A Modern Day Babel

As a child, you may remember hearing the story of the tower of Babel where the people of Babylonia built a monument that reached into the sky. It was a magnificent feat; a true wonder to the world. It seemed a miracle as all the people were united in this effort and yet the Lord took it down, confused the people, and scattered them throughout the world. 

I was recently asked why the Lord would do that. It was a question I’d wondered myself many times but hadn’t considered for some time. Today as I explore this Biblical story that doesn’t seem to make sense, I can’t help but think about how it relates to our world today. Are we living in a modern-day Babel?

Back in the day when the people built the great city of Babel and the famous tower, they all spoke the same language and worked well together. When they did so, however, they were forgetting that the Lord had asked them to go into all the earth, not to congregate together in one place. 

I find it interesting to note that the people of Babel wanted to build the great tower that reached into the sky as a monument to themselves rather than to God. They saw themselves as independent from God; determining their own destiny. They felt they had no need for God and placed all of their confidence in themselves, their technology, and their abilities. 

Does that sound familiar? Can you think of a time when we as a people have built monuments to ourselves with such things as fancy homes, expensive clothes, and fast cars? A world where we aspire to associate with winning teams, connect with powerful leaders, and rub elbows with the educated, wealthy and wise? A world where we are so focused on what we and our communities can do we forget about God and truly begin to believe we no longer need him?

Not unlike how he did in Babylonian times, is it possible in this last year that God reached down and knocked all of our monuments down? That he shattered the towers to our gods and in doing so has reminded us that we do need the one and only living God if we are to survive? I believe it is not only possible but entirely likely.

This week, as we begin the month of February where we acknowledge black history and the importance that people of all races and colors, and nationalities hold in our society, let’s be reminded of the tower of Babel. And let’s step down from our self-created monuments and celebrate life.  All life. And give people credit for their Godly efforts to bring unity to this world. Not a unity that will serve the powers of this earth, but one that will serve God.  

Let’s take our focus off the extremist in our society and focus on the real people God places right in front of us. Let’s remember that not every person of color supports or even agrees with the people who try to force the Black Lives Matter agenda on us just like not every causation agrees with or supports the White supremacists’ movements.  Let us turn off the television, social media, and yes, even some podcasts, which primarily focus their efforts on tearing us as God’s people apart. 

Instead, let us become our own community of people who understand God’s love and forgiveness. A community that is willing to set aside past hurts as a society and is willing to put our efforts toward building a culture of love and acceptance. Let us seek out the people the extremists want us to hate, and instead let’s really get to know them. Not as a group but as individuals with real hopes, dreams, and God-given purposes in this life. Let’s see each other as God sees us; as his children that he loved so much that he gave his one and only Son to die for us. Even when and especially because we aren’t perfect. 

When we do so, we will realize that we cannot do this on our own. But with the guidance provided in God’s own Word and the help offered to us through his presence, we can do all things. We will never get to the point of unity they had as they built the original Tower of Babel on this side of heaven, but we can do better than we have been. I’m certain of it. 

So let’s do this, not as a monument to ourselves, but as a monument to our Creator. Let’s change the outcome in this modern-day Babel. 

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