimes we elders, pastors, teachers, prophets, evangelists, and lay ministers tend to get too stiff, too stuffy, and too rigid – thinking we are the ultimate and nothing else can be learned from these newbies. I find their sense of awe and excitement refreshing as they discover for the first time the meaning of a spiritual concept. I love to watch them bloom and grow in the faith and can draw a fresh breath of encouragement from them. I can draw new life into my old wine-skins that have become brittle with cynicism, hard with scars, and dead with theology. Truly it is a two-way relationship.

So whom has God placed within your life? It may be an old grade-school acquaintance who has discovered you on Facebook, it may be an old Army buddy who has turned to you for friendship during a hard time in his or her life, it may be a neighbor who lives close by that tends to gravitate toward you for unexplainable reasons. Think about it, in scripture it seems those who were broken, those who were lost, those who were hurting or seeking knew to whom they could turn. They showed up in Jesus’ ministry often. They came to David in the cave of Adullum. They rushed to meet Peter and John as they travelled through cities. We quickly learn the importance of Jesus’ words as the disciples tried to keep children from coming to Him: “Suffer the little children to come unto me.” He didn’t find them bothersome or cumbersome to His ultimate, overall vision for His work. They were a part of His mission to reach the world. The woman at the well. The demoniac. The lepers. The woman with the issue of blood. Blind Bartimaeus. Zaccheus up in the tree. The thief hanging on the cross next to Him. Jesus never lost His vision of who His brother or sister was, and neither should we. Our very last breath should be one of service to those around us – for in that breath they may just meet Jesus for the first time.

Again I ask: “Who is your brother or sister?” The challenge, my friend, is to seek your heart and your life to discover the answer to that question. Whom has God placed under your umbrella of protection and training? Who seems to stay in your circle – even though you may wish from time-to-time they would go away? Who keeps popping up occasionally – usually with a burden or a need? Why do they keep coming back? Because they see Jesus in you and they know in Him is their relief and answer. Be Jesus to those around you. Not in arrogant way, but in a serving way. As Christ gave His life so must you and I. With that mindset and that heart we can answer Cain’s question with a resounding “YES! Yes I am my brother’s keeper.” Sometimes he’s light and a joy, other times he may be heavy to bear. All the same he is my brother. And so are you, my friend.

Be blessed.