Cain and Abel are the quintessential brothers of the Western World. God asks Cain where his brother Abel is right after Cain killed him.

Cain answered with an outright lie! He said he did not know when in fact he knew.

Not only did Cain lie, he responded to God with an air of indifference and arrogance, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’

Cain’s insolent and arrogant response to God’s question is a sign of his inward, unacknowledged guilt, a result of his hatred and anger.

In a general sense, the term ‘brother’s keeper’ does not just mean being responsible for the welfare of a biological brother or another sibling.

Its scope is extended to all the other Human beings, regardless of race, cultural and religious background.

Yet, Human history has been marked by the core attitude of lack of concern for the care and well-being of others.

A short meditation on brotherhood and the cost of war, ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ tells the story of two estranged brothers, Ethan and Jackson, who find themselves fighting on opposing sides of the American Civil War.

The story follows the brothers as they make their way towards the battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American history.

The battle was over by 5:30 p.m. Losses from the battle were heavy on both sides. The Union had 12,410 casualties with 2,108 dead.

Confederate casualties were 10,316 with 1,546 dead. This represented 25% of the Federal force and 31% of the Confederate.

Both sides lost a combined total of 22,720 casualties in a single day. More Americans died in battle on September 17, 1862, than on any other day in the nation’s military history.