Cain and Abel

Apropos of another matter entirely, I chanced to be reading (trying, in my own humble fashion) Pope John Paul II's Evangelium Vitae.  He begins his Encyclical with the story of Cain and Abel and answers a question I asked earlier which was, Why was God unhappy with Cain's offering?  The Pope writes that there is no reason given for this, but he goes on to explain that God  ". . . although preferring Abel's gift, does not interrupt his dialogue with Cain.  He admonishes him, reminding him of his freedom in the face of evil:  man is in no way predestined to evil."  

Oh dear.  What a mundane mindset I had when reading this story.  It's the Bible, not a murder mystery!  What I saw was only that God was being mean to poor Cain who was only trying to be good and that God wasn't being nice, he was being unfair.   He's God, and His ways are not our ways!  

The Pope goes on.  God is "always merciful even when he punishes, . . . "  He put a mark on Cain  ". . . not to condemn him to the hatred of others, but to protect and defend him from those wishing to kill him. . . ."