The Mark Of Cain

In our younger years we are seldom bound by the tenets of social conduct and do not hesitate to speak our mind. So invariably you have young kids who ask in all earnestness why the neighbor's nose is so big or someone's teeth resemble the rabbit they saw on Cartoon Network.

I have been at the receiving end of this kind of inquisitiveness from children and also from not so young people. My right thumbnail had a thick dark line running right through the middle of the nail and almost everyone would want to know what it was at some point. I never knew what to tell them then.

Now I tell them its a long story...

In the beginning there was darkness. And God said let there be light and there was light and like that the whole world was created in 6 days. Thus starts the Bible and goes on to tell us the wonderful story of how the first man - Adam was created. God seeing that Adam was all alone and nagging Him all the time decided to create another being who would nag Adam instead and keep him occupied.

And so Eve was created so says the Bible out of a rib of Adam's. Now Adam and Eve were all so happy in the Garden of Eden till the devil tempted Eve with the apple of knowledge. Now Adam and Eve started having more happy times especially in the night. Since the ipill nor the ipod had been invented then soon they had two little kiddies running about...

The eldest was called Cain and he soon grew to be a "tiller of the land" and Abel had a way with animals and was a "keeper of the sheep" or so says the Bible. Now both these young strapping lads once offered a sacrifice to God. Cain with his corn and Abel with his sheep. God liked Abel's sacrifice better - God being a non-vegetarian obviously preferred mutton chops to corn cobs. This angered Cain so much and in a fit of rage turned on Abel and killed him. Poor guy soon realized his mistake and immediately buried Abel in one of his fields. But God if you know is all-seeing and all-knowing; a fact we forget many a times. He called up Cain and asked him about Abel to which Cain replied "Am I my brother's keeper" which has now become the catch phrase amongst all those who have killed at least one of their own brothers.

God let that remark pass and tells Cain that his brother's blood "cries out from the ground" and goes on to punish Cain with a curse. The curse being that the land will no longer provide for him anymore. Cain is now worried. He pleads with God to remove the curse or lighten it. His fear being that if he didnt know to plough and therefore contribute to the balance sheet of the world as it was then he would be killed.

Now comes the most interesting part...

God tells Cain not to worry. If anyone kills him or his descendants he would take "seven times seven" lives in revenge. But Cain does not let go. He sees the loop hole there and argues with God how would people know that he was Cain or one of his descendants - an astute negotiator our man Cain. But God is prepared after all he IS God is it not. He tells Cain that he will give him and his descendants a mark. By that mark will all humanity know that he is Cain and is therefore protected by God.

And so says the Bible that Cain and all his descendants have that mark - the mark given by God.

A true story ladies and gentlemen. Now you know why I have that mark on my right nail.

If you too have a mark like this, you have nothing to fear now. And let me know... we could be related!!