Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Genesis 4:9
“Starvation cannot be argued with: the gaunt spectre cannot be laid by speeches and resolutions. We must share our abundance of bread with the hungry. We are a great brotherhood, children of Him who our ancestors called the All-Father, and it is not for us to ask the old question of Cain, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892) in Day’s Collacon, compiled and arranged by Edward Parsons Day (New York: IPPO, 1884) 892.
In abundance, God has supplied more than enough food for everyone, but not everyone has enough because humans don’t share as brothers and sisters. The result is death and starvation.
As Sammy and I track down rare cutthroat and redband trout in the Northwest, many such as the Humboldt Cutthroat struggle to survive because their habitat has been poisoned by mining and trampled by uncontrolled cattle grazing.
Our stewardship impacts both our brothers and sisters as well the creation in which God has placed us. We are both our brother’s keeper and stewards of creation (cf. Genesis 2:15). Bad stewardship results in starvation. Sharing brings life.
To take a peek into the world of this troubled trout, check out: Humboldt Cutthroat Trout Fly Fishing.