In the Bible, God asked Cain the whereabouts of his brother Abel, whom he had murdered. Cain’s brush off response was, ‘I don’t know, am I my brother’s keeper?'” (Genesis 4:9). John Ferguson wrote a hymn (Rejoice and Sing 609) that opens with Cain’s question. It deals with Cain in the first verse, with Pontius Pilate in the second verse and culminates with a verse questioning the responsibility of us all toward those who are hungry, thirsty, ill or embattled.
The insurance industry is bracing itself for what may turn out to be the largest ever claim in the history of marine insurance. All parts of the Baltimore Bridge disaster were insured. We may well ask how that has any connection to Cain’s question of God, and John Ferguson’s line: ‘I am my brother’s keeper; I dare not wash my hands.’
The London Insurance Market has its roots in an old principle of sharing intelligence and risk. “The market has its origins in a coffee house set up by Edward Lloyd in the City of London in the second half of the 17th century. London coffee houses were burgeoning hubs for markets and commerce in early modern England and Lloyd’s premises soon became well known as an important meeting place to swap intelligence about shipping. As Britain’s maritime power grew, Lloyd’s soon became a powerhouse of marine insurance.” (The Times, 29/3/24).
Which brings me to all our little mishaps. When the floods hit Suffolk last October, some people were affected but not insured. In our community in Framlingham, people of goodwill rallied round with practical and financial help. Those with insurance policies called on the resources of their insurers. Car and household insurance (as well as commercial policies) are all about sharing risk among a huge network predicated on the principle, ‘We are each other’s keeper’.
I am sure that I am stretching a point and there is not much about big businesses and insurance markets that relate to the Christian principle of mutual caring, and yet I expect Jesus would tell us to make the best of insurance just as he told his critics to honour the tax system, in its proper place.
At its most basic, anything that helps us take responsibility for supporting another person in straightened circumstances is core faithful living.
Makes you think, does it not!
A Prayer
Lord, when things go ‘bump’ in the world and people are distressed, help us all to remember that it behoves each of us to help all we can. We thank you for the many ‘safety nets’ that save us from the worst that might be, and where ethe net is missing or has a hole, we thank you for those who come to help, knowing that each is the other’s keeper. Amen.