And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? Genesis 4:9 KJV
This particular blog is more of a thought discerned from the above scripture.
Upon watching a program on TV years ago, this program portrayed African American children who had been through the foster care system in America. These children spoke of how they were adopted by good parents who encouraged them to go on to college and to a better life for themselves yet still with their thoughts of abandonment. The children spoke of how their birth parents were not there for them as some birth parents had gone off to jail or were no longer in their children’s lives actively. This TV program reminded me of a program I watched in the 70’s or 80’s where a young black male was abandoned by his parents. I heard nothing on either TV programs which spoke of family reconciliation of both foster, adoptive, and birth parents, their foster care or adoptive children, i.e., a potential village of support for these children, all parties coming together under God.
The question is “who prays, supports, ministers to or heals the foster care parents, birth parents, adoptive parents, and their families? Who is your brother?
Only negative comments were made by these children regarding their birth parents. Why were the foster care and adopted children not encouraged to pray, speak positive Words to, or minister to their birth parents in forgiveness by the children and their foster care parents, adoptive parents, minister or pastor. It is like foster care parents, adoptive parents, and birth parents and their foster care and adoptive children are aborted into their own individual components, i.e., good home, good family, family in Christ, bad home, jail, drug program, alcoholic program, and homes for runaways. The worldly system does not minister to foster care homes, adoptive homes, birth homes or let us not forget group homes. Only God heals.
Jesus healed, ministered to, and forgave individuals, families, church leaders, adulterers, publicans, sinners, Jews and Gentiles alike, i.e., people from all walks of life. We choose who we want to help. Who is your brother?
Unlike Cain, we need to get our hands dirty, and plant seeds of the teachings of Christ for everyone, African American, White, Asian, Native American, Hispanic, and whosoever.
I once had a pastor come to my slum landlord building years ago, knocking on my door, and asking me if I needed help, prayer, and who also invited me to his church. The laborers are few, but perhaps pastors and laymen need to knock on the doors in all of the ghettos in America be they African American ghettos, White ghettos, Asian ghettos, Native American ghettos or Hispanic ghettos, and not just for people in ghettos, but for people everywhere around the world. We need more laborers. Won’t you be one?
As for myself, I too need to know my neighbors and do more to seek out help for all families not yet in Christ as well as families in Christ.
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Brenda A. McGee has attended New York Theological Seminary in New York, NY, and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA as a Master of Divinity student.