Imagine a time when mankind was young. Migration led many to the land of Shinar. It was during that time, that man came together and decided to build not only a city but a tower that would reach the heavens. Seeing the structure, the Lord was not very pleased. In fact, He knew what trouble this could lead to, so He confused mankind with different languages and scattered them across the face of the earth. Thus, is the story of Babel. (Babylon, the remains of an ancient city, is now located in Iraq.)

Eerily, times of a rich, historical past parallel today's society. The familiarity to modern civilization is uncanny. In the biblical tale of the tower of Babel, men came together with one language and one common goal: the desire to control the land and all that lay beneath the tower. Making the impossible - possible to Human nature.

The construction of the tower of Babel tells a story of man and its amorous lust for greed and power. To build such a massive structure that led directly to the heavens, what a marvel it must have been. Though the tale is simple, its meaning is vast. Herein lies the virtue of society itself. With the industrialized world at its peak and infinite computerized technological advances, we have reached the brink of Babel. In this day and age, mankind has the means to communicate to the far outreaches of all the earth. With mere strokes upon a keyboard, we can speak with persons of different languages, cultures, race, religion and region. There are no boundaries to the human initiative.

What began as an oversized "brain" made of wires, metal and countless conductor boards, has evolved into the modern PC. We have at last designed the perfect mechanism to do our bidding. It thinks for us, supplies and stores information, and now with more and more technology, we can even speak to other peoples by means of a computer translator. The small screen that sits atop our office counters, our workbenches and our personal desks at home has become the brainchild of society's modernization, and has revolutionized the way we do and encounter most things.

Although it is just a machine, it has served a wonderful purpose. Through the use of computer equipment, time is no longer a challenge. Messages, tests and reports can come back to us in a matter of seconds. Physicians, technologists, mechanics, archeologists, biologists, and so many other career paths have endless uses for this manmade tool. It has rewarded us richly with its knowledge, as we have enriched it with ours.

But, the question still remains: At what point does the tower of Babel (figuratively speaking) collapse? When has humankind reached its boundaries and at what interval will all be lost because of modern technology? The world is our oyster - but what we must never forget is that the pearl of an oyster is created by disease. Just a thought to ponder.

06/2003