Location, Location, Location - Cain

Where is your brother? 

In the plethora of biblical stories that mirror our current culture, surely one seems more relevant than other.  If so, I'd like to nominate the story of Cain & Abel.  The story of two brothers in the same family, each unique and each in relationship with the Creator.  Both have a heart to please Him, and each chose different means for doing so.  

Abel offered a sacrifice of the firstborn of his flock. Cain brought a sacrifice of his harvest here and there.  God accepted Abel's offering. Cain's He did not, and Cain didn't take that very well.   

Some well-respected Bible scholars will tell you Abel's was accepted because it was a blood sacrifice where Cain's wasn't.  I believe the truer principle here is with regard to a first fruits offering. Abel gave God the firstborn, his first fruits offering, and Cain gave "in the course of time" - a little here and there.  

We all know how the story goes - Cain kills Abel.  Even after a stern and understanding warning from the Creator to master sin rather than be overtaken by it, Cain just couldn't separate his own responsibility to God from his need to be right or better than his brother.  

Sound familiar?  Disagreeing people acting disagreeable, angry, ugly, unholy, full of self-promoting violence?  It's our world.  We live in an age when it is not only fully acceptable to sacrifice people over our opinions, it’s expected.  Cutting people out of your life is applauded. But scripture is still true, hating someone is the same as murder.  Hating someone is the same as Cain and Abel - sin, my friend, is still "crouching at the door." (Genesis 4:7)  

As followers of Christ, we don't get the luxury of ostracizing anyone we do not walk in lockstep with.  And here's why... they are a soul that God deeply loves and wants to enjoy fellowship with. They are a life, and every life has in its core eternity. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)  Their soul weighs in the balance, and so does yours.

If I had a dime for every person I know with a family estrangement or heartbreak, I could retire.  I have my own that, for the life of me, I don't know how to repair except through prayer.  So when God comes to me and asks, "where is your brother?" as He did with Cain, I know my responsibility is before God to love and not hate, to be open to reconciliation not continue estrangement, to value life and pray for their soul.  

Where is your brother? Is there an amends that needs to be made or a prayer that needs to be said?  Romans 12:18 encourages us this way, 

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."

And when it's not possible, we value life.  We pray.   

PS - If we are estranged, I'm sorry it came to this, but the door is always open, dialogue is always welcome.  You're loved and missed.