Nothing they set out to do would be impossible to them

"And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they would set out to do will now be impossible for them."

Genesis 11:6

Since the dawn of human civilisation mankind strives to "get a name for ourselves"(v 4). The early history of humanity is largely written about those, who managed to leave a memorable mark on the landscape  of human experience. Mostly, they were people, who ably wielded power over others and thus by somehow rallying and uniting them imprinted some of their own values on the conscience of the world. Sargon of Akkad, Chufu of Memphis, Nebuccanezzer of Babylon, Alexander the Macedonian... they were all people, who succeeded in getting together vast numbers of people under their banner. That's why history remembers them. God, though disrupted the plans of the very ancient people to be one under one ruler, as we read here, as indeed happens with all empires that ever came up on the world scene: they all fell tumbling down. We, though, still instinctively honour unification, we stand in owe when many people manage to act as one in harmony. It really feels that if humans get together for real, nothing would be impossible to them. God knows that because it's His potential that he placed in humans and He is usually happy about it in principle. He is God of peace and harmony. Why did He put in disarray the plans of the people in this verse? What was wrong with the "beginning" of lasting greatness for humanity? Is not God the one, who creates them and whose image they were fashioned after? Yes, surely that's the case. Man is the glory of God (1 Cor 11:7). The greater and more dignified man is the more glorified his Creator would be, because all is from Him, through Him and for Him (Rom 11:36). The organic unifying of the people and their coming together as one is a recepie for yielding out all good things humanity relishes.  But we don't see God mentioned here. He is not on these people's minds or lips. It's about us, us, us. God knows that if He is not there as the rightful Ruler someone else would the sooner or latter appear, would not withstand the temptation and would seize the power and it will become all about me, me, me.. This would cause a great suffering. There are so many movements of the people, which, when they fail to honour God and abide by His principles, degrade into bleak and embarrassingly vain and suffering-causing social and political phenomena. The Nazism, the Communism, the various empires of the past show that freedom, true liberty, is only guaranteed, when God is truly allowed to be what He has always been for humanity since the beginning - God. Only when the moral principles that flow from His character underpin the social and political order (and incidentally our way of thinking) human potential can achieve everything and that would not be to the detriment of those involved. It's too perilious to strive for greatness in goodness unless it is set upon the divine principles of righteousness and justice, love and appreciation of life and upholding of liberty. 

Prayer:

Dear Father,

You want the best for all your children. You love humanity and you created them for your glory. Sometime we try to achieve glory and something great, but you are not the centre. We fail to allow you to be our God and forget your principles and rules. Please, preserve us and keep us by gifting us with your wisdom from the madness of aiming for something good, but not in the right way. 

In Jesus' Name! Amen!