Christian Living

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“Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?'
He said, 'I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?'” - Genesis 4:9

The Lord is using recent events to teach me something about us. That while many may not believe in the Biblical God or Satan, we can all say that people are shaped by two things from other people:

Love, or the absence of it.

We are products of the relationships we have, or the lack of them. Who we are is greatly impacted by both those involved in our lives and those who do not care about us. This is true as us being responsible for our own thoughts, words and actions.

Many of the sins I have committed can be attributed to my choices and yet if persons had shown concern for me, and expressed it, I would have been accountable long before the sin came to fruition. If I had talked with someone about what was going on with me I would not have done many of the things I later had.

Let us take this to the church. There are many of us, where if we asked them, “Where is your brother?” We may have to admit we do not know. We may have the idea that we have no influence over the life of another when in fact we do, not only by our involvement but also in the lack it. Just as the love of a person can impact the one loved so can apathy, like hatred.

In fact, one might say apathy is just hatred through lack of concern. If people had shown concern for my life I may not have done many of the things I have done. This is just as true as my being responsible for my own choices. If Cain had concern for Abel he would have made himself accountable for what he was doing privately and publicly. We know what the result was.

Even today there is tragedy involving murder and the harm of others. A certain man was able to commit heinous acts of violence even leading to the death of people who were simply in the line of his fire. Reports are coming out that while some people are not surprised at what he did, others close to him are shocked that he is the suspect of the crime in question.

While we are human and limited as such if those close to this man had been more involved in his life he probably would be, at best, confined to a mental hospital instead of jail. Those persons who are recovering or dead would be happy, healthy and thriving instead of in a hospital or a morgue.

God sought to be involved with Cain by talking with him. We are called to imitate God as dear children and be interested in one another. One could say that Biblical love is showing interest in one another (John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 8:1; 13:4-8, Ephesians 4:16, 1 Peter 4:8).

Right now, there are people holding public offices that many of us are not pleased with. Could it be possible that if some of us had gotten more involved with governmental affairs would those persons have that position? While God has say over who will have power is it not also true that sometimes God's will was not achieved because of apathy? There were times, to my own regret, where I chose not to vote. However in the last few years I have voted regularly and am at peace knowing I did what I could, even though my choices did not get voted in. The apathy of a nation begins with one person.

This is just as true with a city or a neighborhood. Sadly it can also be true with a church. People may make alter calls and profess belief in Christ and become lost in the shuffle because no one followed up on them. Often those persons go back to the old life they sought to repent from.

Just as we are responsible for the people who commit crime we are responsible for those who are running our government. This is true by our apathy as well as involvement.

I believe the metaphysical poet John Donne realized this many years ago. His poem seems to line up with Biblical truth:

No Man Is An Island

No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

Islands are still influenced by waves, storms and the earth beneath the seas. Even though that island is remote things can still affect it. Things still influenced Cain, Jared Loughner and any other person even though they had not allowed anyone into their lives. So it stands to reason that we must allow others into our lives and be involved in each other's lives for the sake of accountability. Something will make us what we will become. Why not it involve things of the Lord Himself like brothers, sisters and the whole of church?

Above I made reference to verses about Biblical love. The Word of God also talks about love in places where that word is not used. Those places are the “one another's”in the New Testament. This love is how we defeat and prevent things that should not occur.

Love one another. (John 13:35)
Give preference to one another. (Romans 12:10)
Receive one another. (Romans 15:7)
Admonish or confront one another. (Romans 15:14)
Care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:25)
Bear one another's burdens. (Galatians 6:2)
Be kind to/forgive one another. (Ephesians 4:32)

These are but a few. I encourage us to look at the rest. Also do a word study on Love.

God does reveal Himself to others. Sometimes it is Him alone with another. However 99% of the time it is Him revealing Himself through another person. The church has been called to reveal the Lord through itself. That would be you and me.

A village does indeed raise a child. It might also raise that child to be a criminal, most often by apathy.

The choice is ours.

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