Those Who Will Not See

There's an old English proverb that says:

"There are none so blind as those who will not see.

That of course echoes Jeremiah 5:21 (KJV)

Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not."

Reading a post last week on the blog Emotional Abuse and Your Faith these thoughts came to mind in sad and scary ways. Hannah talked about the awful tragedy sort of redeemed of the young woman kidnapped 18 years ago and held in captivity in her captors backyard. People knew something wasn't right. People knew a sex offender was living with children:

[A 33 year old woman} whose mother lives on their street, said she knew Phillip Garrido was a sex offender and that he had children living with him. Other neighbors knew, too, but they assumed police were keeping tabs on him.

"He never bothered any one, he kept to himself," Adams said. "What would we have done? You just watch your own."

She goes on with the money quote that shakes me up- and it should.

It makes me wonder how many other people are in similar situations under people's noses that they don't want to get involved in. How many others KNOW of molesters having children in their homes, and NOT wishing to call the police. We need to just WATCH our own!

Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil! isn't working.

No, this isn't a modern problem. It has been real for years- even back to the Biblical days.

• Jesus reminds us that the neighbor is the one to love as oneself.
• The work of the Kingdom is as much to the stranger as the friend.
• All the way back in Genesis 4, embedded in the very creation story that shows the world as it is we are caught up short- the comfortable being afflicted as God seeks to remind us that we are to comfort the afflicted not make excuses or turn the other way.The words of Cain become their own judgment:

And the Lord said unto Cain, where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

God's clear answer is implied in the question itself.

Why yes. Of course you are!

You can't- and shouldn't- just "watch your own."