At a height of 182 metres stands the tallest structure in the world — titled, quite interestingly, the ‘Statue of Unity.’ It is a statue of the first home minister of independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It was erected and sponsored by the very government under whose watch one of the worst communal riots of independent India took place in the year 2002.
The irony of the situation reminds us yet again of the futility of every human attempt at unity — they are all towers of Babel — tall vain monuments of unity in a world divided by language, caste, religion, or ethnicity.
The Cause
Sin is the ultimate cause of the disharmony within the human race. The first sin of Adam and Eve was followed by a blame game. The only two human beings to live at the time were already divided. In the next generation, we see division raised to a higher octave — jealousy and murder.
The Failed Fix
The Tower of Babel was humanity’s failed attempt at fixing the problem.
Genesis 11:3-4 NLT — They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”
A linguistic commonality and a desire to become famous were never going to be the basis for lasting unity. Therefore, when God confuses the languages of the people, the unity project breaks down.
The True Fix
Revelation 7:9 NLT — After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.
The grand finale of the redemptive plan of God sees the coming together of all humanity — united in worship.
A W Tozer points out in “The Pursuit of God” that many believers looking to Christ in worship are united to each other much like one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other. “They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow.”
Our happiness and unity lie in recognizing and living for the purpose for which we were created — worshipping God.
The Church is the trailer
The church is the place where God demonstrates this true unity. Here there is no Jew, no Greek, no male, no female. Hierarchies and barriers to unity are broken down in this body where individuals are rescued from their slavery to sin and separation and joined together in their allegiance to the King whose kingdom will see true unity and peace. This is the true tower of unity, built with Christ himself as the cornerstone.
Leave a Reply