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Once upon a time there were two little boys. They were both basically good little boys, but as boys like to do, they would run far and wide finding “interesting” places to play. Little Jimmy liked to play in the woods. Little Bobby liked to play in the fields, especially where there was lots of dirt. Jimmy would always bring interesting things from the woods home to show his parents. One time he brought an injured chipmunk which he nursed back to health. At other times he would bring home bouquets of beautiful woodland flowers for his mother. In the fall of the year, he gathered a beautiful collection of colored leaves. Bobby also brought home gifts for his parents. One time he brought home a mud pie which he had made. Another time he brought home a crude car he had fashioned from the clay. He found all kinds of snakes, bugs and worms and he was always bringing some of them home to show his parents. As time went on, it seemed like the parents always liked Jimmy’s gifts better than Bobby’s gifts. This was really upsetting to Bobby and he began to brood about it. He would even say sometimes to his parents, “How come it is you always like Jimmy’s presents and you just throw mine out? Yesterday you put Jimmy’s flower on the dinner table and you threw my mud pie in the trash.” And his parents assured him that his mud pie was every bit as special as Jimmy’s flower. But it sure didn’t seem that way to Bobby. One day Jimmy came to see Bobby in the field where he was playing. They got into a terrible fist fight. Bobby was a little bigger than Jimmy and he began to hit Jimmy pretty hard. Jimmy started to cry but Bobby just kept hitting him. Suddenly Jimmy fell to the ground, striking his head against a large, sharp rock. Jimmy was very quiet. Bobby ran crying to his parents. They called an ambulance, but it was too late. Jimmy had died. The parents asked Bobby, “What happened? Why did you fight with Jimmy? Why did you hit him so hard?” Amidst his tears, Bobby in great fear said, “Why do you ask so many questions? Jimmy could always take care of himself before. He brought you many things which you liked very much. When did you ever tell me I was supposed to be his babysitter?” I expect that many of you will recognize the story I have just told you as an updated version of a story you learned in Sunday school. It is the story of Cain and Abel and as such it is one of the oldest stories in the Bible. From the very beginning, we who share the Judeo-Christian faith have learned that we are responsible for one another. This is a negative story, to be sure. Yet, all the same, it makes an early impression on our consciousness that not only are we to not do anything to hurt other persons, but as children of God we are to care for, help and watch out for one another. Even as we acknowledge that we know what God expects of us, we also recognize that we still are trying to learn the lesson which Cain (Bobby) learned so long ago. Time and again throughout the Bible, the lesson of Cain is lifted up in both positive and negative ways to keep reminding us that as children of God and followers of our Lord Jesus we are called to love and care for one another. Perhaps you have never made the connection, but the image of the watchman in our first lesson today is another occasion on which God reminded his people that they were responsible for one another. In this case the responsibility is given to the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel lived in a time when the people were flaunting their disobedience against God and his ways. Early in the book of Ezekiel the prophet describes his role for Israel as being that of a watchman. He was to warn the people of their sins and that, if they did not repent, they would be overrun by the enemy and die or be carried into exile. If Ezekiel did as God asked him to do and the people did not respond, then God would not hold him responsible for their disobedience. However, if Ezekiel, as the watchman, failed to deliver the warning, then he would receive punishment for failing to be the watchman God had asked him to be. Ezekiel was faithful as the watchman. He saw the evil in the people’s lives and the approaching Babylonians. He warned them of what would happen if the people did not repent. Of course, as we know, they did not. And our text today is his second reference to being a watchman. It occurs just before Jerusalem is destroyed and the people are killed or carried into exile. It seems that Ezekiel repeats his warning so as to remind the people that just because they are about to experience the judgment of God and be carried into exile, that in no way removes from them the responsibility to repent of their sins and return to living the way God wants them to live. In this case God makes one person, the prophet, responsible for the moral actions of the many, the people of Jerusalem. At other times it falls to everyone as it began in the Cain and Abel story. Imagine if each of you were tied by a rope to the person next to you. Imagine further, if I had you tie yourself together to the persons on both sides of you, so that we were all tied together in one long line. In reality that’s what it means to be a child of God and live in the community of people who trust Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are all responsible for the lives and actions of one another. When our sister or brother sins, we all are tarnished by that sin. When a sister or brother lives out her or his faith in a way that many see the love of God, all of us have reason to rejoice. We do note that in our text where God appoints Ezekiel to be the watchman that God does add something that was not in the Cain and Abel story. We are finally not responsible for the actions of others if we have shown our care and responsibility faithfully. The trouble is that most of us quit far too soon. We warn our children two or three times and then we “lower the boom.” In the church, we feel some responsibility for others, but far too often we see others’ troubles as their problems alone. As I interpret what God says to Ezekiel and in other places throughout the Bible, our responsibility continues in some way or another throughout our lives. We are continually called upon to find ways to show that we care, to try to help our erring sisters and brothers see that God’s way of forgiveness and love is a better way. So imagine that a string binds you. In a very real way as you go forth in the name of Jesus and promise to live for him every day, it is always with you. Yes, you are your sister’s/brother’s keeper. Every time a sister or brother is hurt or hurts someone else, you hurt, your life is less than what God intended it. How can you go on? Only in a daily walk of faith. When you stay close to Jesus, you can know that though your life is daily beset by the pangs and arrows of other persons who are not living God’s way, your life is safe in him. Part of that life is living with and through the pain of being responsible for others. But another bit part is knowing that you can live and be strengthened in God’s forgiveness, love, mercy, kindness, faithfulness, joy and peace. When you know the fruits of these gifts, then you will be able to care and love others for all of the days God gives you. Amen.