We have heard it from stage and screen, the accusation hurled by Cain towards his questioning God: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9) The Lord does not answer him. He doesn’t have to because the answer is so obvious. He is. We are too.

This is a hard role to play, but the very human loneliness of Genesis 2 that resulted in the creation of a second human, which led to the family, comes to a head in this fraternal drama. Wherever two or more human beings work or play or pray together, their humanity sets off counter vibrations. We are so alike and we see with such different eyes. This makes for both the joy and the pain of being human.

Cain and Abel are presented to us as rivals, with occupations that so often engendered animosity in the ancient world, that of the shepherd whose flocks grazed wherever there was grass, and that of the farmer who saw his fields being intruded upon. That rivalry reaches and ugly climax  in this story in which brother kills brother. We see the Lord searching for the murdered Abel and confronting Cain with his crime.

Jesus will urge us to take this to a new level by his recreating the human family so that all those trying to do the will of God are brothers and sisters and mothers to each other. In this way we do have some human responsibility for those who share the journey with us.

This might be the day to reflect upon our care of the earth for those who now walk it and for those who will come after, a day for contemplating our care of its resources and of ourselves insofar as fellow travelers in the human family.

Am I my brother’s keeper? Yes, I am, and what can I do for you today?