Then the Lord said to Cain,"Where is your brother Abel?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9

Our Brothers' Keepers
By Rev. William Dohle

This week my family and I traveled to Springfield, Illinois to visit the infamous Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. It was awesome! Both the museum and the library. The story of Lincoln's life literally came alive for us. It was as though President Lincoln himself was standing in our midst!

Though the Civil War is now over a hundred and fifty years in our past, the same events that shaped Lincoln's life are shaping life today. In Lincolns day the country was divided. The same is true today. In Lincoln's time everyone thought they were on the right side. The same is true today.

And though civil rights have moved forward, we are still preoccupied with the question Cain first asked of God.

"Am I my brother's keeper?"

Am I my brother's keeper... even though he is a black man?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he is a gray confederate?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he thinks, acts, and believes completely differently than I do?

That question ran through the civil war and it runs through our life today too.

Am I my brother's keeper... even though he's a Muslim?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he lives alone?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he voted democrat? Or republican? Or neither?
Am I my brother's keeper... even though he thinks, acts, and believes completely differently than I do?

The answer from God seems to be the same for us as it was for Cain. YES YOU ARE!! You are your brother's keeper! You should care about what happens to him. You should pray for him, care for him, and love him. You should be compassionate toward him, give of yourself to him, and lay down your life for him, if necessary.

Why? Well... that answer isn't given to Cain... but it's given to us. For we know that we keep our brothers because Christ keeps us. We love our sisters because Christ loves us. And we lay down our lives in service to them...because that's what God did for us.

Heavenly Father, you call us to love and care and pray for our brothers and sisters. Give us strength to put aside our differences and see ourselves as fellow human beings with all, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.