The Crayon Box

Here's a story that was read at my son's play group in November. I don't remember what the title was, but it went something like this.

There once was a box of crayons, that did not get along.
The red one disliked the green one; the black one disliked the blue one.
"What an ugly color" the orange would say of gray.
"I sure don't like the way yellow looks", said pink.

But one day, a little child came and took that box of crayons.
With the red crayon he drew a ball; with the green, some grass,
With the black, shoes; with the blue, the sky.
Although all were different, each was essential.
And the presence of each one, made the picture complete.

This was not a religious story book, but the point of the story was deeply theological.

For a long time now, humanity has been looking for a way to get along. We have all these differences that work to divide us.
Like those crayons, we need something bigger than all of us to unite us.
We need a master plan, some sort of order that brings out the full potential of all.

Communism was one attempt to bring this about. The idea was that by concentrating the efforts of the people in one direction, harmony, equity, and fraternity would result. This was not the first attempt to unite people around a human system.

For centuries and millennia, men have sought to establish a "new order" that would bring peace to the human race. All of the great conquerors: Cyrus, Alexander, Napoleon, saw themselves as liberators, men who would conquer the world and abolish war. The Roman Empire came closest to achieving this, at least in the west. The Pax Romana lasted around 200 years. But that peace was built on one of the most barbaric and cruel forms of execution ever devised by mankind: Crucifixion.

For up to a week, men would hang from a pole, exposed to the elements, literally to rot alive. It may have been unsavory, but it was effective. That was the cost of peace.

Back in Genesis 11, we read about the tower of babel. The builders of this great tower had the seemingly noble goal of uniting the world. Obviously the tower was meant to be a political and cultural center for the world. But this effort displeased God.

Is God against peace? Not at all. But in His wisdom, he saw the oppression and cruelty the the concentration of power around a few men would lead. He divided the nations so that oppression of tyrants would be limited to a certain geographical location; and their power would never be absolute or invincible. I for one, am glad He did that.

So is there any hope for peace? Certainly not around a human system. Absolute power can only corrupt absolutely. Democracy works because it limits the power of the government. The best way to preserve some freedom for the majority, is for the world to remain politically divided.

The Book of Daniel, interestingly written mostly from Babylon (connected to the Hebrew word Babel), records a great statue in chapter 2 that outlined in advance the failed attempts of man to establish peace on earth. Finally, the vision culminates with a rock being cut out without hands, demolishing the statue, and filling the whole earth. We're told that this statue represents the kingdom of God, and would endure forever.

Just as this rock was cut out without human hands, there is nothing human beings can do to fulfill this vision (or to stop it). But we can bring people hope by telling them about it.