Crackheads Need Love Too

Excerpt from Segment Four: We ARE Our Brother’s Keeper

A few years back I did my first teaching entitled, “Am I My Brother’s Keeper.” Not knowing that even then I was being prepared for something in my future. There is a familiar story in the Bible of Cain, the firstborn of Adam and Eve and his brother Abel. For those who do not know it, let me fill you in.

In the book of Genesis, the fourth chapter speaks about Cain being the tiller of the ground while Abel was the keeper of the sheep. The time came for Cain to bring forth his first fruits from the ground and Abel to bring forth the firstlings of his flock before the Lord. The Lord accepted Abel’s offering, but did not accept what Cain presented. Ultimately as a result Cain slew his brother out of jealousy, selfishness and bitterness. When the Lord said to Cain in Genesis 4:9, “Cain, where is Abel thy brother?” Cain responded, “I know not: Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” Then in verses 10-13: the Lord asks, “What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and vagabond thou shalt be in the earth and Cain said unto the Lord my punishment is greater than I can bear.”

The tragedy in the story of Cain and Abel was not that he had an addiction. That is not the point I am making. What is tragic is because Cain was the older brother he was responsible for his younger brother. Like Cain, those of us that are more spiritually mature are responsible for those that are not. Instead he allowed his feelings of entitlement and self-centeredness to cause him to kill his own brother.

So many times those who have a little status, money, prestige and those who have more knowledge want to hoard it for themselves instead of using it to help someone else. They tend to look down upon those they feel are beneath them for any of the reasons mentioned above and more. We should never want to find ourselves in the place of kicking or killing our brother or sister who is already down and hurting. Now Abel was not down or hurting, but he was younger and less mature. However the purity of his offering was the reason God accepted it, without the motives and agendas Cain had, but you know what I am going to say, (a topic for ANOTHER BOOK!)

What does this have to do with anything? Well I hope that you’re not sincerely asking yourself that question. But, if you are, the answer is not that hard. Getting back to those with addictions, obsessions, fetishes, mental disorders: whatever they are calling it these days, it is our responsibility to help those that have lost their way no matter what the reason may be. We cannot pick and choose who we help and we really cannot sit and feel like our addiction is any better than theirs even if it is “just” shopping or eating baby powder.

If we did not know that all wrongdoing is sin and anything done excessively which is what an addiction is, is sin in the sight of God before this, we know now. So whatever little scale you have created in your mind to make you feel you are any better than anyone else, now is the time to erase it. We must humble ourselves and understand we are brothers and sisters and it is our responsibility to help one another: we are our brother’s keeper!

So the next time you see a “crackhead” ask them if they know God loves them. Offer your love, your time, your compassion, your food, a hotel for a night, something. It doesn’t have to be money, especially if you know it is going to be used for the wrong reason, but offer them something that will change their lives for the better. Now notice I said crackhead, but I am referring to any hurting individual pretending they are ok and hiding behind whatever thing it is they do constantly for comfort from their pain in the place of seeking God.

We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 15:10 that it is only because of God’s grace that we are who we are, in our right mind. And it is that same grace with which we should recognize God desires to use us saved by His grace to help save a lost, wondering, and dying soul.

If you don’t currently battle with an addiction, there’s nothing so special about you, it is only the grace of God. God may not have permitted certain situations to occur in your life that could have pushed you to the same crossroad and unfortunate choice another person made to pull them into whatever addiction they suffer from. And understand they suffer because after the initial choice and being lured back over and over it becomes an illness, a mental illness that can also lead to physical disease and further illness.

Maybe you once had an addiction and NOW you are free. OK! It’s still the grace of God. We are commissioned to love thy neighbor as thyself. So maybe your addiction was not as severe … it doesn’t matter it still is or was an addiction. And would you or did you not want someone to help you while you were going through?

Another thing we must stop saying you can’t help those who won’t help themselves. Many times people come into the church and leave out unchanged because they are too ashamed, too prideful to ask for help, or just plain out don’t have the knowledge coupled with understanding. That does not mean they don’t want help. Just the mere fact that they came once or maybe asked you a few questions may represent cries for help that we who are wise must discern. A person is not going to always tell you they have a problem. Sometimes they are just hoping you will know or be curious enough to ask them or show them you are concerned about their well-being. If and when we fail at this assignment we just as well kill them ourselves as Cain did Abel because their blood will be on our hands, spiritually speaking.

God will hold us accountable when we see someone lost and suffering and refuse to offer our help and then sincerely help them. When we don’t, we aid in their death and destruction.