Babble

Once, before the dawn of recorded history, the whole earth was a single tribe that spoke a single language. Humankind migrated from the east and settled in a plain in the land of Shinar. Through their singleminded cooperation, they quickly mastered the art of baking bricks and mixing mortar and began to set their sites on building a large beautiful city. With one voice they said, “Let us build a city large enough for all of us. In its center let us place a ziggurat so large that its top will be in the heavens. Then we will make a name for ourselves. Otherwise, we may be scattered across the whole earth.”

When God came down upon the earth to see the city and tower that humankind was building, he was distressed. “Look at this,” he said, “The whole earth is a single tribe with a single language. This is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing they come up with will be impossible for them now!” 

So God confused their languages so that they could no longer understand one another. Then He scattered the people all over the face of the earth and the city was left abandoned. So the city, which still stands unfinished, is called “Babble” because the people there could not understand one another’s babble.

The story of the tower of “Babble” (the pun works the same in Hebrew as it does in English), from the Hebrew Bible, exists not only to explain the presence of languages and abandoned cities, but also as a warning against the ways of empire. The original hearers of the story would have known exactly who the people of Babble represented: the Babylonian Empire. Their presence loomed large over the ancient world. They were feared for their superior armies and revered for their marvelous cities with Zigurats that indeed appeared to reach the heavens. They were the dominant super power of their day and no one could imagine a future in which they wouldn’t be. The Babylonian empire, like the Assyrians before them, practiced a policy of conquering by assimilation. They would conquer cities and then disperse their inhabitants, forcing them to marry Babylonians, practice Babylonian religion, and speak the language of the Babylonians. Then, within a generation or two, the conquered peoples would forget that they were ever anything but Babylonians. Babylonian culture was not only spread by force though. Their way of life was quite attractive to their neighbors. Other peoples willingly adopted their culture and customs, along with their pantheon of  gods. This story would have been understood as a cautionary tale against adopting the ways of the Babylonians. The ideology of Empire was a threat to everything that made the Hebrews distinct: their traditions, their language, and their special relationship with an unseen God. But this radical story makes clear that God’s plan is not that the people’s of the earth should be gobbled up by an oppressive empire, but that they should remain distinct. Diversity, not conformity is God’s will for humankind. This story also makes clear that the fate of Babylon will be just like Babble before it. God will scatter the people and leave their empire in ruins. An audacious unthinkable claim. Yet, that is precisely what happened. The Jewish people remain distinct to this day with their own tradition, language, and relationship with an unseen God. And the Babylonians? You can read about them in history books and visit the ruins of their once great cities. Empires rise and fall but the Word of The LORD is forever!

Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear…

Nathan’s Parable

After King David had slept with Uriah the Hittite’s wife, Bathsheba, and impregnated her, he arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle so that he could take Bathsheba as his own. This angered God greatly. So He sent the prophet Nathan to confront the King.

Nathan feared for his life. What if the King decided to kill Nathan right then and there to keep the rumor of his sin from spreading? It was not uncommon for powerful men to kill those that brought them terrible news. Still, God had sent Nathan to rebuke King David and he resolved to be faithful to his call. Nathan devised a creative way to confront the King. While David was sitting on his throne, judging the people and arbitrating their disputes, Nathan came forward and brought him a case:

“O King, in one of your towns lives two men. One of those men is quite wealthy and the other is vey poor. The wealthy was blessed with hundreds of sheep and cattle but the poor man had nothing but a little lamb he bought at the market place. The poor man loved this lamb. It grew up in his house alongside his children. He fed it with food and drink from his very own table. Often times the little lamb even slept in his arms.

O King, one day a traveler came to this town and, as it is custom, the rich man invited him in and offered him a meal. Only, the rich man refused to slaughter any of his own sheep for the meal. Instead, he took the little lamb belonging to the poor man, without his knowledge or consent, and slaughtered it to feed to traveler.”

King David was enraged when he heard this. 

“As surely as the LORD lives, this man must die! Bring him to me and he will be forced to pay for that lamb four times over for doing such a cruel and merciless thing!”

