Hope for the world is a deep yearning in our society, and also a challenging question. Many are optimistic about our power to fix the problems of the world (e.g. the exploding startup scene), while others are much more pessimistic (e.g. the prevalence of dystopian film and tv). Where do we find hope for the world, and what is the basis of that hope? This passage is about the birth of the city, and has much to show us about our social distortions, and the spiritual distortions at their heart.