“Let’s make ourselves famous so we won’t be scattered here and there across the Earth.” The Tower of Babel is an ancient story repeating itself in contemporary times. God judges the action of the leaders and community.
As a result, the wrath of God burned against the people and cursed them by confusing their language.
The story provides an ancient example of cause and effect. How we interpret what we hear and from whom we listen guides our life. National culture is closely linked to the national language.
The English landscape painter Wm Turner created romantic landscapes of the English coast.
“Tower of Babel” is the title for the cover of The Artistic Journey, which was the last issue in December 2022. The image uses the shape of my latest work, the clustering of Agave spears that depicts the towers. I see the artistry of Vermeer, Wm Turner, and Rembrandt in the piece. Each of the artists inspired my work.
The Modern Tower of Babel
Religion can be primitive, enlightened, and spiritual. From my point of view, religion is the primary influence of culture. “Everything is Spiritual” by Rob Bell is fascinating to follow and watch:
Today, the edges between primitive and enlightened religions have blurred and are neither enlightened nor primitive. There is nothing new under the sun, said the psalmist. Nature is venerated but led to being the source of worship and not the Creator. The Tower of Babel became a symbol of attaining God-head. The “flood” was in fresh memory of Nimrod, grandson of Noah. Higher ground managed the risk of drowning.
Spirituality is both religious and sacred. The quest for the sacred is a treacherous journey.
A traditional definition of religion fits the narrative and definition of religion currently practiced. Emile Durkheim focused more on how religion performs a necessary function; it brings people and society together. Durkheim thus defined religion as:
A unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things which are set apart and forbidden—beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them.
Emile Durkheim
Today, the ubiquity of fame permeates the airwaves. A million voices and a billion images vie for our attention. The speed of life outlives the celebrity of the moment.
Two Loafs & 5 Fish-Jesus Feed Five Thousand- Light of the World
Dreams project a reality through a dimension of subconscious images, experiences, and vibrations. Sometimes pleasant, sometimes daunting, sometimes real. In my dreams, I travel through realms that are purely imaginary yet quietly familiar. My movement is aided by the wind above the places outside of myself while hovering in an out-of-body experience.
That sense of flying, floating miles above or hovering over a room, presumes wings of some sort. I often find myself in a “Two AM Wilderness,” avoiding the path leading to the mirage. At the same time, seeking the right Light and trail.
- A Transcendent Journey
- Illuminate
- Pillars of Clouds and Fire
- Spirituality in Art
![“The Return to the Office or [Church]”](https://larryjortega.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Midieval-Times-3-HB-768x1254.jpeg)
