Humanity has already imagined the future. It has done so through mythical stories and science fiction. Religions have also imagined the future. That is why Pope Leo XIV has included the Tower of Babel story, as told in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, in his initial reflections in the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. The Pope contrasts the story of Babel with the reconstruction of Jerusalem under the leadership of Nehemiah. The Tower is the emblem of human pride. The reconstruction of the Holy City represents a community that decides to work together in concord, not through domination.
Re-reading Babel gives us keys to see ourselves in the mirror of the builders of the Tower. Pope Leo XIV states in his encyclical that “Babel thus reveals the limits of any effort that, however grandiose, arises from self-affirmation, sacrifices human dignity for efficiency and aspires to reach heaven without God’s blessing.”
Comments
Post a Comment