In 1174, the Italian architect Bonnano Pisano began work on what would become his most famous project: a separately standing eight-story bell tower in the city of Pisa. There was just one “little” problem: builders quickly discovered that the soil was much softer than they had anticipated, and the foundation was far too shallow to adequately hold the structure! Before long it began to tilt...and it continued to tilt...until finally the architect and the builders realized that nothing could be done to make the Leaning Tower of Pisa straight again.
It took 176 years to build the Tower of Pisa and during that time many things were done to try and compensate for the “tilt.” The foundation was shored up; the upper levels were even built at an angle to try to make the top of the tower look straight. Nothing worked. The tower has stood for over 800 years, but it leans 18 feet away from where it should be. One day, experts say, it will fall…all because it wasn’t built on the right foundation.
The builders were in such a hurry to go up that they didn’t take the time to go down. The façade looked alright but because the foundation was not secure, the tower still totters today. I’ve been told that the depth of a foundation depends on the quality of the soil, but most engineers will tell you that no matter how long it takes to get there, the best foundations go right down to the bedrock. Did you know that the foundation for the Willis Tower in Chicago is 108 stories above the ground and 100 feet into the ground?
In Matthew 7, Jesus tells us that in order to have a life that lasts, our foundation must be anchored to the solid rock. We could say it like this: If you want your life to last for eternity, then listen to Jesus and live what He says. It’s not enough to just hear what He says; we must heed what He says.
We must move from just preaching what he preached.....to practicing what He preached.