THE FAMILY ALTAR

September 25.

"And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel, thy brother?

And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" Gen. 4,9.

Does this searching question of God to Cain: "Where is thy

brother?" also concern us? How can we doubt it? For we know

how God in His holy and unchanging Law demands that we love

our neighbor as ourselves and should therefore in no wise hate or

harm him, but help and befriend him in all his needs of body

and soul. Let no one think that he can escape this searching

question of our just and holy God. He will bring all men's deeds

and acts toward their brothers to light one day, and will ask:

"Where is thy wife ? Where is thy husband ? Where are thy chil-

dren? Where is thy old father and mother? Where are thy ser-

vants, thy laborers, thy employers? Where are thy scholars?

Where are thy congregation-members? Where are the heathen for

whom thou oughtest to have prayed and to whom thou shouldst

have brought My saving Word ? Where is thy next-door neighbor ?"

Verily, none of us will have the courage to reply with Cain : "Am

I my brother's keeper?" For that is the question of a murderer,

and who would be willing to bring it over his lips? Many will

try to excuse their selfish indifference toward their relatives and

fellow-men by saying: "I had no time to bother about my brother

and neighbor. I had to look out for myself !" But that excuse

will not stand before God, whose unchangeable Law makes it our

sacred duty to know where our brother is and to be concerned

about his welfare. We all need to repent here and to seek forgive-

ness for our sins in the atoning blood of our Savior; for we all

have so often neglected the love we owe our neighbor. But may

His Holy Spirit daily arouse in us prayerful and helpful solicitude

for each other and for all dear souls united with us in the bonds

of blood or faith. Then, when on His great day He asks us:

"Where are the others ?" we can joyfully say : "Here, Lord ! By

Thy great mercy we have lost none."