Today’s reading picks up with Noah and his sons after the flood. God has delivered them from the destruction brought upon the earth, and now Noah begins to farm the land, labor, and toil. But unfortunately, the curse of sin has not been washed away, and it doesn’t take long for it to wreak havoc again. Pride takes center stage—a theme we’ve seen repeatedly. Take notice of how this pride leads to family divisions with Noah’s sons. Then, as we look at the story of Babel, we notice how the descendants of Adam and Eve repeat the sins of their ancestors, wanting to elevate themselves on par with the Creator. The story of Babel is where we learn the origin of different languages and the purpose for which God used them. It may be easy to hear these passages and fail to acknowledge the role of pride in our lives and how it causes us strife and pain. But remember that we bear the seed of Adam’s sin within us and, in many ways, are not different from those we’ll hear about today.