“That is why it was called Babel – because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:9).
Since the period of the Industrial Revolution, there has been an increase in the philosophical belief in the power of humanity…
This “Humanist” movement suggests that human beings can rely on their own power and intelligence, rather than the power of the ETERNAL and IMMOVABLE God Himself. It is effectively a belief in one’s own power in excess of the power of a greater Being (namely God Himself).
And I suppose that in a world where science has advanced to the point that human beings can travel to the bottom of the ocean and also to the top of space. In a world where human beings can cure all number or diseases and see inside a human being’s body to make a diagnosis without even looking inside the human with their own eyes. In a world where human being s can assist each other to have children where there were physical barriers to conception. In that world, where humans are just so clever, I suppose that it could make sense that human beings would begin to be proud of their own power and begin to fail to see the power of God…
And I have been thinking about that today as I considered the Old Testament story of the Tower of Babel…
“Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’ But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.’ 8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel – because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:1-9).
For in that story humans thought that they were greater than God, and it was for this reason that God divided them.
And yet – technology and science does not need to make us proud. It could instead humble us… James Tour, an American Chemist, Nanotechnologist and Professor of Chemistry, Materials Science and Nanoenginerring said, “I build molecules for a living. I can’t begin to tell you how difficult that job is. I stand in awe of God because of what he has done through his creation. My faith has been increased through my research. Only a rookie who knows nothing about science would say science takes away from faith. If you really study science, it will bring you closer to God.”
And I have been thinking about that today, as I think about the molecules…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.