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Fractures and Casts

Debbie Kiser

“Come, let US build OURSELVES a city…so that WE may make a name for OURSELVES.” (Genesis 11:3, emphasis added)

If I asked you to define fracture, you’d likely say to break something, maybe immediately adding, like a bone. Bone or not, anything fractured is damaged, ruptured, violated (Merriam-Webster). Fractures need tending to, or the broken wrist never regains full mobility and the shattered mirror poses danger to others. Restoration can occur, but with bones, a cast is needed to keep them in correct alignment to heal properly. Casts are cumbersome and uncomfortable, but critically necessary. In such cases, restriction = protection. 

Some time after the flood waters receded, Noah’s and his numerous descendants’ relationship with God has fractured. God told them to populate the whole earth; instead, they spot a lovely plain in Babylon (11:2), decide to settle there, and build a tower for their own fame (11:4). Nary a mention of God (Who decides to come down with a “cast” to stop this fracture from worsening). God confuses their common language so they must separate (11:8-9), thereby fulfilling His command to spread out. Doubtless, they feel discomfort at God’s cast of restriction around their communication, but without it, their relationship with Him could irrevocably fracture further. Left alone, fractures cannot repair themselves. God’s restriction is intended for their healing.

Are we similarly tempted to stay in one place, focusing on our own dreams for a marriage and kids, on making a name for ourselves at work, maybe even staying in the same church despite God’s nudge? Do we devise our own schemes to make these desires a reality, trusting in the security, comfort, and group resources available on the Shinar plain (11:2) of our own choosing? Doing so risks getting too comfortable, shielding us from recognizing the fault lines as they appear. Is a neighborhood or work relationship fracturing because we’re more comfortable with other friends or too busy building our own “tower” (11:4), thereby losing a witnessing opportunity? Are we too busy with our family activities and work commitments to leave room for worship and involvement in God’s kingdom, too? 

Is God mixing the plaster even now for a cast to immobilize us so He can reset our values?

There’s certainly nothing wrong with dreams. Is there one you’re pursuing now? How can you keep God in the center of your planning and wishing so your relationship with Him doesn’t fracture?

E Pluribus Unum

Bella Segnere

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. (Genesis 11:4 ESV)

Growing up in a Classical Christian school, I took several (seven, to be exact) years of Latin. Latin is considered a “dead language” simply because no one speaks it anymore and for that reason, many people find it quite useless to learn. However, it has helped me be able to define complicated words and I have also learned many quotes/phrases, one of the most popular being, “E pluribus unum (one out of many).” 

This week’s passage is about how the Tower of Babel was built, why it was built, and what happened after it was built. We know from verse four that the builders wanted to build the tower as a representation of unity among all the people; they say, “...lest we be dispersed…” They are stuck on the idea of “making one group out of many people,” instead of seeing God’s will for them to disperse across the earth. 

Because of our fractured, sinful nature, we are prisoners to not being able to always see and accept what God wants for us. And even if the Spirit has shown us the Lord’s will for a step in our lives, we have a very hard time fulfilling His will “without grumbling and complaining (Phil. 2:14)” and that’s when the Lord steps into our lives and “closes a door.” He closes their door of unity because His purpose for them was to disperse across the earth and multiply into different nations.

This idea of not-being-able-to-understand-God’s-will is so prevalent in our world, that I have previously mentioned two instances of it. The first was my experience with Latin. When I had to start learning it, I wasn’t happy, to say the least, because I couldn’t understand why on earth God would want me to learn it.  It seemingly had no purpose and was a waste of my time. But seven years later, I am able to see that God did have a reason for having me learn it, as it is very useful. The second was this week’s passage. We see this in the way that the builders built the Tower of Babel for their purpose of unity and in the same moment the Lord shut that door of unity and the people had to fulfill His will and spread across the earth.

Because of sin, we can’t know exactly what the Lord wants for our lives and that results in Him having to close doors for us. However, we can be prayerful for the Lord to open our eyes to the things He has in store for us. In the same way, He closed the door of building a city for the builders for the end goal of having them disperse across the earth. Who knows, maybe your life will change if you walk through the door He’s holding open for you!