Sunday, March 9, 2025  

Today's Scripture
Genesis 11:1–9

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”

The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And the Lord said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. (NRSV)

Reflection

I recall the story of the Tower of Babel as part of the curriculum of a summer Vacation Bible School I helped lead many years ago. My memory of the printed VBS booklet includes bright colors and cartoon pictures of workers in sandals and beards working enthusiastically on a red brick tower spiraling upward toward the heavens.

I’m sure the crux of the story as an object lesson on the dangers of pride and unity in vain pursuits was lost on most of the children, and as I’ve considered the story of the Tower over the years, I must admit that on the surface it seems a little silly to be included among the many rich and illustrative stories of the Old Testament. After all, just how much harm could one tall tower do, and isn’t unity a good thing?

Today the Internet “unites” untold millions of us around an unfathomable number of topics, causes, pursuits, and, yes, cat videos. But while a significant number of things that bring people together online range from harmless to helpful, much of the potential of our technology has been harnessed for vain, destructive, time-wasting, and even evil purposes. Untold “communities” of people have been formed around beliefs and practices that prey on the fears and insecurities of people who choose to join such communities. Fake news, lies, and conspiracy theories undermine the work of good people at every level and threaten to destroy any amount of faith and goodwill that we might hold, one for another.

Across human history, people have come together, physically and in spirit, to defeat fascist regimes, demand basic human rights for people, and build infrastructure to make our lives easier, and yet peace between and among people is more elusive than ever. The book of Acts, however, highlights how important unity was to the early church and serves as a powerful reminder of what is possible when people come together for holy and righteous purposes.

The story of the Tower of Babel is estimated to have originated over 4,000 years ago, but love and unity in the Holy Spirit remains the only unifying force capable of truly reconciling us one to another and, most importantly, reconciling each of us with our Creator.  

Prayer
Lord God, grant that each of us will help your church and your people achieve the depth of unity in the Holy Spirit needed for healing this broken world. We offer this prayer in Christ’s name. Amen.

Written by John Marr, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church  

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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