The terrorist attack on United States soil on September 11, 2001 changed the world in more ways than we could possibly count. One of its aftermaths was government’s effort to rally every citizen to becoming more security conscious and to help look after each other. The concept of community policing may have been in place before 9/11, but it gained more prominence after it. “If you see something say something”  is now a popular catch-phrase in America. If anybody makes a suspicious move public spirited individuals will wrest him to the ground. You cannot even joke with words that are security sensitive without being accosted. The sense in this is simple: watching over others is watching over yourself.

We are made to be our brother’s keeper. Those who fail in this assignment may find out sooner than later that they have become sufferers in their brother’s error.

In our passage for today Paul instructs us to seek the wealth or welfare of other people. Since we live in community whatever happens within that community will definitely have impact on the rest of us. A good example in the Bible is the story of Jonah in the ship during his rebellious, aborted trip to Tarshish. He alone disobeyed God, but everybody in the vessel were at the risk of losing everything, including their lives. Meanwhile, Jonah was sleeping while everyone panicked. Could they have said, “O, this man is deep asleep; he must be really tired. Don’t let’s disturb him”. That would not only be stupid but suicidal. They woke him up, and recruited him to join their corporate effort for solution. As far as life and living is concerned you cannot be indifferent to what is happening to your neighbours. We are made to be our brother’s keeper. Those who fail in this assignment may find out sooner than later that they have become sufferers in their
brother’s error.