Preaching: Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Fearing

What if everything you thought you knew about the Tower of Babel was wrong? Far from a story about God feeling threatened by human ambition, this ancient narrative reveals something profoundly different about divine concerns—not the height of our towers, but the heart behind them.

The Tower of Babel wasn't condemned because people reached too high, but because they built with the wrong intention: "Let us make a name for ourselves." This self-glorifying motivation stands in stark contrast to the true towers that God blesses—those built for justice, community, and love of neighbor. When humanity united to create vaccines, explore space, advance civil rights, or address climate change, God rejoiced in these ambitious collaborations because they served the common good.

Pentecost offers the counterpoint to Babel's story. Where Babel moved from unity to division, Pentecost transforms division into understanding. The Holy Spirit didn't eliminate difference but created comprehension despite it, suggesting that God's ideal isn't homogeneity but harmony within diversity. As Walter Brueggemann, whose prophetic voice was recently lost to us at age 92, wisely noted: "Perhaps the miracle of Pentecost concerns a new gift of speech. But we should not miss the hint of the text. The newness concerns a fresh capacity to listen."

Today, in our fractured world where families and communities struggle to communicate across differences, we're invited to become Pentecost people—building towers that embrace diversity rather than fear it. The divine architect has provided the blueprint in Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit as our interpreter. What tower might you help build that unites neighbors, helps instead of harms, and bridges the chasms between us? Join us as we explore how God is calling us to construct a world where justice, kindness, mercy, and righteousness reach to the heavens.

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