12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.
Today’s Reading 1 John 3:11-18
We are a society that likes to blame someone else for what is happening. Listen to the political saga that gets played out at every news conference around the world. You almost never hear “It was my fault.” Instead, excuses and finger-pointing are the norm. John has a way of cutting through the crap. He writes that Cain, of Cain and Able fame (Gen 4), did what he did because his actions were evil. In our politically correct climate, we can’t say that someone’s actions are evil. We get labeled a bigot if we do. “Intolerant” is the accusation that gets thrown our direction. When Cain killed his brother Able in cold blood, that was evil. Period! We don’t have to debate or excuse his mental state. He did an evil thing. His actions were evil. Maybe his jealousy played a factor, but he still did evil and was punished. There are hundreds of millions of people today following a prophet whose core message includes hating those who are not like them, who refuse to submit. We can call that evil! Thankfully the core message of Jesus is love. God loved us. We must love each other. We must love our enemies, even if they do evil against us. We are responsible for our actions; no excuses are allowed. Are your actions lining up with your claims of faith? Is your life consistent with what happens on Sunday morning, Saturday night, Tuesday at lunch? If not, then start right now. Tell the Lord what you have done wrong, and then start doing what is right. Stop giving excuses. Accept responsibility for your life. Serve the Lord.
The Arnold Journey 