Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.
Genesis 11:1–9
Aaron Armstrong compares current efforts to eliminate poverty to the building of the tower of Babel.
The current discussion about poverty has a common theme: most people who think poverty can be eliminated also think humanity must be united to achieve it. If we are one in purpose, the thinking goes, nothing can stop us from achieving our goal:
- All 191 UN member states unanimously agreed to the Millennium Development Goals. The first of those goals is to eradicate extreme poverty.
- Jeffrey Sachs believes that if we are united in purpose and tactics, we can end extreme poverty by 2025.
- Paul Collier believes the eight richest nations of the world need to be united in creating new laws and charters designed to assist reformers within the 50 poorest countries in their quest to change their countries for the better, and that the rest of us need to unite in pressuring them to do so.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of these options. Building a tower can be a morally neutral endeavor. But it comes back to the “why.” Are we seeking somehow to make a name for ourselves, or are we seeking to make much of God’s name?
—Aaron Armstrong, Awaiting a Savior (Cruciform Press, 2011), 23.
Armstrong wonders if “that ‘confusion of languages’ dynamic is still not at work, a means by which God hinders our ongoing attempts at uniting this fallen race for the sake of our own glorification.” I think he’s onto something there.
Cruciform Press publishes one new book each month, and offers subscriptions in print or ebook formats for a very reasonable price. Books may also be purchased individually. For more information, visit www.cruciformpress.com.
TrackBack URL: http://www.thirstytheologian.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1960
Share this post:
Posted in: Aaron Armstrong · Awaiting A Savior · Cruciform Press
Link · 0 Comments · 0 TrackBacks
← Previous · Home · Next →
