In recent months, the public sphere has again been filled with conversations about shrinking civil liberties, increasing intimidation of critics, and public anxiety about the direction of democracy. Media reports have highlighted how activists, journalists, academics and civil society are beginning to feel the pressure when their voices are perceived as destabilising or disruptive to the image of power. But the real danger is not when people are forcibly silenced. What is more dangerous is when people slowly choose to remain silent out of fear. When criticism is considered a threat, while praise becomes a condition of security. As a result, many people live under the shadow of anxiety that is not always visible.

Human history turns out to be repetitive. Thousands of years before the modern world was familiar with political propaganda, power imaging, and controlling public opinion, the prophet Isaiah had witnessed a similar pattern. In Isaiah 13, Babylon appears not just as a great city, but as a symbol of an empire intoxicated by its own power. Babylon built its splendour through conquest, exploitation, mass deportation and the fear of other nations. The city seemed so strong, as if it could not possibly fall. In the midst of a world trembling against Babylon, Isaiah presents a different voice. He delivers a prophecy that sounds impossible: even such a great power can be brought down. God is depicted gathering nations from distant lands to execute judgement on the arrogant empire. For the Israelites living in exile, this prophecy was a message of hope. They are reminded that history is not entirely in the hands of rulers, as God continues to work even in the midst of a geopolitical world that appears to be ruled by tyranny.

In the presence of God, all the arrogance of power is but temporary. Even the most magnificent thrones remain fragile when built without justice and mercy. Isaiah not only prophesied the destruction of rulers, but also the collapse of the entire system that sustained Babylon's splendour. The vibrant city among the kingdoms will turn into a desolate ruin, where wild animals roam. This is a sharp criticism, that splendour built on the suffering of the people will eventually lose the life within it.

Doesn't the modern world often repeat the same pattern? On the one hand, development is flaunted grandly, economic growth figures are proudly announced, and an image of stability is maintained; but on the other hand, many small people lose their jobs, people are afraid to speak out, and people are getting tired of facing injustice. In such a situation, power is often too busy maintaining its own image to lose the sensitivity to hear the cries of its people. In the midst of this reality, the prophetic voice becomes important as a reminder that the ruler is not God and the political system is not absolute. Isaiah asserts that God is not silent towards tyranny, He sees the tears of the oppressed and hears the voices of the silenced. For us, then, the question is not only about how we assess power outside of ourselves, but also how we keep our own hearts from becoming intoxicated by the desire for power, silencing, or becoming deaf to the voices of the weak. In the midst of a world that is noisy with interests and fears, may we still have the courage to listen, speak the truth, and live in the light of God's justice.