"Am I my brother's keeper?" is an age-old question raised when someone wants to declare that it is none of their business what happens to their brother or neighbor. The question is not really a question but a statement that declares, "I don't know what or how my brother is doing, I'm not responsible for anything he is doing, and I really don't care how he is doing."
That seems to be the flavor of the day every day for those who declare that their riches are theirs and theirs alone, and that everyone else (their "brother") merely has to pull themselves up by the boot straps in order to gain anything in life. Nevermind that their riches are often built on the backs of consumers (brothers) who will never afford the life of luxury experienced by those at the very top of the pyramid. Furthermore, with no one filling out the bottom level, there wouldn't even be anything in place to support the top.
Even more disheartening is that some who claim to be Christian have somehow overlooked or outright ignored God's instructions to us regarding how we are to look out for the poor and our neighbors and persons from other countries.
Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God....Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight...When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:10, 13, 33)
Contrary to prevailing capitalist views, God has made it clear that we are, indeed, our brothers' keepers. The life God has blessed us with is not an every man for himself rat race where only the strong survive. It's a one for all and all for one situation, exemplified most poignantly by Jesus' death on the cross--one man dying for all to have access to the One.
God also declares to us that we are to show hospitality to aliens or strangers because we all were once aliens. How quickly and conveniently have we forgotten that, except for Native Americans, every other "American" is here as the result of an alien (many illegally) that came or were brought here to what was foreign soil centuries ago.
Let us never forget that we cannot serve two masters--God and money--or we will love one and despise the other. We see that at work in our relentless drive to acquire the most money and the most toys with no regard for those whose circumstances do not lead them to the road of financial or material success.
The current state of the economy is now opening eyes and ears that were once blind and deaf to the plight of those less fortunate. Now, we have former loan officers facing foreclosures themselves, and consequently coming clean about the dirty tactics they once used to lure and trap people into bad loans. Now the lenders and the borrowers are both suffering and in need of compassion.
And, now we can see that some people are suffering financially, not because they were lazy, greedy or irresponsible, but because they were not financially savvy enough to sort through the double-talk of those who knew exactly what pipe dreams they were selling. The last time I checked, fraud was considered a crime, not naivete.
Perhaps now those of us who call on the name of the Lord will return to His Word for guidance that will help us weather this financial storm. Perhaps the storm will finally begin to lift after more persons repent and come clean about their roles in "defrauding their neighbor or robbing him." (v. 13)
God not only holds us accountable for how we treat our neighbors, He also has clear expectations regarding how we treat those who are foreign. How many Christian political officials keep Leviticus 19:33-34 in mind when addressing our current immigration challenges? From the looks of things, not enough. How many even look to Leviticus 19:14, "Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, fear your God. I am the Lord" when considering accessibility issues? The part of that verse that says, "fear your God" says that God is intensely serious about how we treat persons who are disabled or differently-abled.
At the end of the day family and friends, there is no way around it. Yes, we know that God, the Great I AM, is ultimately our brother's and everyone's keeper. But, according to God's Word, not only is "I AM" my brother's keeper, but I am, too.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
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