The Leaning Tower of Pisa
Grace Lijo
The Torre Pendente Di Pisa tower, which we all know by the name Leaning Tower of Pisa, is the leaning bell tower in the cathedral of Pisa in Italy. The tower was not originally designed to tilt but it started to lean while building the third floor, the whole tower started sinking down into the soft ground underneath. The unintended tilt was the result of miscalculation of not considering the weight-bearing capacity of the soft soil on which the foundation of the massive tower was laid. The Shifting soil had destabilized the tower’s foundations, as the foundation stones had been laid on the soft ground consisting of clay, fine sand, and shells.
Laying the foundation is the fundamental and foremost step in construction and architects are cautious in designing a sturdy foundation. It’s a universally known fact that for a strong building, the foundation needs to be strong. Amidst the unfavorable climate, the pyramids still stand for centuries as they were founded on rocks. The Egyptians were cautious about the foundation where they first selected a higher ground where waterlogging would not occur, on a firm rock base over the desert plateau capable of supporting the great weigh of the pyramid without any risk of cracking and then prepare a firm foundation by removing the loose sand from the rock.
Nobody builds a building without any foundation except for the fool in the parable Jesus told in Luke 6:47-49; Matthew 7:24-27. In this parable we see two men building houses. The wise man’s is well built, founded on rock whereas the fool’s was on sand; both houses went through the same catastrophic conditions. The rains came down, the streams rose and the wind blew over them. The house which was founded on the rock remained while the other was completely destroyed.
It was definitely the construction techniques employed that eventually resulted in the survival of the well-built house after the extreme climatic conditions. Observing the steps of building we see the wise man have:
- Dug deep,
- Laid foundation on the rock,
- Built his house.
Why did Jesus refer to the wise man who built a house on the rock to anyone who follows Him? Through this parable, (Luke 6:47), Jesus explains what He expects from anyone who follows Him :
- Come to Me,
- Hear My words,
- Practice them.
The process of following Christ is progressive and doesn’t end with the acknowledgment of his LORDSHIP (v46) rather it involves knowing him intimately, loving him by keeping his words (John 14:15). Alike the builder we need to ponder into the word of god to get closer to the lord just like one hunts for hidden treasures, understand them, and apply it in our lives.
We are Gods building (1 Corinthians 3:9), founded on Jesus Christ (1 Cor 3:11) and our works are built on it (1 Cor 3:12) When we want to make the house strong we take enough time to make sure that the foundation is strong rather than hustling to erect a structure above the ground. In fact, the solid foundation beneath holds the building above it. To grow more like Christ we need to continue to live our lives in him by being rooted and established in the love of Christ and be built upon Him (Col 2:6,7) (Eph 3:14) Otherwise we would be imitating a Christian life building a house on sand, the house looks complete but when the test of faith comes from every direction our life would collapse. Let us build our house with firm foundation laid upon Christ only such a house withstands the challenges from all around it- be it the pouring rain, rising streams, or the beating storm. The one that is founded on the rock remains whereas the fall of the other would be a great tragedy.
It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; it’s the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time.
-David Allan Coe
You can’t build a great building on a weak foundation. You must have a solid foundation if you’re going to have a strong superstructure.
-Gordon B. Hinckley
