When Babel Burns

"Truth? Whose truth?”

That question emerged alongside Postmodernism, which wasn’t a movement, per se, but more of a cultural atmosphere. It rose out of the cracks left by world wars, injustice, and the failures of human institutions — including the Church. Where modernism sought clarity and control, Postmodernism shrugs and says, “Who’s to say what’s true anyway?”

Today, we have a sub-cultural atmosphere in the Church which some refer to as deconstruction. But it’s not a rebellion made up of Christians who are walking away from God — it’s actually characterized by genuine reverence for the Creator. Deconstruction may be more appropriately termed as a rethinking of our faith’s primary tenets. It’s the trembling hope that there’s more of God to be found under the layers of tradition, politics, and man-made certainty.

Why the Church Feels the Heat

George Barna, a premier Christian researcher, has solid research revealing a quiet exodus from the American Church.

• Barna notes that over 150 million Americans are now ‘unchurched,’ with attendance down 36% since the early ’90s.

• Even post-pandemic, most congregations haven’t returned to former levels.

• For the first time in decades, men now outpace women in weekly attendance (30% vs. 27%).

• And among those still inside church walls? A large portion lacks deep spiritual engagement.

  
  

The good news, however, is that despite the decline in church attendance, Barna’s research reveals a surprising undercurrent: 74% of Americans say they want to grow spiritually, and 44% report being more open to God now than before the pandemic. Even more striking, over 75% still believe in a higher power. So while the institutional Church may be shrinking, spiritual curiosity is on the rise. The hunger is real, but no longer fits inside traditional structures  (Source: Barna Group, “Spiritual Openness,” 2022–2023).

Institutional Christianity — especially in the West — has grown big, powerful, and sometimes self-protective. We’ve all seen its failures: division, control, greed, and even abuse. That’s not new in history. But maybe, just maybe, the crumbling of “Christianity-as-we-know-it” isn’t the enemy of God’s purpose.

The God who scattered Babel’s builders and disrupted religious empires may not be wringing His hands over our current unraveling. He might even be holding the match — clearing space for something alive, humble, and free.

The Problem with Just Rearranging Furniture

Despite Paul’s warning that knowledge puffs up (1 Cor 8:1 NIV), we’ve stuffed our heads with theology books, commentaries, and doctrinal debates. Growing in knowledge is a worthy pursuit, but unless it springs from an authentic encounter with Christ, it leaves us simply rearranging the furniture in a burning house.

The first disciples didn’t have a library or even a Bible. They had Jesus — living, breathing, eating, walking among them. They had Presence. And that was enough to turn the world upside down.

When Letting Go is the Most Faithful Move

If your faith seems frail, you’re not failing God. You might be on holy ground. Re-examining your faith can feel like a controlled burn — painful, but clearing space for new growth.

Keep using your mind, but point it to the Spirit of Truth. Let go of your attempts to impress God. Make space for mystery, remembering that there's a reason we call this "faith." Above all, be honest with God, others, and yourself.

So if you’re wandering through the rubble of a faith that no longer fits, don’t panic. Keep moving and listening, because the whisper of God’s Presence is in the clearing.

Let Babel burn — and watch for the green shoots of something fresh, free, and Christlike to rise from the ashes.