The story of Cain and Abel stands very close to 21st century man. For who cannot be exposed to the prevalence of murderous crimes existing in our society and world without occasionally reflecting back upon the first murder? The narrative of these brothers is symbolic of the relationship between God and man and between man and his brother. Read about the history of God's dealings with man in your Bible and you will notice that God always intervenes.
And I am not referring only to physical murder for we know that we can commit murder in subtler ways than the physical. Perhaps the mordant lines of Oscar Wilde make this point clearer.
Yet each man kills the thing he loves
From all let this be heard
Some does it with a bitter look
Some with a flattering word
The coward does it with a kiss
The brave man with the sword.
There are other ways of murder than the physical. We can kill others' joy, their spirit, their devotion, their will, their motivation. Whenever we commit a crime, in any of its many shapes, against our neighbor, God wants to know, "Where is your brother?"
To Adam and Eve, after they had eaten from the forbidden tree and attempted to hide, God asked, "Where are you?"
To Elijah, when he fled to Beer-sheba to escape Jezebel, God found him and asked, "What are you doing here?"
To Job, when he began to erratically question the sensibility of his existence, God asked, "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?"
To Cain, after he killed Abel, God asked, "Where is your brother"
When Cain had done his worst to Abel, he could not get away from God and neither can you; neither can I. God always confronts us. He confronts us in our nakedness, in our ugliness, at our weakest point.
In spite of how it may seem, sooner or later man must recognize that any cruelty to any human being brings us face to face with the judgment of God. Even though it may seem that criminals are getting away, rest assured that when we reach the dead-end streets of our lives, God will meet us there and He will want to know, "Where is your brother?" The voice of God cannot be escaped.
Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available soon.
You are welcome to visit amen ministries: your soul's service station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification, browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall or review our recommended books you may want to add to your personal library.
Blessings to all!
scheduled maid service Northbrook ..For as many of you as were baptized into Christ... Read More
Good morning beloved,I always feel a need to let people... Read More
2 Corinthians 6:17-6:17For God so loved the world, that He... Read More
I have held numerous teleconference workshops where I help individuals... Read More
The Tarot is not just a divinatory tool, but it... Read More
You decide! We are often asked to make decisions. Decision... Read More
My lady Lydia was a Hawkins of the ancestry of... Read More
Is it really possible that Don Juan could command the... Read More
The Birth of Jesus Christ18 Now the birth of Jesus... Read More
AN ARISTOCRATIC UPBRINGING:There are many people who write about sex... Read More
Is life challenging you to take a bigger leap? Are... Read More
I was originally brought up Catholic, at the insistence of... Read More
Many consider anger a normal human emotion and continue to... Read More
The tongue is such a tiny little organ. Yet, it... Read More
In the last 2 weeks or so, I have been... Read More
There are many contradictions in life and none more easily... Read More
As we proceed further into the 21st century there is... Read More
Ever notice how people dread discussing... Read More
We, the human species, stand on the threshold of a... Read More
The story of Cain and Abel stands very close to... Read More
Within every obstacle there is an equivalent or greater benefit.~Napoleon... Read More
Years ago no matter where I lived, whether a house... Read More
Of the many individuals who were touched through the ministry... Read More
Billy Graham once said, "Being a Christian is more than... Read More
As we walk these halls of Life viewing the world... Read More
reliable maid service Highland Park ..With another year full of family events coming upon us,... Read More
It seems to me that our moment to moment relationship... Read More
We, a group of ordinary people who believe in Jesus... Read More
In today's world we worry about everything, food, jobs, clothing,... Read More
We as human beings travelled in small bands for hundreds... Read More
Liam says to Joe; "where is your God now, when... Read More
This article is a reply that deals with certain criticisms... Read More
You decide! We are often asked to make decisions. Decision... Read More
One of the first issues people on the spiritual path... Read More
The essence of the Christian faith is the good news... Read More
The lighter side of Tarot deals with games played using... Read More
WHAT IS E.V.P.?EVP stands for electronic voice phenomena, some believe... Read More
The ultimate purpose of dreaming is to provide you with... Read More
"Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for... Read More
Rose Ann Schwab is an internationally and world renowned professional... Read More
I'm at that place in life many refer to as... Read More
As a Coach and Psychotherapist I have found that the... Read More
It has long been surmised that emotional trauma can lead... Read More
The fundamental aim of spiritual study is to get facts... Read More
The Question Really picture this in your mind.... Someone tells... Read More
As we go through life we all have to deal... Read More
I always thought Ecclesiastes was like Proverbs. That's probably because... Read More
What is success? It probably means different things to different... Read More
I have a big mouth. If you have read my... Read More
Some may ask, is there any truth to have a... Read More
Spirituality |