I believe this holds a lot of truth for those who see and understand and hence can accomplish anything in this world. It is interesting that the author cites two cities; Nineveh and Babel that both eventually caught the wrath of God for their being overly consumed by thoughts of themselves. I do not think that God has only wrath for the movers and shakers of this world, but I think that these same need to hold themselves always accountable to the greater power, who will always be greater no matter our efforts to overthrow Him. Pride is an extremely powerful thing, that eventually can take hold of even the most reverent and humble man; simply because he is a man and hence susceptible to the wiles of the prince of this world.
With that thought, enjoy....
Ode
We are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams.
World-losers and world-forsakers,
Upon whom the pale moon gleams;
Yet we are the movers and shakers,
Of the world forever, it seems.
With wonderful deathless ditties
We build up the world's great cities,
And out of a fabulous story
We fashion an empire's glory:
One man with a dream, at pleasure,
Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
And three with a new song's measure
Can trample an empire down.
We, in the ages lying
In the buried past of the earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself with our mirth;
And o'erthrew them with prophesying
To the old of the new world's worth;
For each age is a dream that is dying,
Or one that is coming to birth.
-- Arthur O'Shaughnessy
