As the ancient story goes in the book of Genesis, the world had “one language and common speech.” From this place, they wanted to “make a name for themselves.” This was displeasing to God, as it realized the risk of a singularity that would allow them to do the impossible. So, God scattered them and confused their languages.
It seems singularity is not God’s design. Otherwise, he probably would have let them be.
Perhaps this singularity produces a mindset of making an individual name for itself that seems counter to God’s intention.
Today, we get snared within the singularity of our isms. Denominationalism. Nationalism. Capitalism. Marxism. Socialism. Racism. Ageism. Sexism. And many others. I’m no historian, but I’d imagine these isms have grabbed hold of humanity since its inception. As was the early case with Babel in the Bible’s first book
I can’t imagine what time was like way back then, but I have a contextual understanding of today. And I see the walls of singularity holding strongly—walls guarding and defending a righteousness of self-knowledge and self-protection.
The problem is that isms don’t listen. It’s as though they say, “Why listen when you possess the correct answer as to how to build ourselves a city?”
In reality, isms have a distinct vantage point or perspective on other isms. They are aware of things the other may not be.
You see, when you are able to view something from an outsider perspective, you have a lens that the inside doesn’t possess. This is true in many organizational and institutional environments. It’s often why they hire consultants to come into a company to tell them what they don’t see. Having had the opportunity to do this for many companies in marketplace and ministry, it is consistent to see what blinders the companies wear and how detached they are from the realities of their ‘outside world.’
In the U.S., we love our capitalism. American Franciscan priest and writer Richard Rohr shared, “We pick up capitalism with our mother’s milk.”
Our country’s devoted singularity to a system has deafened our ears to input from the outside. If a tenant of Marxism provides a lens of thought and consideration, we immediately dismiss the input and its validity, marching to our system’s defense with, “You see how that ruined Venezuela!” And the like.
Sure, we can debate each system’s pros and cons, but moreover, isms don’t like to be challenged. They hold fast to their way. They often provide vehement protest to even the idea that a tenant is questioned, crying, “How DARE you!”
But, back to Babel. God scattered and confused the singular them. He had a bigger plan in mind. A plan that comes to fruition in a Biblical future of “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb...” Singularity does not seem to be God’s design.
Isms don’t have it all right. And sure, we can easily admit that whichever is ours is flawed. Or that none of them will achieve the fullness of existence that God intends. But when we dismiss the input of another perspective, we can throw too many babies out with the bathwater. Isms need input as they have blind spots that can prove damaging to many living within them. Often, that input stems from another ism itself.
When Jesus came to the water to be baptized, John the Baptizer called the crowd to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Thanks to ChatGPT, I’ve learned that the Greek for “repent” conveys the idea of changing one's mind or turning away from past actions, often in a moral or spiritual context.
Perhaps we need to repent a bit from the isms that we hold so dear. Perhaps we cup our ear to outside thought. I’m not saying submit to the other isms, as that’d be counter to all I’ve talked about. Still, we need to allow for the examination of the allegiances we pledge and bind our minds to, before we dismiss them because they’re too different.
We’re all guilty. Just because I’ve written a blog post about it does not in the least negate my susceptibility to singularity. I guess repentance is a consistent and ongoing state. As is listening.