Brotherhood is broken almost from the very beginning of time. The primary thrust of brotherhood is unity among people.

The Lord God said: “It is not good that the man should be alone.” And so, from Adam’s rib, God made a woman, Eve. And they became one flesh.’’ (Genesis 2: 18, 24)

Almost immediately there came the first cleft or split — the original sin. Eve, tempted by the serpent, takes the forbidden fruit, eats, and gives the fruit to her husband. Hearing God and now knowing that they are naked, they hide. When God confronts Adam, Adam blames Eve. Eve blames the serpent. They refuse to take responsibility for their weakness and sin. God sends them forth from the garden, set apart from each other and separated from God.

Later, we see the brothers Cain and Abel. Out of jealousy, Cain sets his hand against his brother Abel and slays him. When God confronts Cain, he asks the Lord: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4: 9b).

And the Lord said to Cain: “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground… When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the Earth.” (Genesis 4: 10-12)

Brotherhood is broken. This is a great fragmentation.

In our world today, there is separation of man from man, woman from woman, a man from woman, rich from poor, mighty from meek. All over the world today we see violence, killing, war, and disregard for other nations. We see prejudice against people of colour, against the weak, against those who cannot walk or talk.

Brotherhood needs to be restored. There should be no separation among people. There will be no justice in this world without brotherhood, in which each one of us regards every man and every woman as brother and sister.

Jesus Christ brings true brotherhood.

Matthew sets forth the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David and son of Abraham. Jesus humbly becomes the child of a woman and is taken care of by a carpenter. He is a man among men. Jesus becomes a man like us and bonds us together. By Jesus’s incarnation, he is a brother of all of us; we are his brothers and sisters. He is not Father Jesus; he is Brother Jesus.

The spirit of true brotherhood is that of Jesus, who, unlike Cain, slays no man. Rather, Jesus sacrifices his life for the good of all. His very life is to be a repairer of the breach.

In the brotherhood of Jesus, there is oneness. All are bonded together in Christ. Christ is the culmination of the genealogy of a great race of people who are established to bring peace, which can only come about in true brotherhood, in right relationships among all people.

Peace comes about only as we treat every man as our own brother, every woman as our own sister, and every little child as our own child.

Brotherhood exudes fellowship with all people.

Very Rev Father Richard Ho Lung is founder of Missionaries of the Poor, 87 Hanover Street, PO Box 8525, Kingston CSO, Jamaica.

Tel: (876) 550-8987. Email: mopfounder81@gmail.com

Web: www.missionariesofthepoor.org

Richard Ho Lung