Babel Revisited?

FRI., NOV. 3, 1995, 6:24 AM
FARM, STUDY

One of the strange myths of the really Old Testament story is that concerning the Tower of Babel. The tale, as you remember it, is of some of My early humans who were living together peacefully and productively. Out of this cooperative, communicative spirit came the plan for building a tower that would reach up to heaven. Even at that time I was against “working your way” to heaven, so I miraculously affected their language, making it impossible for them to communicate as they had been. Hence, presumably, the project stopped, and divisions between and among these peoples increased. I had prevented effective working together.

Does this have application to the earth scene today and, specifically, to your culture? Though there are some basic human values that are shared rather universally, some of these conflict with one another and relative values are different.

Your culture began with a domination by white Europeans who were mostly Christian. There were differences, but English was the accepted language, and when differences became unresolvable, people moved, for it was a big country. Africans were brought as slaves, and Native Americans were feared, scorned, and left unassimilated. It was a melting-pot culture, with new immigrants urged to “become Americans” and help create the greatest culture on earth. This culture was vital in “winning” one “world war”, survived an economic depression, “won” another “world war” (this time involving some Orientals), and came out of a long “cold war” as the apparent world power. With that power you now are trying to end a bitter “local war” in Bosnia and return the world to peace. You are trying to do, politically, economically, and militarily, what only I can do, with My unearthly powers.

What was wrong with the Babel project? These were peaceful people, working together toward a worthy goal – building a tower to heaven. Didn’t I value this end, and didn’t I want humans to work toward heaven? Apparently not. Don’t I want your culture, with its Christian heritage, to be the dominant power, to bring about and maintain peace? Apparently not. News reports tell of increasing divisions, in language, in customs, and in interpretation of Christianity, My favorite religion. Am I again taking away power to achieve an apparent good? Am I not in favor of peaceful resolution of differences, and even the diminishing of differences. The total Bible story is interpreted as saying I am in favor of peace and productive interaction. The Babel story refutes this. What time is it now?

I still tell you that I see and hear much good in earthly human relationships. I focus much more on interactions between individuals and among smaller groups than between and among powers, such as nations. I like to be involved in individual lives, which can be lived for Me in any kind of social/political system or circumstance. I like peace, but it often doesn’t contribute to spiritual growth as much as conflict does.

In that region of the earth in which the Bible story took place there continues to be conflict between and among three of My favorite peoples, all related, at least mystically. Out of Abraham came Isaac… and then Jacob and Esau, brothers, but in conflict. Also out of Abraham came Ishmael, the spiritual root of Islam. Jews and Muslims cannot seem to live in peace, except as individuals and in families. As Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, I was put to death at the insistence of the Jewish leaders. Was that violent end necessary for the establishment of Christianity, another partner in the conflict? Am I as involved in maintaining the conflict as in resolving it? What a question! Is all of this Babel revisited?