Package Deal

Civilization is roughly defined as a set of rules and customs that enable cities. It enables people to live together in close quarters without killing each other. In other words, it is the Tower of Babel — yet another attempt to have shalom without the presence and power of divine revelation.

Babylon is the first recorded cosmopolitan society. It was quite contrary to God’s revealed will for people outside the Garden of Eden. Living in a fallen world requires that we be dispersed into tiny groups, and that we not cultivate the kind habits required for living in a cosmopolitan atmosphere. There is only one reason for building cities, and that is to concentrate resources, something that inevitably signals materialism. Whatever else Nimrod had in mind, it was most certainly about control and amassing labor and materials.

Whatever it is that comes in the package with urban living, it’s not what God wants for us. We should not have to tread lightly in society; we should be able to move with firm conviction and confidence. It should be a virtue to run roughshod over sensitive people, because nobody should be sensitive. It’s not logic that makes you tough-minded, but conviction. We are supposed to cultivate people walking in their convictions.

That’s not to say we can’t be kind and supportive, but there should be a clear goal of moving folks to confidence and tolerance. We should train souls to be patient with human frailty, which is not the same thing as being sensitive.

Then again, we can always be sensible about where we are when we aren’t at home. We should encourage honoring each other within our own domains. Someone should always own the turf, and their ways rule within that domain. While passing through, we accommodate things we might not do ourselves, but we remain strong in our own ways. We should know the whys of our traditions and customs, and respect those of whomever holds the ground.

It’s not about anyone’s feelings, but how they cope with life after the Fall. Respect has limits, and must be reciprocal. There is always room for negotiation. Mostly it’s a matter of leaving people alone with their particular brand of folly, since you have your own follies.

Yet it’s impossible to avoid a sense of superiority in the ways and customs of your tribe. It’s not that everyone else’s tribe is wrong, but there has to be room for what gives people confidence to function. If you don’t believe in the superiority of your own culture, then you don’t have a culture. Go find one that fits you and stick with it.

The Bible is pretty clear: If you want peace with God, life can be tolerable as you seek the Life above. The only way to claim peace with God is to embrace His revelation. His revelation is always in terms of covenant obedience. Without a covenant to bind you with others of like calling and faith, you cannot have shalom. Your life is meaningless without a covenant. With a covenant, you need little else. You want want to avoid cities where conditions may hinder your covenant obedience.

It’s a package deal. You either take the whole package from God, our you serve the Devil. Guess who is the god of man-made civilization? Only in Christ can we find the peace that allows us to live together. And He has proved beyond all doubt that no city on this earth can ever embrace His revelation without the people dispersing away from whatever Tower of Babel holds them together.

Note: Calm down. If you sense the Lord’s call to live in a particular city, that’s fine. Just know that it’s not God’s ideal for humanity. Whatever it is that comes in the package of living in a city will always include moral corruption and self-indulgence. Be guarded against it; don’t let your heart be trapped in the urban environment. Sometimes getting involved in God’s redemptive work means camping at the Gates of Hell.