“Am I my brother’s keeper?” There is a way of looking at the Bible as one long attempt to answer Cain’s question. Do I have any responsibilities toward others? And how big a circle do I need to include in my circle of care? Do I only need to love my family as Abraham did? or my tribe like the sons of Jacob? or my nation after the example of King David? What Israel found at the time of the exile was that, while they remained the Chosen People, God was the God of all people. This process culminated in Jesus redefining what it meant to be a brother. “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice” (Luke 8:21). Politicians miss the meaning of ordo amoris, the order of love, when they use the term to limit the circle of care. All human love is but a reflection of the love of God which is not limited at all but instead all embracing and all inclusive.
