Qutab Minar

Yesterday I went to a historic site called Qutab Minar. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mehrauli area of Delhi, and one of the major (and many) tourist attractions. Here's a little history of the site:

The Iron Tower (the tall thing in all the photos), is part of the Qutab Minar Complex, which includes a mosque, tombs, and other structures. The tower was initially built by Qutab-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, and then added onto by his next two successors.

At the base of the tower is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be built in India. On one of the gates of the mosque is an inscription that says that it was built with material obtained from demolishing '27 Hindu temples'.

One thing you have to face much more when going to a site like this is the identity of a tourist. I think to be really sincere, you have to come prepared with a mindset of what you want to take away from your experience. Despite being detached from the context of the history of the monument as a foreigner, I walked around the ancient structures picturing all of the hands it took to carve the stone. It made me reflect on my own life and how it's being used. I think a theme I've been encountering a lot lately is the importance of making your days count.

Seeing a collection of breath taking buildings, I walked around thinking that though each stone worker may be nameless to us, and yet we're connected in some way. God intertwines all stories. Recently in Rachel and I's small group we've been reading the book of Ruth. At the very end of the book is a genealogy of Ruth's future line. We discussed how a humble and seemingly insignificant widow became a redeemer and symbol of strength because of her faithfulness and courage. I pray to continue being sensitive to God and the ways that He is molding me so that my one short life can be used to bring light and love and strength to others.

I'm all the way in India, meeting people from all over with such vast stories. I see the way God is moving in each life like He did in Ruth's, and it gives me hope. Each carving on the Iron Tower represents a life, a person, and God's faithfulness to His people.