In almost every village and town in Italy you will find an ancient tower. Some are quite ornate like the bell tower next to the duomo in Florence, some are beautiful but flawed like the leaning tower of Pisa, most are plain like the one pictured above in San Gimignano. Many have bells or clocks, but those were usually later additions. Almost all of the towers were originally built to defend the village or the family who built the tower.
Approaching enemies could be seen from many miles around by the watchman posted at the top of the tower. When he spotted an enemy he would sound an alarm and the people would run into the tower. Once everyone was inside they would bar the door and climb to a higher level. Often they would set fire to the stairs behind them to prevent the enemy from following. High up on many towers you will see a very short and narrow door. The dimensions of the door were essential to the effectiveness of the tower. An enemy trying to breach the tower with a ladder would be unable to fit through the door wearing his armor, and it is fairly easy to ward off unarmed knights trying to crawl through a hole single file. It is also not difficult to to defend a tower by raining down arrows and boiling oil through narrow slits on all sides. Most often the enemy would finally give up, and the inhabitants would climb down a ladder they had stored inside and go on with their daily lives. The tower was a crude but very effective means of defense, which is why villages continued to build them for hundreds of years.
This is the kind of tower Solomon is referring to in Proverbs 18:10:
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”
I think of this imagery often when I am struggling with life. When I am battling fear, or anxiety or depression I visualize myself running into God’s strong tower. Inside the tower I do not have to fight, I do not have to be strong, and I do not have to fear the enemy. The tower is my defense. If the enemy tries to come in he will have to enter with no weapons and no armor; he cannot no defeat me when I’m in the tower.
I don’t know what you are up against today. Maybe, like me, you got some news that has you concerned. Maybe you feel alone, afraid or anxious. Maybe you feel like you can’t face what tomorrow might bring. Would you like to join me in the tower? You’ll have to leave your armor, your weapons, and your shield behind, but its ok, we’re all defenseless in here. We can’t live in the tower forever, but just for today we can rest in the knowledge that we are safe in the strong tower of the Lord.
