Genesis 4:1-16
It was unusual for my dad to tell me about a book he was reading, he read so many. He had a ravenous appetite for books of all kinds. Later in life, when we became friends, he shared more about books that spoke of the meaning of life, holiness and wholeness. Although my siblings might disagree, he was a good man, perhaps scarred by life's experiences and disappointments but he was a good man.
One book we spoke of was a book that concerned this very passage. It involved what 'the mark' was that God put on Cain. I do not recall the name of the book and I haven't been able to find any good Google results but here is the essence. The mark is that Cain was made white, as in Caucasian. This theory begins with the premise that we were all created as black men and women. This is quite amazing that my dad would even convey this. His time was one of racial inequality and bigotry. I am sad to say my dad was cursed by his own brand of bigotry. Had he lived longer, perhaps he would have seen the light. Be that as it may, the mere mentioning of this possibility to me shows his mind was opening and functioning. Again, a good man.
As evidence that this theory has merit, the author presented all the evils that have occurred in the world where the white man travelled. What happened to indigenous peoples in the Americas after the white man came? What diseases were foisted on poor unsuspecting Polynesians when the white man arrived?
It is an interesting theory, the idea of a mark being a total change of color. It hearkens back to that Star Trek episode of Bele and Lokai. I think the fact is when we harm one another in any way, we do mark ourselves. It is like a stain on our soul. It really may be totally invisible to others but somewhere deep inside we know we have damaged ourselves. We have not acted in concert with what we were created for. This mark inside makes us unhappy and dark and eventually we become something we ourselves may not even recognize. I suppose the idea of confession is a way to cleanse the soul. God really wants no harm to come to us in any way, his love for each one of us so intense. But the stain of sin however invisible is still there. We need to exercise caution and introspection in how we act, how we have acted.
Introspection, prayer, humility, forgiveness and forgiving ourselves are ways to take the 'mark' away. It needs to be done. To do this well, you might look at Ignatian spirituality. There are many paths to wholeness and perfection but walk the walk we must and hopefully, prayerfully, mark free.
One book we spoke of was a book that concerned this very passage. It involved what 'the mark' was that God put on Cain. I do not recall the name of the book and I haven't been able to find any good Google results but here is the essence. The mark is that Cain was made white, as in Caucasian. This theory begins with the premise that we were all created as black men and women. This is quite amazing that my dad would even convey this. His time was one of racial inequality and bigotry. I am sad to say my dad was cursed by his own brand of bigotry. Had he lived longer, perhaps he would have seen the light. Be that as it may, the mere mentioning of this possibility to me shows his mind was opening and functioning. Again, a good man.
As evidence that this theory has merit, the author presented all the evils that have occurred in the world where the white man travelled. What happened to indigenous peoples in the Americas after the white man came? What diseases were foisted on poor unsuspecting Polynesians when the white man arrived?
It is an interesting theory, the idea of a mark being a total change of color. It hearkens back to that Star Trek episode of Bele and Lokai. I think the fact is when we harm one another in any way, we do mark ourselves. It is like a stain on our soul. It really may be totally invisible to others but somewhere deep inside we know we have damaged ourselves. We have not acted in concert with what we were created for. This mark inside makes us unhappy and dark and eventually we become something we ourselves may not even recognize. I suppose the idea of confession is a way to cleanse the soul. God really wants no harm to come to us in any way, his love for each one of us so intense. But the stain of sin however invisible is still there. We need to exercise caution and introspection in how we act, how we have acted.
Introspection, prayer, humility, forgiveness and forgiving ourselves are ways to take the 'mark' away. It needs to be done. To do this well, you might look at Ignatian spirituality. There are many paths to wholeness and perfection but walk the walk we must and hopefully, prayerfully, mark free.
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, ‘I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.’ Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.’
Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out to the field.’ And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ He said, ‘I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?’ And the Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.’ Cain said to the Lord, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear! Today you have driven me away from the soil, and I shall be hidden from your face; I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who meets me may kill me.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Not so! Whoever kills Cain will suffer a sevenfold vengeance.’ And the Lord put a mark on Cain, so that no one who came upon him would kill him. Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
No comments:
Post a Comment