The Eiffel Tower in Paris is so impressive. It was originally built for the 1889 World’s Fair by Gustave Eiffel. He also designed the framework for the Statue of Liberty. For years, this was the tallest man-made structure in the world. It attracts over 7 million visitors every year.
Something that we need to remember is that this enormous structure was fiercely denounced by thousands in Paris, especially by those who claimed to be experts in beautiful things. They called themselves, “The Committee of Three Hundred.” They began their criticism even before construction started.
Some called it a giraffe. Others called it the iron monster or the world’s greatest lamppost. Some even called it the Parisian Tower of Babel or a metal asparagus.
After the tower was completed, Guy de Maupassant, a famous short story writer, ate lunch there every day because it was the only place in Paris, he claimed, from which he couldn’t see “the offensive thing.”
I am writing this to remind us that we are sometimes wrong about things. We are sometimes wrong about people. We too often fall into the trap of making a quick judgement about something or someone. Sometimes an unfair judgement.
The Eiffel Tower just needed a chance. Over time, it has become the symbol of Paris around the world. Maybe God has a word to say to us about making quick judgments. Maybe an Eiffel Tower is around us and we don’t even realize it.