Reverse the Curse

Summary

At Babel, the scattering of languages was an act of judgment in response to disobedience, bringing confusion and division. At Pentecost, the scattering of languages is an act of blessing in response to obedience, bringing new insight and unity of purpose. At Pentecost, God did not give us a new, perfect universal language. Instead, God enabled us to understand each other’s languages. Rather than reversing the Babel curse (which is not a curse, but merely the diffusion of cultures as God intended), God enabled us to understand one another’s speech. The change is in us. At Babel we desired uniformity and glory for our own sake. What God gives us at Pentecost is the gift of unity in the Gospel, for God’s glory and for the salvation of the world. We have one story to tell, one Lord to profess, one saving grace to proclaim, one God to worship, one hope to share with the world. The Spirit of Pentecost challenges us to tell the story of Jesus in our own words as often as we can, in whatever way we can, to whoever we can. And to God be the glory!