Walking with Giants

Genesis 11:4 ESV

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, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

It doesn’t take long. Driving down the road with my kids in the back, through the normal iterations of conversation, the topic of homes comes up. Probably due the expanding and growing nature of my family, my thoughts often turn to the need for more space. The moment I bring up my dream of building my house, the next line is quick upon the lips of all who hear. Even my children have begun the familiar chant, this time from the back seat, “The wolf will get you” is the line. We had just driven by a very nice brick home, but my dream is one of straw. I have a folder full of the technical data on the advantages of straw bale construction dating back to the 1950s, but it seems a short tale of three pigs trumps all scientific research!

The men of Babel had just come to new technology, bricks and mortar. With this they would “make a name for themselves”. Wanting everyone to know who they were. For all peoples to recognize that they were really something. To make a name of rebellion, as God had told them to fill the earth, they had chosen to stay. As the chief end of man is to glorify God, they desired glory for themselves. And so, they make a tower, apparently tall buildings with your name on it is not a new idea.

In the popular Disney movie “Mary Poppins” the father, George Banks, is “making it” in the world and when it all crashes down he sings a line that never fails to touch something inside me. “A man has dreams, of walking with Giants, to carve his niche in the edifice of time.” Longing to be someone, to make something of ourselves, not content with glorifying God, our name must be attached in letters as big or bigger, maybe even with top billing. Yet, when mid-life strikes, and the realization that no niche will be carved, what do we do? Such is the crisis of mid-life.

Looking to our lives, realize this, that the things that stand the test of time, are the immortals you live with, work with, and talk with, every day. The ones that annoy you, the ones who lie to you, the ones, that honor you, the ones that care for you. These are the only things of this earth that will last into the next. How are you building in them? Ephesians tells us our words are to “build up” grace in others, are your words?

Coming back to the text, note that in all of the paragraph concerning the tower of Babel something is missing. A name. No, in their quest to “make a name” not a single name is remembered. They failed and made it worse for everyone. Such is the life lived for one’s self and one’s own glory. Die to self. God has called us to replenish the earth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As servants of God and slaves to his will, let us not rebel, and try making a name for ourselves. That everyone might stand up and call us nice. Let us lift up the name of Christ, that all might fall down and worship! Are we content to have a name that we and God alone know (Rev 2:17)?

CORAM DEO