Moon towers were popular in the late nineteenth century in cities across the United States and Europe. The seventeen in Austin are the only ones left. The iconic Zilker Park Holiday Tree is built around one of Austin’s remaining moon towers.
I’m not bringing this up as a city tour guide. But before I get to my point, hang with me a moment while I geek out on a little history.
Maybe you’ve seen the towers around town. They stand over 160 feet tall. Back in the 1890s, when there was little light from other sources, the carbon arc lamps atop a single tower illuminated a fifteen-hundred-foot radius, bright enough for someone to read a pocket watch.
Preserving and celebrating them is just another way we “Keep Austin Weird”. But they were built back at a time when the city needed the safety and security that light provides.
It’s said that the towers were built in response to fears of a serial killer known as “The Servant Girl Annihilator.” The local lore claims the moon towers made him depart Austin for London where he became Jack the Ripper.
That’s likely a Texas tall tale; historians have found no evidence connecting the Austin murders to Jack the Ripper. But whatever the truth behind the legend, Austin needed light to push back the uncertainty and danger of darkness.
We need that kind of light too. In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Do you see what Jesus was claiming? Religious teachers have often come on the scene to say, “Let me take you to the light. My eyes have been opened, so let me help you open your eyes.” But Jesus did not say, “I’ve become enlightened.” Instead, he said, “I am the light that enlightens you.” You can’t be neutral when someone says something like that. What Jesus said is either breathtakingly arrogant or absolutely true. We cannot treat that claim as an interesting religious slogan. We must decide whether Jesus is who he said he is—and whether we will follow him. This Sunday, we’ll consider what it means to follow Jesus as the Light of the World. Join us online or on campus at 10 a.m. Learn more at
Tom
If you’ve been a subscriber to “Winning Ways” for a while, you may remember that I wrote about Austin’s moon towers in 2021, so today’s article revisits these iconic structures.
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The Pistol-Packing Preacher’s Posse rides in twelve weeks!
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