Welcome to the third episode of “The City”, where we delve deeper into the dark crevices of urban society. In this edition, we explore a disturbing symptom of human violence that is often ignored by the mainstream media and society as a whole. Join us as we uncover the harsh realities of the city and shed light on the harsh realities that many of us turn a blind eye to. So buckle up and get ready for a challenging yet eye-opening journey through the underbelly of the city.
The City Ep. 3: Exploring a Disturbing Symptom of Human Violence
Introduction
Cities have always been a hotbed of human activity, being the center of commerce, politics, and culture. However, the underlying cause of their existence lies in human fear and violence. This article will explore the reasons why humans build cities, the implications of these cities on the human psyche, and how they reflect the good and bad in society.
Why Do Humans Build Cities?
Cities are, in many ways, a symbolic representation of what’s present outside the Garden of Eden. Without nature’s protection, humans are driven to build walled enclosures in an attempt to shield themselves from danger. Throughout human history, cities have been an embodiment of this human instinct.
The primary association with cities is a walled enclosure for protection, as we have seen in the earliest civilizations like Babylon, which had impressive walls surrounding the city to counter enemy attacks. Similarly, Kane built the first city in the Bible as a place of protection, but it embodied fear, jealousy, and violence, leading to Cain murdering his brother Abel out of envy.
How the City Reflects the Human Psyche?
The biblical story of Kane and Abel reflects the idea that humans have a mix of good and bad in them, but the bad tends to scale. As a disturbing symptom of human violence, the city embodies these extremes of human behavior. Society’s goodness is measured in its capability to operate well within this framework of civilization, ensuring stable progress, order, and strong communities.
However, the negative tendencies of humans, such as fear, jealousy, grief, and anger, are amplified in urban settings. These factors propagate rivalry, distrust, and power struggle, leading to crime, violence, and anarchy. The city becomes an endless source of peril as well as a great place for learning, achieving monumental achievements, and for creating solutions to overcome adversity.
Kane’s Failure to Trust God’s Symbol
Kane’s failure to trust God’s symbol led him to build his own means of deliverance. This is a reflection of humanity’s self-centeredness, which can lead to adverse consequences such as destruction and suffering. The city, established as a means of protection, has become a source of danger because people tend to stray from the righteous path of trust and cooperation and embrace chaos instead.
God’s Response to Human Violence
God’s response to human violence was to flood the earth, to eliminate evil tendencies among humans, and punish those who transgressed in their wrongdoing. The Flood was not only an act of destruction but also a symbol of rebirth and renewal for humankind. From the Flood, God laid the foundations for humanity’s re-establishment. It demonstrates that humans need special measures to overcome their failures, and cities have a mixed record of success in providing the required solutions.
The Biblical Concept of a City
The biblical concept of a city incorporates walled enclosures and hubs of networks of unwalled towns. The concept is one of more comprehensive security, representing humanity’s fears at the time that by building walls, it could establish a sustainable source of protection. The city represented a place of human activity, and it became a hub of networks of communal activity, culture, art, politics, and learning.
The Genealogy and the Story of Lamech
The story of Kane leads to two parallel stories that flow out of the city: the genealogy and the story of Lamech. The genealogy details the human origin story, tracing the lineage of humanity from the first humans to Noah and his descendants, who were the survivors of the Flood. The story of Lamech, on the other hand, details the emergence of human violence and the multiple killings in his lineage out of vengeance and power struggle.
Conclusion
The city is a fascinating but deeply flawed creation of humanity, embodying both the best and the worst in human behavior. As a symbol of human progress and achievement, it can inspire, delight, but can also turn into a source of fear and horror. The city represents the forces that drive humanity forward and can either be the most significant force for humanity’s prosperity and well-being or lead to its downfall. Therefore, it is essential to recognize the potential for harm and good in the city and to use the lessons of history to guide us in our interactions with it.