挪亚的玄孙法勒有个不同寻常的名字，意思是“分”。我们今天读到的经文说他取名叫法勒，“因为那时人就分地居住”。这是什么意思呢？
创世记11章中巴别塔的故事或许就是这个问题的答案。那时候的人们为了给自己扬名，想要建造一座城和一座塔，塔顶通天。这跟挪亚“与神同行”真是相去甚远！神干预了巴别塔事件，变乱了人们的语言，使他们分散在世界各地。
今天，无论我们看世界的哪个角落，都发现我们仍生活在分裂的痛苦后果中。我们经历着民族主义，部落主义，种族主义，歧视和战争。就像我们在一个地方开始取得进展时，分裂却在另一个地方露出头角。到底还有没有希望？有的！
耶稣出生时，天使宣告说：“我报给你们大喜的信息，是关乎万民的。因今天...为你们生了救主”(路2:10-11)。在约翰福音17章我们看到，在耶稣为我们的罪被捕和钉十字架之前，祂祈求我们合而为一。因着耶稣已经完成的工作，我们不但可以与主同行，还可以并肩同行，彼此相爱。让我们今天就开始吧。
主耶稣，我祈求在你里面的合一取代我们的分裂，好使各地的人都看见你的荣耀。奉你的名祷告。阿们。
创世记 10:25; 11:1-9
25希伯生了两个儿子，一个名叫法勒，因为那时人就分地居住；法勒的兄弟名叫约坍。
1那时，天下人的口音、言语都是一样。
2他们往东边迁移的时候，在示拿地遇见一片平原，就住在那里。
3他们彼此商量说：“来吧！我们要做砖，把砖烧透了。”他们就拿砖当石头，又拿石漆当灰泥。
4他们说：“来吧！我们要建造一座城和一座塔，塔顶通天，为要传扬我们的名，免得我们分散在全地上。”
5耶和华降临，要看看世人所建造的城和塔。
6耶和华说：“看哪，他们成为一样的人民，都是一样的言语，如今既做起这事来，以后他们所要做的事就没有不成就的了。
7我们下去，在那里变乱他们的口音，使他们的言语彼此不通。”
8于是，耶和华使他们从那里分散在全地上，他们就停工不造那城了。
9因为耶和华在那里变乱天下人的言语，使众人分散在全地上，所以那城名叫巴别。
“I pray also for those who will believe in me . . . that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” - John 17:20-21
Peleg, a great-great-grandson of Noah, was given an unusual name, which means “divided.” Our reading today explains that he was “named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided.” And what does that mean?
The story about the tower of Babel in Genesis 11 may be the answer to that question. The people in that day wanted to build a city with a tower reaching into the sky in order to make a name for themselves. What a far cry from Noah, who “walked faithfully” with God! God intervened at Babel by confusing the language of the people so that they scattered throughout the world.
Wherever we look in the world today, we still live with the bitter results of division as we experience nationalism, tribalism, racism, prejudice, and warfare. Just as we begin making headway in one place, division rears its ugly head in another place. Is there any hope? Yes!
At Jesus’ birth, the angel announced, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. . . . A Savior has been born to you” (Luke 2:10-11). And in John 17 we see that before Jesus was arrested and crucified for our sins, he prayed that we would be one. Because of Jesus’ finished work, we can walk not only with the Lord but also together, and we can love one another. Let’s begin today.
Lord Jesus, we pray that unity in you may replace our divisions so that people everywhere might see your glory. In your name we pray. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
