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I Don't Know You...Not Really

"Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil" (Genesis 4:2). Maybe I'm alone in this, but I've always pictured Abel as kind of a girly man. Maybe it's because of I've never met a small farmer, which is what Cain was. Perhaps it's because of Genesis 4:8, "And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him." If you win the fight, you must be a man, right?

There are several problems with my theory. I'll only select two.
  • Abel watched flocks, which could be a very dangerous job. King David, while a shepherd, killed lions and bears in order to protect the flock.
  • Cain probably planned a sneak attack. Anyone can kill anyone else when they get sneaky.
My problem isn't that my old theory has Abel playing with dolls with his mom. My problem is that it reveals a much deeper issue I have. I've assumed for years that Abel liked to comb hair simply because he lost a fight and was killed. Where does all this assuming come from when I only have ten verses or less to go on?

And how much more do I assume about those around me? I see most people for short moments here and there. Even the people I see more often and for larger chunks does not make me an expert. No wonder God does not make us judge over one another.

So much harm comes from this activity of assuming we know someone. With Bible characters it can seem harmless since they are dead and gone. But my guess is that I am only discovering the tip of the iceberg in this problem I have with thinking I know more than I do.

I suppose I will add this to the list of things I have to work on and hope that you do not begin to assume you know me simply because I've revealed yet another flaw.
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