A few weeks ago, I ended with the questions, “What did happen to ‘the grand old sweeping concept of sin?’” and “In both Hebrew Bible and New Testament, what does God say?”
This is what I wrote 27 years ago. It applies today. First, from Genesis 4:2b-16:
“‘Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.’
“Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out to the field.’And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel? He said, ‘I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?’ And the Lord said, ‘What have you done?’”
In 1994, I commented:
“Immediately, the biblical narrative shows, God asks, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ Here, Cain is offered a … chance to strive with the evil in his heart….(instead) He … flings back an insolent retort, ‘I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?’”
Few of us read ourselves into this story. But God does. We figure we have not killed anyone, much less a brother, so it is not about us. But it is.
Few of us own up to responsibility for looking out for anybody else outside our family. But the Hebrew word translated “keep” means “to protect from harm” in the original Hebrew text. God gives to Adam and Eve the responsibility to “till and to keep” the garden, to cultivate it and to protect it from harm. That means all of it, and all of us, for all time. Cain’s sarcastic retort to Almighty God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” brings an emphatic, resounding “Yes!” from the creator, our judge, to us all.
God replies to our 2021 questions with the same answer. It is ”Yes!” God commands that we be our brother’s keeper in every action that we undertake. In every situation.
We are in a situation of crisis and responsibility now, this global pandemic of COVID-19 and the delta variant sickening our children. Some children have died. My elder daughter, who lives in the Research Triangle, texted me that both Duke Hospital and UNC Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill have ICUs completely full now, filled with children suffering from the delta variant. No pediatric ICU beds remain in our state’s major university hospitals for children who contract the delta variant of the virus. Other hospitals across the country are also filling up with very sick people, and a growing number are young children. What worse can befall us?
Are we the keepers of these precious children? Yes, we are. By God’s blessed, loving, almighty command, we are.
Be immunized. Do your part to keep the harm of COVID-19, and the variants, away from our neighbor, and away from our children who cannot be immunized. They are back at school unvaccinated. Do your part to stop this virus. Be a gatekeeper for the children; keep the invader out. More children could die. Keep them from harm, by securing the lock and keeping the killer out. Take the vaccine. We are their keepers. Let us be the gatekeepers who protect them from harm.
Please wear your face mask. Please get your shots. Please be vaccinated. It is the right thing to do. I repeat. It is the right thing to do.
We are, by Almighty God’s decree, our brother’s keeper. This is more than a PSA. It is God’s righteous, loving command and holy will. The core of all sin, the driving force, of the “grand old sweeping concept of sin,” is idolatrous self-centeredness, expressed in cold refusal of answerability, in refusal of caring responsibility, for others. We are created to be our brother’s keeper, and to build together, with God the Holy Spirit, His kingdom on earth, for God’s glory and honor, and our blessing.
Gatekeepers, let us protect our children from harm.
All praise and glory to God our creator, judge and redeemer.
Thanks be to God.