Editorial May 10, 1919 ISSUE

"Am I my brother's keeper?"

Ella W. Hoag

After Cain had slain his brother Abel, there began immediately the settling of his account with God. Instantly he was faced with his deed, and the wrong he had committed was followed by an attempt on his part at self-protection and self-justification. When information was demanded of him as to his brother's whereabouts, he repudiated all knowledge of his brother and then asked the question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" intending thereby to imply that he was entirely without duty so far as his brother was concerned. We all know how quickly and unmistakably God made it plain to Cain that such a position was totally wrong. The measure which fell to him as the effect of his sin was so over-whelming that he cried out, "My punishment is greater than I can bear." Through all the ages since this question with its effort at self-justification was launched upon the human consciousness, it has been knocking at the door of thought. Some in their efforts at self-establishment, forgetting the experience of Cain, still seem to regard it as the legitimate response to every wrong they may perpetrate against another; but the larger portion of mankind is to-day awakening to see that the question has a different aspect and is reaching out to find what, in all sincerity and honesty, the answer should be.

The demonstration of Christ Jesus gave this answer to the world and he defined its method in the two commandments: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," and "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;" and again when he said, "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Although Jesus' demonstration of obedience to these commands was a perfect one and so proved for all time that man's paramount necessity, as well as duty, is a perfect love for God and man, it was not until the revelation of Christian Science was given to the world that this demonstration was made completely possible to all men. Jesus himself said the world would not understand his teachings and his proof of them until the Comforter should come. In divine Science we find this Comforter, as Jesus promised, teaching all things and bringing all things which he has said to remembrance, thereby showing plainly the way of obedience to those teachings.

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May 10, 1919
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