Sometimes in interacting with people or just thinking about the lives of people I know, I just start to feel like this is a world of hurt people hurting people. Whether it's in little teases or massive wars and genocide, I wonder if there isn't some truth in this living this side of Eden. I'll just leave you with a passage that's maybe worth thinking about.
It's an earthy story you've heard before but this time, think about innocence and frailty- about rejection, about hurt. And then think about the response to all of this and how Genesis is a book of, among other things, repeated mistakes.
These two were real men, with names, hair, clothes, homes, parents, dreams aspirations. When you read, try to give them that dignity- more than just words on a page.
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
(Genesis 4:1-12 ESV)
