The tower of babel story is a story of limits.  Humans get into trouble when we begin to think we can know more than we can know. This is of course in tension with the creation story that invites humanity to join in continuing the fruitful possibility of the world.

The story goes that humans decided to build a tower to heaven to gain a reputation for greatness. God “came down to see this thing” and confused the language so that the project was abandoned.

Our knowing and our doing is always limited and we live in a mystery. As someone has said we live rising from a mystery and we depart back into mystery.  It is wise then to live in between time with a bit of humility.