What is the tallest building in the world? In 1884, the Washington Monument held that distinction. Then the Eiffel Tower nearly doubled its height five years later. When I was born, the Empire State Building was the tallest. Today, the tallest building is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, at 2,717 feet tall. Khalifa derives from the name of the second president of the UAE.
In the ancient world, the tallest tower was at Babel. The ambitious builders wanted to build it up to the heavens to make a name for themselves and to keep themselves from being scattered. How tall was it? Well the Lord had to come down to get to it. Seeing the ability of these builders to do almost anything, the Lord confused their language and sent them across the face of the earth. Their actions brought about their worst fear: being scattered.
Is God opposed to ingenuity and invention? Far from it. He is, however, opposed to hubris. Knowing that nothing would be impossible for his creation he confused their languages. People were scattered all over the earth. They stopped building the city. There is an alternative approach. Mother Theresa famously said, “Let’s do something beautiful for God.” His name and his renown must always be the desire of our hearts. When we seek first the Kingdom of God, God will provide the materials we need to acknowledge his great name.
The story is told of three masons who were laying bricks. Asked about their work, the first said, “I am laying bricks.” The second said, “I am building a wall.” The third said, “I am building a great cathedral to the glory of God.” It is a matter of perspective. What will we do together today? For whom will we do it?