Then Nathan stood up straight and his eyes flashed as with the fire of God. He pointed at King David and said, “You are the man!” 

Nathan then told the shocked King how he had offended God and he laid out the severe consequences that would result. Rather than getting angry or defensive, David simply bowed his head and said, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

It is a difficult thing to speak the truth to power. So difficult that many stomach injustice rather than standing up for what is right. This story from the Hebrew Bible demonstrates the profound effect a little bravery can have. Nathan used the power of story to tug at the heart of his King so that he could see the error of his ways. Jesus, too used story to show the powerful their folly. He also challenged them directly. Disciples walking in the way of Jesus have a responsibility to stand up to the powerful when they wield it to hurt others. Sometimes this means being straight forward. Other times it may take a more creative approach. Through art, we can hold a mirror up to the face of the powerful and let them see just who they are and what they are doing. As Hamlet says: “The play’s the thing, wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.”

Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear…

King Solomon’s Judgement

King Solomon was famous the world over for his wisdom. It was a gift that God had granted him to rule fairly and justly and to make good decisions on behalf of Israel. When he sat as judge over the people, they were confident that his rulings would be wise and compassionate. One day two prostitutes approached Solomon for a ruling. They had a dispute over a baby. The one who approached Solomon first explained:

“O wise King, judge between me and this woman I live with. We both gave birth to a baby boy in the same house, three days apart from each other. This woman’s baby boy died last night because she rolled over on top of him and he was smothered. At midnight, when she awoke and realized what she had done, she got up and switched our sons. She put the dead child next to me and took my son and placed it next to her. When I awoke, I was horrified to find the dead boy sleeping at my breast but once I looked at the child in the morning light, I saw that it was not mine but this woman’s. O King, we live just the two of us in that house so no one can judge between us.”

“Liar!” Shouted the other woman, “You are so stricken with grief over the death of your own son that you are trying to steal mine. Tell our King the truth about what you have done!”

And so the two women argued back and forth about who was the true mother of the living child. King Solomon finally silenced the two women and issued his verdict: “Both of you claim to be this child’s mother and yet, because you live alone and there are no witnesses, it is impossible for me to render a verdict.”

The king then called for a sword to be brought to him. “Because I cannot judge between the two of you, the only fair thing left to do is to cut the child in two and give each of you half.” Then he laid the infant on a table before him.

“No!”, screamed one of the women, “I relent! Give my son to this other woman! It is better that he should be alive and with her than to die on that table!”

The other woman said, “O King your judgement is just. The child shall be neither of ours. Continue.”

Just then, Solomon laid down the sword and picked up the child, cradling him in his arms and soothing him. He handed the baby to the first woman who had relented. “Here, boy, is your mother.” All Israel heard of King Solomon’s ruling and they were amazed at the wisdom of God that was within him.

Though this version of the “Two Mothers” parable (found in 1 Kings 3) is most familiar to Western readers, a version of it exists in many cultures throughout the world. In the Indian version, the wise ruler commands the two mothers to each take the baby by an arm and have a tug of war over a line. In the Chinese version, the mothers are told to compete to pull the child out of a chalk circle. In every version, it is the mother who relents and refuses to participate in the barbaric ritual that is determined to be the true mother. Whether these versions are all retellings of an original historical judgement by King Solomon, or whether the writer of the book of Kings placed this popular story in his history to demonstrate Godly wisdom, is really beside the point. Either way, this parable teaches a profound lesson about the true nature of parenthood. True parentage, according to the wisdom of this story, is not simply biological, it is rooted in compassion and concern for a child’s welfare. Anyone who would split a baby to make a point is not a true parent. As disciples, we can find deeper meaning in this parable about the true nature of leadership. I’ve known, in my own life, pastors who were willing to split a church in two rather than admit their failings. I’ve seen lay people purposefully divide closely knit small groups because they didn’t get their way. This kind of behavior is not spiritual leadership. A disciple walking in the way of Jesus would rather be split in two than to see or be the cause of division in the church. 

Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear…