Links for today’s readings:
Read: Genesis 9-10 Listen: (7:19), Read: John 9 Listen: (4:56)
Scripture Focus: Genesis 10.32
32 These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.
Acts 2.7-12
7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, d 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
Reflection: Zoom Out, Zoom In
By John Tillman
One of the Bible’s consistent patterns is alternating broad and narrow views.
First, we see a broad cosmic view of creation. Then we see an earthy, up-close, face-to-face depiction of God, Adam, and Eve. Then, from a panoramic scene of the world’s wickedness, we zoom in on one man, Noah, being saved from the judgment of the flood along with his family. Next, we see a wide-angle picture of human pride and rejection of God at the tower of Babel, followed by a macro lens zooming in to follow one family, eventually stopping on an intimate image of Abram’s interactions with God.
The “Table of Nations” is one of the “wide-angle” moments. When I was younger, I envisioned the “Table of Nations” like a United Nations meeting table. However, the “Table of Nations” is not a meeting table where nations gather, it is a spreadsheet table recording where nations scattered. It is not uniting but dividing.
God wanted humans to spread out, flourish, and cultivate growth. But as nations grew, so did suspicion and hatred. They spread over the Earth to isolate and protect themselves, hoarded what they produced, and either envied or feared their brothers and sisters.
When the world fills with chaos and disorder, God zooms in to start changing the world through one life, one family, one nation. But his intention is never to raise one people above all others. God has always wanted to gather all the nations as one people, his people. One family, his family. One flock, his flock. Acts 2 shows that beginning to happen but the rest of Acts and the New Testament shows that it wasn’t easy going.
Uniting people has always been more difficult than dividing them. We see that today. When we look at our world with a wide view, division and hatred are rampant. Anti-Semitic and other racially motivated attacks are growing. Politics is more bitterly fought than ever.
The pattern we see in scripture can comfort and challenge us. It comforts us to remember that most of the time when we look at the wide angle, the situation looks bad.
It challenges us to remember that God zooms in close to get involved on a personal level—our level. Under God’s lens, we are agents of change, inviting everyone to the banquet table of the gospel. He will magnify our efforts.
Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah—that is, Christ—is coming; and when he comes he will explain everything.” Jesus said, “That is who I am, I who speak to you” — John 4.25-26
– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.
Read more: Life in the Blood
May we not carelessly “eat” blood by profiting from violence, supporting bloodshed, or indifferently shrugging off bloodshed that doesn’t affect us.
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