Article March 8, 1941 Issue

"Am I my brother's keeper?"

CHARLOTTE RUTH DECKER

ACCORDING to the Biblical narrative, Cain, who had slain his brother Abel, because of envy, jealousy, and hatred, when questioned, replied with another question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Honest thinkers in the world today may well ask themselves, "How far am I responsible for my brother; for his welfare?"

Jesus, after rebuking hypocrisy and love of personal power, said to his hearers: "All ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." On another occasion he said, "Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." Christian Science elucidates these statements, for it teaches that in reality all are God's beloved children. Mary Baker Eddy in applying this truth to human needs in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" writes (p. 340), "One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, 'Love thy neighbor as thyself;' annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed."

We must realize the truth about God and man, and act accordingly. We must hold in our consciousness the true concept of man. How do we see our brother? It often seems difficult to distinguish between the real man and what mortal mind suggests about man as material, but we can and must see the true selfhood of all as spiritual, and love that which reflects God.

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