I wonder if this is what Babylon looked like? Would the magnificence of structure and light have been breathtaking? They were not barbarians, you know.
They admired beauty like we do…
They trusted wealth like we do…
They weilded power like we do…
This breathtaking display of man’s glory inspires in me an uncomfortable shadow, a dark shape of something that must come, a knowing that when humanity tosses aside its own humanity and preens itself in front of YHWH as if to say that man’s glory places God’s glory in shadow then the Sovereign One will undoubtedly respond. The great Tower of Babel was not some barbaric, primitive effort of a Neanderthal community to build a ladder to God. It was designed by a gathering of the great thinkers of the day, funded by the powerful and wealthy elite, and built with the blistered hands of the working/slave class and it must have been incredible enough to draw the eye of the One.
The Revelation tells of a time when Babylon will rise again only to be destroyed again. I look around and see such beautiful buildings, homes of such size and beauty…empty…hollow…while we struggle to stay in our little home that is filled with such life and laughter. I really do sense that Babylon lives among us and I, with a sad heart that mourns for those who will be devastated by it, see the Revelation coming. The lust, the greed, the sheer disdain for Yahweh is surely nearing Babel proportions!
Having said all that, I am not a doomsayer and I do not see conspiracies hiding behind every financial downturn. God is merciful and just! I trust Him to do precisely what He needs to do in order to restore His creation to its original, glorious state even if that means the destruction of Babylon. I am a heart-warrior! No matter how discouraged I am by poverty, bankruptcy, impurity, false beauty, lack of humility…No matter how many empty homes and empty hearts…I will still run to the battle and fight with blistered hands, all the while praying for those who live in Babylon.
