Broken: Language

This past sunday ended our series called Broken at h2o.

This week, we talked about how man's relationship with language was broken as a result of the Fall. You see, in Genesis Chapter 11, God intervened as human beings went to work building the Tower of Babel. It wasn't that towers in and of themselves are bad, it was what this tower represented. It was an attempt on the part of humanity to construct a world in which they would dictate a relationship with God. The desire was to build a tower to ascend into the heavens--to make our own way to God.

The irony is that in the story, it says that God "came down to have a look". As a result of the Fall, our relationship with language became broken. People had their language confused so that they would better understand their need for each other, and more importantly their need for God.

Even today, as we have made massive inroads in the world of language, we still continue to hurt and abuse one another with words. It's like we don't fully understand what we use words for--so we use them as weapons to cut and to hurt one another.

When Jesus came on the earth, he brought healing where there was once brokenness. In fact, in the Bible, one of the first stories of people sharing the gospel involved a change in the dynamic of language. People from every nation heard the gospel proclaimed in their own language.

Today, we play a part in reversing the tower of Babel, when we stop using words as weapons. We play a part in reversing the tower of Babel when we take the time, and the initiative to share the truth of the gospel and redemption through Jesus with other people. We play a part in reversing the tower of Babel when we use language to point people back to the God of all creation whose relationship with us has been severed by us.

Language that was once broken nowbecomes the great tool in the hands of humanity for sharing healing and restoration with the world. In fact, the Bible tells us that one day people from all of the nations will be gathered together in a worshipful community with God (instead of a tower) in its center.

Take time today, and share the powerful, healing message of the gospel with someone. Help them to become part of an inclusive community that will one day be composed of people from every tribe and tongue and nation united in worship in the eternal presence of God.