March 1

 

Then Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out into the field! While they were there in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Gen. 4, 8

 

Dear Readers,

 

History always seems to repeat itself twice - the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce. This insight is said to origin from the German philosopher Karl Marx (1818 - 1883). The story of Cain and Abel has been repeated numerous times since then, until today. But it has always been a tragedy.

 

The story of the fratricide is reported in the very early part of the Bible. Outside of paradise this results in a terrible bloody deed. Cain is the man who knows exactly what is good and what is evil. But he chooses evil. Sin lurks outside his door, and Cain opens this door. God had commanded him to rule over sin. He should have clarified his relationship with God. Love for God and his brother should have guided his thoughts and actions. But he chooses to turn to sin.

 

"Man can not only resist sin, but he can also make room for sin in his life and prepare the way for it" (Dr. Hansjörg Bäumer). Cain even accelerates sin. He gets active. Cain seeks confrontation with his brother and lures him into a field. Far away from their parents, all alone, he meets there with the unsuspecting brother. He almost insidiously attacks Abel and beats him to death. The first murder in the Bible. The first assassination in history of mankind.

 

Theologian Bäumer writes: "Hate makes the world too narrow for two people. The one who hates the other wishes that this person may no longer live in the same world “. The one who hates does forget God. He makes himself divine and takes the right for himself to decide about life and death of his fellow human beings. He takes away the right from the Creator God: namely to decide about the life of a human being. In doing so, he crosses a line.

 

Even today in our times, people behave in this way. They take the right to decide about the life of their fellow human beings, their humanity brothers and sisters. They decide about life and death because they hate and have forgotten God.

 

Jesus Christ went through this suffering on the cross of Golgotha. His human brothers hated him. For him, the Son of God, there was no more space in their world. "Crucify him!" they shouted to Pilate. “Away” with the one who had healed them. Who had loved them. Who had shown them the way to heaven. Who had shown them day after day how much they were loved by God the Father.

 

We are witnessing in these days an outrageous violence against innocent people in Ukraine. Caused by hate, by self-importance. Please pray with me that this bloodshed will end quickly. Please pray for peace in Ukraine and in all Europe. But do not open your heart to new hate. Do not let the peace of God be stolen from your heart.

 

God bless you in spirit, soul and body. 

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