I keep hearing about the wrongs of the past. Since the very beginning there has been injustice driven by the motivations of man. Cain and Abel, in the Christian tradition being the first example of that. Then there is the parable of the prodigal son, another injustice in the eyes of his brother. I’ve read about the many wars of the past, of mans aggression towards his fellow man. So much injustice, such inequity and lack of empathy. All of that needs to be atoned for.

Cain, when questioned about the whereabouts of Abel responded with, am I my brothers keeper? He said that in an attempt to escape responsibility for what he had done. We are responsible for the way we treat others in a moral and ethical sense. But, many interpret that quite differently in these modern times as meaning the exact opposite. We are not responsible for whatever others do. We are not responsible for that. We are not our brothers keepers! It seems like a bit of a quandary doesn’t it? We certainly have no control over the past so how can we be held responsible for that? It was just wrong, no changing that.

The thing is, when Cain was questioned, he was indeed responsible for the past. That’s the difference. I am indeed my brothers keeper, responsible for the manner in which I treat my fellow man. I am not responsible for the past. Our modern legal system is based on a biblical premise, the sins of the father is not the sin of the son. I am not responsible for that.

We created a Republican form of government attempting to right the wrongs of the past. The method of doing so is in our constitution and all the amendments to that document. The 12th, 13th and 14th amendments are perhaps the most significant amendments. The 13th amendment abolished slavery, ending that forever. The United States of America didn’t create that institution, we abolished it! That was our responsibility, our acceptance of guilt, it is all we could do. We couldn’t just, take it back, erase it altogether from memory, just promise to never do that again.

In our legal system today what is the goal? When it comes to “making someone whole again” it is awarding financial restitution. You are not to be given anything more than what makes you whole again. In short, you can’t wreck a Pinto and get a Rolls Royce in return. Equal justice under the law. Is justice always punitive? Although most believe it is, it most certainly is not. Procedural justice ensures everyone receives equal treatment and transformative justice seeks to address the problem that caused the injustice in the first place, not necessarily an individual. You can’t change the past, only attempt to improve the future.

Am I my brothers keeper? Yes, in the sense I am responsible for whatever I do that effects others, I am indeed their keeper. I can inspire others, motivate others and cause others to react in any number of ways. You might say, in todays terminology, a social influencer. Jesus was a social influencer, so was Jim Jones. Both were their brothers keepers. It is a personal responsibility, it can not be legislated. Whatever wrongs I have committed can never be changed, at best they can be forgiven. I alone am responsible for that. I alone should pay the price.