Technology, Pride, and the Tower of Babel
"But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building." — Genesis 11:5
In this week's reflection, Rev Rob explores:
The UK government's proposed social media ban for under-16s — and what it raises about technology and our children
Why the Tower of Babel is not a story about bricks, but about pride and self-sufficiency
How technology is never neutral — it shapes our habits, desires, and sense of self
What it looks like to use every tool — ancient or modern — to glorify God rather than ourselves
A Ban, a Grandson, and a Big Question
This hasn't been a good week for under-16s — or maybe it has, depending on your view. Early on Monday morning the Prime Minister announced the intention to legislate to make it illegal for young people to access social media. The debate has been raging for some time as to the impact of YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and other platforms on our children's mental and emotional health, and finally the government has bitten the bullet with a blanket ban. My grandson, Ezra, is not happy with the decision. When I asked him what he thought, his reply was simply: "Keir Starmer = Bad."
This debate is in essence one about the proper place of technology in our lives. Almost all technologies can be used to glorify God by enabling human life to flourish — but they also have a dark side and can be abused to rebel against God, causing harm and bringing destruction. My mind goes straight to a dusty plain in the Middle East, thousands of years ago, when the human race was beginning to recover from the flood — a scene described in Genesis 11:1–9.
Babel: More Than Mud Bricks
When we read the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, it's easy to imagine a primitive people stacking mud bricks in the desert. But the text quietly reveals something far more sophisticated. "Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly." This is technological innovation. This is humanity discovering a new way to build — stronger, faster, higher than ever before.
The problem is not the bricks. Scripture never condemns creativity, skill, or invention. In fact, the Bible celebrates them: Bezalel is filled with the Spirit to craft beauty for the tabernacle; Solomon uses engineering to build the temple; Paul uses Roman roads to spread the gospel. God delights in human creativity because it reflects His own.
When Technology Becomes a Tower
But at Babel, technology becomes something else. It becomes a way to avoid dependence on God — in fact, a means of rebelling against God. The people say, "Let us build… so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered." Their new tools give them confidence — too much confidence. They begin to believe they can secure their own identity, their own safety, their own future without God.
The problem isn't innovation; it's self-exaltation. Technology becomes a way to push God to the margins. The tower is not just a building; it is a symbol of self-sufficiency, arrogance and pride. God had commanded them to scatter across the earth, but they determined to stick together. And just in case God decided to send another flood in judgement (which He promised He would never do again), they built with waterproof materials (v. 3) and went as high as they possibly could (v. 4).
We Recognise This Today
We recognise this impulse today. Our devices promise connection yet often leave us isolated. Our apps promise efficiency yet often leave us restless. Our screens promise knowledge yet often leave us anxious. Technology is powerful, but it is never neutral. It shapes our habits, our desires, our attention — even our sense of self.
Like the people of Babel, we can easily slip into using technology to build our own little towers — carefully curated online identities, endless productivity, digital escape routes that numb rather than heal. We start to believe the lie that we can manage life on our own terms.
God's Disruption Is Grace
Well, though at Babel they were aiming sky high, God had to come down to see what they were building! He had to act to bring the construction project to an end, and He did so by confusing their languages. And yet, the story doesn't end with judgement. God's scattering of the people is not punishment for punishment's sake; it is grace. In His fierce love for us, God disrupts anything that leads us away from Him. He refuses to let us settle for a life built in our own name and on our own terms.
Redeemed at Pentecost — and Today
Yet the good news is that God does not abandon human creativity. At Pentecost, the confusion of languages is reversed — not by human achievement, but by the Spirit. Many languages become one message: the good news of Jesus. Technology, too, can be caught up in God's redemptive purposes. Technology can be redeemed. Used humbly, it becomes a way to serve, to learn, to encourage, to share good news. The question is never simply "What can this tool do?" but "What is this tool doing to me?" By God's grace it becomes a tool for compassion, learning, encouragement, and witness.
The Question We Need to Ask
So the question for us is not "Should we use technology?" but rather "How is technology shaping my heart?" Is it drawing me toward God or distracting me from Him? Is it helping me love others or helping me avoid them? Is it making His name known — or simply building my own?
May our use of technology be marked not by self-promotion, but by dependence on God, love for others, and a desire to make His name known. May we be a people who use every tool — ancient or modern — not to make a name for ourselves, but to glorify the One whose name alone endures forever.
Blessings,
Rev Rob
"If you're exploring faith for the first time, our Alpha Course is a great place to start.
