The Book of Genesis tells us nothing about Abel, son of Adam and Eve, except that he was righteous, obedient, and murdered by his jealous and angry brother.  That does not speak well for obedience and righteousness, in human terms!  We never hear Abel’s voice.  He leaves us with no quotes, no books, no photos, no blogs.

Yet his blood cried out from the ground, and God knew exactly what had happened to him.  His death was not unnoticed.  His life was not forgotten.

There are thousands, more likely millions, of Abels today, killed through the centuries by human siblings who can not learn to appreciate them for who they are in the sight of God.

Greed, jealousy, hatred, religious intolerance.  How many words can we use to say that we do not want our brothers and sisters who are different from us to continue living in our neighborhoods, our country, our world?

Jesus said that even to think in hateful terms makes us guilty of murder.  We may think that no one knows where the bodies are buried, those whom we have rejected, ignored, slighted, cheated, turned away from, refused to help.

Yet their blood cries out, and God knows.  God knows them, and God knows us.