Scripture: Genesis 11:9 – “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)
When we look at the various conflicts about the world, we are presented in what seem to be irreconcilable differences. Factions are not just parties vying for the same amounts of resources, prestige, or influence. Instead, sides are presented as representing fundamentally different cultures or ways or life. The recent flare-up of hostilities in Gaza and Israel is an example of this: when it is assumed that Jews and Palestinians cannot possibly co-exist peacefully, any and every means of defeating the enemy is acceptable.
We ask why there is such division, and why so much conflict comes from it. Early chapters of Genesis tell several legendary stories that describe the origins of things. One of this is the story of the Tower of Babel, which describes why there are different languages in the world. According to Genesis, a group of people decided to settle in Mesopotamia in modern Iraq. 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.” God feared that with the people united in one language, nothing would be impossible for them, so God scattered their languages so that nothing could be accomplished the people were, in fact scattered across the face of the world.
From this story, we might conclude that our lingual and cultural differences are due to the will of God, and that our destructive conflicts also echo God’s will. We might say that any attempt to work together is as doomed to failure as that Tower. But God is not against people working together when they are working with God. The story of Pentecost reverses the story of Babel, bringing people of different languages and cultures together into one church, in one building blessed by God. Instead, it was when we unify to “make a name for ourselves”, to satisfy our own pride and greed, that God puts a stop to our ambition.
When we try to unite around the wrong idea, cracks inevitably appear and people end up as scattered as they are in the story, often oppressed under the rule of the strongest person or group. However, when we unite around the right ideas, like love and justice, we can feel that God is with us and that ultimately, we cannot fail. As you look at your neighbors or people from the other side of the world who seem different than you, remember we are divided in pride and united in love, and through love peace and joy will be found.
Prayer: Dear Lord, bring peace to the world by helping us to recognize your part in all our lives. Amen.
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