Is it my job to watch over my brother?

"..we are far more interconnected than we care to admit, more drastically shaped by the lives of others and more significant to others than we know.." ^{1}

I don't particularly like crowds. This little know fact amuses my wife, given my vocation. But in recent months, and especially when I'm in a crowd, I feel an intense connectedness with others, even though we are complete and diverse strangers. The feeling is both exhilarating and daunting.  Maybe I'm just in a season of contemplative awareness or maybe I’m going through yet another spiritual metamorphosis.

Curiously it begs the question: “… am I my brother's keeper …?” Of course this phrase comes from Genesis 4, God’s intense interrogation of Cain after he killed Able in a jealous rage. Cain’s memorable reply is not that of a loving responsible brother, but the deflecting fib of a wise-ass scoffer.  Cain was essentially saying he was not responsible for his brother’s well-being. Imagine this:

God: Do you love me?

Us: Yes, you know we do.

God: Then care for your brothers, your culturally and spiritually dissimilar neighbors and even your enemies.

Us: Neighbors and enemies, those not like us? Well maybe we don’t love you that much.

God: Sigh, depart from Me … you never truly knew Me.

^{{1} J Martin, How to Survive a Shipwreck
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