brother’s keeper

Brother’s Keeper

Well, the plumber’s got a drip in his spicket 

The mechanic’s got a clink in his car

The preacher’s thinking thoughts that are wicked

And lover’s got a lonely heart.

My friend’s ain’t the way I wish they were,

They are just the way they are.

And I will be my brother’s keeper,

Not the one who judges him.

I won’t despise him for his weakness,

I won’t regard him for his strength.

I won’t take away his freedom,

I will help him learn to stand,

And I will be my brother’s keeper. . . 

Well, this roof has got a few missing shingles,

But at least we’ve got ourselves a roof.

You say that she’s a fallen angel,

I wonder if she recalls when she last flew.

There’s no point in pointing fingers,

Unless you’re pointing to the Truth.

And I will be my brother’s keeper,

Not the one who judges him.

I won’t despise him for his weakness,

I won’t regard him for his strength.

I won’t take away his freedom,

But I will help him learn to stand,

And I will be my brother’s keeper. . .

– Rich Mullins

Believing with all of my heart that the Lord does intend for all of us to be our brother’s keeper to the best of our ability,  there have been some absolutely heartbreaking high profile crimes against young women in my area recently that are troubling me on several levels.

One of them, the murder of Aniah Blanchard, I have already written about.

Now there has been another – a bright compassionate beautiful 31 year old woman – that was domestic in nature and equally horrifying.

There is a commonality in these tragedies that is just disturbing me to no end, particularly since I saw this posted yesterday, regarding the murder of Megan Montgomery.

The statement that she looked terrified but they just assumed it was because she was “going behind her husband’s back?”

Really?

This, after a witness watched Aniah be abducted and ALSO did nothing?

Our entire STATE has JUST had the “if you see something, say something” conversation – and, if a man grabs a  woman and she looks terrified, the police need to sort that situation – ESPECIALLY if it’s her husband or partner, as that is, in fact, the most likely person to harm her.

This unwillingness to act MUST stop.

Two young women aren’t going home again – and both times someone could have called for help.

In Megan’s situation, FIVE other people could have called for help.

Yet no one did.

I cannot imagine the pain of her family – and I have so much more to say about all that I have read and seen that she went through.

But, for now? Please be your brother’s keeper.

Sometimes, you are their only hope in a desperate situation.