Midweek Musing- 5/23/24

Every year when Pentecost comes around, I end up rereading the story of the Tower of Babel. It is found at the start of the 11th Chapter of Genesis.

“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 fire 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.”

Genesis 11:1-9 NRSVUE

I reread it because the way Luke tells the story of Pentecost it seems that the events of that day are Babel in reverse like some sort of antidote.

Obviously, this is a strange story. I love what my friend in ministry Rev. Tom Are states about many of the Genesis stories. He notes that, “These (Genesis) stories may not be literal, but they do name certain realities of being human.”

For example, the creation stories remind us that God created us. It notes we are all made of the same stuff or as the Biblical poetry say we are flesh of flesh and bone of bone. It further notes our place in the universe as the created and not the creator.

So, what truth lies in this old story of the tower? Was God just preventing humans from being almost godlike? And was Pentecost an undoing of that day?

Perhaps the answer is a lot more nuanced than we might initially think.

You see the truth is there has never been a time in history when everyone spoke one language. However, there have been countless times when groups have tried to remove all voices and messages but their own.

Ancient conquering nations often banned slaves from using their native languages and telling stories from their homeland. They would even ban the captives from worshiping as they had.

Scientists like Galileo were executed for speaking a message different than the status quo. Of course, we now know that it was his message that was the actual truth.

The Nazi’s burned books and banned criticism. The even hung German Lutheran pastor, theologian, author, and anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was a key founding member of the Confessing Church.

 In fact, dictators and oppressive regimes have always used the silencing of dissenting viewpoints to hold on to their power.

In recent years, our own country has banned books that are from authors or tell stories that make folks in the majority uncomfortable.

So, part of what Babel tells us is that if we believe that there is only one message and one voice and one viewpoint then that voice must also be the voice of God.

Again, I quote my friends writings, “When we surround ourselves with those who talk our talk, it’s easy to assume that what is a norm for me is the universal norm. But that makes our worldview, and therefore our faith, too small. God doesn’t want our worldview to be small. So, God confused speech, so we would have to encounter a different way of telling the truth.”

God’s creation is too great and too diverse to be boxed in to just one viewpoint. No one has a patent on truth. Indeed, truth is best found when we hear from multiple voices with hearts and minds open. And that only happens when choose to venture out into the world.

And on Pentecost this was revealed as part of our call as the disciples left that house and entered into the world to proclaim the good news of God’s grace and unconditional love.

Yes, for a time others heard in the own language and the disciples spoke in tongues they did not know. But this miracle of interpretation and language did not last. But the message given at that first Pentecost of a God who breaks down walls so that all know they are loved - that message endures. On that day, the message of God’s love became the universal truth that continues to speak across all languages and generations.

May we be open to hearing and may we always speak our truth with love because love is what always matters most.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Alleluia Amen.