brother's keeper

The biblical reference Obama made in his Democratic convention speech last fall, affirming that we are our brother's keeper, captured my imagination. There was something right about this message that seemed a departure from Cain's denunciation of personal responsibility ("I am not my brother's keeper") that characterizes our Country's recent past. It is time to depart from the climate of protecting our individual prosperity and embrace the responsibility of caring for our brothers.

But who should we count among our brothers? While my resources of natural compassion may encompass my own family and friends, I don't know if I would easily insist on being a "keeper" of anyone else. Clearly though, this call of "being our brother's keeper" must extend to those who do not have their own brothers. My initial thought was that we must become brothers with those outside our current kinship, for only if we adopt them into our "family" will we have the courage and compassion needed to help. Last night I was reflecting on the biblical Parable of the Good Samaritan whose help did not seem to be given on the condition of kinship. When asked who is our neighbor, and so I think by fair analogy, our brother, Jesus seemed to be saying the one who offers help. In usual Jesus fashion, he turns our societal assumptions on their heads, and encourages us to act like neighbors (or brothers) to those who are not a part of our family, even to those we have radical differences with.

We need a follow up call from our president challenging us both, to be our brother's keeper in this increasingly difficult economic time of providing for our own families, as well as to remember that our brother is not the government, but the person on the side of the street who may not look like our family. Ultimately though, the church needs to continue to call Christ's body to reject Cain's response and embrace the radical call of the good Samaritan. We are our brother's keeper.