My Brother’s Keeper

Dear Younger Me,

The Bible is a a rather tragic book. From chapter 3 of Genesis onward, it is filled with stories of sin and death. One of the most heart-shattering is the story of Cain killing his brother Abel. After Cain hid his brother’s body in field, he just went about his day as if nothing happened. God asked him, “Where is your brother?” And Cain, trying to cover up his evil deed, replied flippantly, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” That flippant reply not only betrayed his uncaring attitude toward his brother, but also reveals our own.

We live in a day where our fight for individual freedom and personal responsibility forces us to focus selfishly on ourselves and ignore the needs of our brothers and sisters. While we don’t have murderous blood on our hands, when God asks us about our brothers and sisters, we give the reply as Cain — “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

To answer our own question, “Yes, in God’s family, we are all intended to be our brother’s keeper.” This is the essence of the second commitment of being a good member of a local church. The “R” in the acronym “BRAVE” stands for Responsibility. We are each responsible for one another, or at least we should be.

Hebrews 10:24 (our theme verse) begins by exhorting us to be active in taking responsibility for each other’s spiritual well-being and growth.

“And let us consider how to spur one another on toward love and good deeds…”

There’s a lot of wisdom packed into that sentence. Let me try to break down that verse word by word.

“Us” signifies that this is a job for everyone. It is to be a collaborative effort done by the people, not just the clergy.

“Consider” requires thought, planning, and intentionality.

“Spur” can also be translated as “provoke,” or literally “to jab or prod with a stick.” Spurring your brothers and sisters on isn’t nicey-nice easy work. It’s hard, deliberate work that is sometimes painful.

“One another” denotes a mutual relationship. I help you and you help me. That we are involved in each other’s life to the extent that we need each other to grow.

“Toward love and good deeds” shows that the fruit is both internal and external. The results of these relationships is not only surface level outward behavioral modification, but also deep internal transformation of the heart.

We are all clear about what the Bible is asking us to do. It’s not rocket surgery. But if these instructions are so plainly clear, then why don’t we put them into action? Why don’t we apply them in our interactions with one another in real life? Why don’t we take responsibility for one another?

I believe that in order to get back to follow the examples and exhortations of the Bible, we need to make the unpopular decision of going against our cultural expectations and embrace becoming not only our brother’s keeper, but also his friend, equipper, and encourager.

So dear Younger Me, invest yourself in the lives of others. Take responsibility for the spiritual growth of those around you. Be active and intentional about helping them grow in their love for God and their neighbors. Embrace the challenge of being your brother’s keeper. This will take effort and intentionality. I guarantee that you will be thankful that you listened to my advice.

Just trust me,

Your Future Self