MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

I think about this a lot: Am I my brother's keeper?  

You know that sentence comes from the Bible, right? Here is the quote:

And the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel thy brother?” And Cain said, “I know not. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And the Lord said, “… The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” – The Bible, Genesis 4:8-10

And you know that Cain had killed his brother, right? The implication here, it seems to me, is clear: We are all our brother's keeper. At least up to a point. That's where it gets complicated.

Obviously, I would think twice, or three times, before sacrificing my own life to save that of a total stranger, especially another old man. Or a criminal, if I was sure he was a criminal.

I have had students who have been trained to be life guards, in swimming pools and on the beach. If they see an old person and a child drowning, and they only have time to save one, which are they supposed to save? What is the right thing to do?

Save the child, of course.

But how far do we go? Would you send your only son, or daughter, to risk his or her life in Afghanistan, or Iraq, or Libya? I'd have to think twice. Or three times.

Obviously, we can't save the whole world, and when you take life guard training, as I have, too, they tell you, "The last thing we want is two dead people out there."

We don't want to be too selfish here, on the one hand, but on the other hand, we don't want to throw away innocent lives when we could save them, especially at no risk to ourselves.

These can be hard choices, at times, and it's hard to predict what you would do. My own philosophy is to keep an eye out for my neighbors and my fellow man, and to protect my family every time.

I haven't had to run in front of a bus to save a stranger's child yet, but the time may come. You never know.

© Copyright 2011, Roger R. Angle