2 BOCNEWS.com MARCH 2019 Hello There…. I hope you are enjoy- ing this series as much as I am enjoying reflecting on some of the behavioral characteristics of Biblical characters. In this column let’s consider Cain and Able. Remember, they were the first and second offspring of the male and female part of Adam. The lesson relative to these two brothers has many dimensions. The one I choose to share is the fact that both wanted to please God…. Cain could not get it right and was jealous of Able. Remember when they both wanted to make an offer- ing to God. God had instructed both regarding how to offer a pleasing sac- rifice. Able follows the instructions but Cain decides to do his own thing. God’s instruction was that the sac- rifice should be a blood sacrifice that required the killing of an animal. Perhaps Cain thought this was just too gruesome. Perhaps, he consid- ered it in such poor taste to be cruel to animals. Whatever the reason, Cain decides to offer fruits and vegetables instead. Perhaps he thought, surely God would appreciate this offering. Surely God will realize the error of God’s ways when God sees the wisdom in the offering I am giving. It just makes sense. When God honors Abel’s sacrifice, Cain gets jealous…so jealous that he takes the matter out of God’s hands and into his hands, killing his brother Abel. When God inquires of Cain regard- ing the whereabouts of his broth- er Abel, Cain, responds….”Am I my brother’s keeper?” Of course the truth is known and Cain is left to wander aimlessly physi- cally scarred for life. While many of us will never be found guilty of the crime of “Murder in the First Degree,” I wonder how many of us mimic Cain in our hearts and minds. How many of us, decide not to listen to the still small voice that haunts us to behave in certain ways? When we choose improvisation, doing things our way, how many of us get jealous or otherwise upset when someone else responds to their still small voice and receives honor? How many of us commit social acts of murder when this happens by degrading the honor of the obedient…. perhaps finding other faults in them, all the way to being outrightly rude to them. How many of us are challenged with the validity of performing God’s way? How many of us like Cain believe that perhaps we know better than God regarding what God requires? How many of us couple our acts of vengeance toward our obedient sisters and brothers with acts of denial? How many of us reject responsibil- ity asking the question, “Why should I care or be responsible for what I did to my brother?” When we decide to do things our way, getting upset when someone else chooses to obey the will of God, remember we are in Good company. The metaphor of the first-born son of the male and female part of Adam did just that. When we go there, asking the same question that a murderer asked when being sarcastic with God, we are in Good company. My prayer is that we will not go down fighting the losing battle of sar- casm with God. My prayer is, when we fall in the trap of emotional jealou- sy and murder, that we own this real- ity, to avoid being scared with guilt. If Cain had come clean, instead of denying responsibility for his action, his life could have been so different. When we deny responsibility for our wrong doing we are in good company. However, when we own responsibility we are in the best of company….we are reconciled with God. From a therapeutic perspective, even today….confession is GOOD FOR THE SOUL. Do not be afraid… When a Murderer is Sarcastic With God HEALTH By Rev. Marjorie B. Lewis, Ph.D., D. Min. While many of us will never be found guilty of the crime of “Murder in the First Degree,” I wonder how many of us mimic Cain in our hearts and minds. No one can understand when some- one's life is taken for no rea- son. Only God can answer that.But Pastor A.J. McDonald did his best to give an answer that might help com- fort to the family of "TJ" Anthony Cunningham Jr. during a home going celebration. Cunningham was killed last month when his neighbor shot him after a dispute over a parking space. Cunningham was a former CU Buffalo football player and later draft- ed by the Seattle Seahawks. He was the assistant principal at Hinkley High School before his death. Pastor McDonald with Odom Memorial Church of God in Christ did the eulogy. He said he was asked to do the eulogy because he did one years prior for another family that TJ and his mother attended. TJ told his mother that if anything ever happened to him he wanted Pastor McDonald to do his eulogy. His message during the service, he said focused on a song he heard by Wess Morgan, 'God will get us through this.' "When I heard that song the Lord spoke to me about the issues of life that we go through and took me to the book of Isaiah 41:10. It talks about fear thou not, do not be dismayed. God will strengthen thee. What the Lord is really saying is no matter what the situation you are going through, no matter what you are dealing with or how difficult it is, don't be dismayed, don't be discouraged because I am going to give you the strength you need. He promised he would help us and not succumb us to the issues of life. That is what I was trying to con- vey to the family members, friends and loved ones that were there hurting." As Pastor McDonald tried to send his message of encouragement, he stated, "The biggest message for me is there is no situation that God can't handle. Book of Jeremiah talks about it in the 32nd chapter. Nothing is too hard for God. Life is tough and even tougher now than we have seen in times past." Pastor McDonald calls himself a humble preacher man just doing God's work. But like many other pastors, he still shares his concerns about black- on- black crime increasing in our com- munities. "When a life is taken violently, it is systematic of sin. Sin causes us to do some terrible things," he says. "The biggest culprit of black men being killed is black- on- black on crime. Our brothers need to stop and pause for a second and allow God to reason with their spirit. The reasons for why our black men are being shot is not worth it. Black men losing their lives over drugs, money, over material things that really don't matter. The black men are not only being killed but the families members of these black men are being victimized by this and have to pick up the pieces of what trans- pired. Often times crimes committed in the black community are done because of lack of role models and growing up without a strong male figure in the home, Pastor McDonald believes. McDonald credits his own father, Superintendent Wayne H. McDonald, senior pastor at Odom Memorial C.O.G.I.C for being his role model. His father served his country and fought in Vietnam War and then worked at Montgomery Wards for 20 years. "He instilled in us a work ethic, respect for women, respect for our elders." Even though not having a male fig- ure in the home is systematic in our society, Pastor McDonald doesn't dis- credit the men out there being raised by strong black women. "There are quality of men all around us. So I encourage our men to devote time to the young men in their church, in schools, in their neighborhoods will have a profound affect on these young men." His grandfather, Bishop William H. McDonald in the Kansas COGIC juris- diction, was another influential person in Pastor A.J McDonald's life. 'TJ' Anthony Cunningham Jr. Oct 24, 1972 – Feb 18, 2019 OBITUARY "TJ" Anthony Cunningham Jr. Pastor AJ McDonald