Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Gen 4:9 (NKJV)
Ever since the beginning, way back in humanity's origin story, violence was present. It has journeyed with us ever since wreaking its havoc on us all. War and peace. Not just perhaps Leo Tolstoy's greatest work, but humanities most complex tension.
Cain and Abel’s story found in Genesis 4 has so few details, it's hard to tease out just what happened. Were they friends growing up? Did they share a bedroom? Did they play together down by the stream? Splash each other in the water? Race each other back home? Did they hunt for food together? Share their parents table? Laugh and talk and dream and spend time together?
They were brothers. Their lives were intertwined.
Then something happened. We don’t really know what, but somewhere along the way a rift formed between the two. Maybe Cain had an anger problem, maybe Abel was one of those ‘gifted kids’ where everything he touched turned to gold, or at least enlivened the hearts of their parents. Whatever it was, whatever had been festering in Cain's heart, or between the two, came to a head one day when the brothers offered their own sacrifices to God. Cain was livid, angry – more than angry – that his offering wasn’t accepted and Abel’s was. (We're not going to go down the sacrifice road in this devotion, maybe another time!) He was the older brother, the one who was supposed to protect and befriend the younger, show him the ropes, help him carve out his own path in life. Instead, he felt upstaged, humiliated and angry to the point of violence. Murder.
Something happens to us when we're pushed to the brink. When we lose control of our emotions and our capacity to reign them back in. Adrenalin, hot blood, blind rage.
I’m not going to lie, I’ve punched a wall or two (pretty weak punches, my upper arm strength is nothing to write home about) out of anger and frustration. It’s easy to judge Cain. It’s easy to judge your violent neighbour. It's complicated to get into the middle of that situation and try and bring resurrection to someone's control, dignity and trust. Grace and redemption are remarkable fellows.
It’s so important to understand that we are ALL CONNECTED. We all bleed and breathe, hope and dream… We are our brother's and sister's keeper.
When Cain faced God for his sins, for murdering his own brother, something interesting happened. Again, there are few words and no emotional context, so use your imagination, fill in the gaps. But instead of imagining that your Abel, put yourself in Cain's shoes.
Cain said, “My punishment is too much. I can’t take it! You’ve thrown me off the land and I can never again face you. I’m a homeless wanderer on earth and whoever finds me will kill me.”
God told him, “No. Anyone who kills Cain will pay for it seven times over.” God put a mark on Cain to protect him so that no one who met him would kill him.” Genesis 4:13-15.
Why let him live? Why not strike Cain to the ground in one blow just as he had his younger brother who had done nothing wrong?
In War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy wrote, “The strongest of all warriors – time and patience.”
Was Cain's punishment a banishment? Worse than death? Or was it God’s way of showing us that one violent act does not have to lead to another. That through the strong warriors of time and patience, peace can be found. Time to heal, patience to overcome.
I don’t have any answers when it comes to the issue of violence affecting our world. But I do know that love is a stronger force. I do know that violence begets violence and that the only way to better a complex tension is time, patience, love, faith and trust. What takes more courage, to love your enemy? Or kill him?
It takes something divine. The divine himself.
Are you your brother's keeper? Who is your neighbour? This is a good place to start.
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