Readings:
Genesis 11:1 - 13:4
Matthew 5: 1-26
Psalm 5: 1-12
Proverbs 1: 24-28
Genesis reading: Today's reading starts with the account of the Tower of Babel, in which the people of the world attempted to build a tower that would "make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world". The passage perhaps raises more questions than answers, among which includes the question of whether this was an actual event or a metaphorical account of the author attempting to explain the origin of multiple languages found throughout the world.
However, the purpose of this reflection is not so much to get into such questions, but rather to understand the lesson found in the passage itself. I'm not convinved that God simply wanted to scatter people far and wide for the sake of "showing who is boss". Rather, the first ten chapters of Genesis have already painted a picture of a humanity that makes inappropriate choices, often with disastrous consequences, and the author paints the picture of another such choice - that of humankind setting themselves above God (and thus attempting to assert their independence from God).
With this in mind, the author paints a picture of God intervening to protect humankind from themselves, preventing them from setting a path and direction that would seek to exclude God. We see the consequences of such choices by humans even today. While it does not mean that choosing to serve God shields us from all calamity, obedience to God certainly prevents us from making the kinds of choices that will lead to harm. We don't get it right all the time, but many can testify to the grace of God when seeking to do God's will.
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