The Most Leaning Tower in the World - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2024

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:11

The Most Leaning Tower in the World
For a long time it was thought that this title belonged to the Tower of Pisa. But the East Frisians knew better. The church tower in the East Frisian village of Suurhusen, in the municipality of Hinte, is considered the most leaning tower in the world. At a height of 27.37 metres, the tower has an overhang of 2.47 metres at the ridge, which corresponds to an inclination of 5.19 degrees. By comparison, the Tower of Pisa has an inclination of just 3.97 degrees.

The church of Suurhusen dates back to the 13th century. The tower was added in 1450. It rests on a foundation of oak logs that were preserved in the water for centuries. When the surrounding land was drained in the 19th century, the water table sank and the oak logs began to rot. The foundation gave way and the tower tilted.

So it is the foundation that counts! The apostle Paul also speaks of this in our Bible verse. There, too, "church building" is the subject - not the construction of church buildings, but in a figurative sense the construction of the church of Jesus. And just as for the life of the individual, so also for the church, there is only one suitable and sustainable foundation: Jesus Christ Himself!

That is why it is so important that Jesus Christ is not pushed into the background in our personal life nor in our church life. It is important that Christ is preached and that we hold on to everything that the New Testament testifies about the Son of God. Otherwise things will go wrong! Therefore: "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel" (2 Timothy 2:8).

Today's reading: Numbers 6:1-27 · Matthew 5:13-20