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The light of freedom still shines brightly today |
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Wednesday, 02 July 2008 |
Rev. John C. Blackford
Religion Columnist
Tomorrow we shall celebrate the adoption of our country’s independence on July 4, 1776 when the Continental Congress by a public act declared the thirteen colonies to be independent of Great Britain.
It was followed by the Revolutionary War, a time of great hardship for the new nation, but the beginning of a new era for humankind.
The American people and many others have benefited tremendously in the 232 years since the writers of the Declaration of Independence bravely issued their document, as once more we remember the benefits of their farsightedness.
The Statue of Liberty stands as a monument to our freedom. It is in New York Harbor on Bedloe’s Island, and faces eastward out to sea welcoming all who visit our shores.
It was a gift of the people of France who presented it on October 28, 1886 to commemorate our one hundred years of independence. It cost the French $700,000, and the United States raised $300,000 to construct the pedestal on which it stands.
Frederic August Bartholdi, a Frenchman, was commissioned to be the sculptor, and work was begun in France in 1878. The cornerstone was laid in 1885 on ground that had been officially set apart by Congress in 1877.
The Statue of Liberty is an imposing structure. From water level, including the pedestal, to the torch, it is 305 feet tall. From base to torch it is 101 feet high, and to the tip of the torch, slightly over 151 feet.
She has a 35-foot waist and an 8-foot index finger. Made of 3/16-inch bronze, the statue weighs 450,000 pounds. There is an inner staircase of 161 steps from pedestal to head, where 40 persons may stand, and an additional 54 steps through the uplifted right arm.
In 1916 plans were made for the permanent illumination of the statue. In 1924 it was declared a national monument by President Calvin Coolidge.
World War II veterans, returning from combat in Europe to New York and very thankful to be home again, often made the remark that the only way they would ever see her face in the future would be if she turned around and faced westward!
From the outset the path of freedom and democracy has had its difficulties, and these days are no exception. The economic problems, Mideast war, and the political campaigns are not easy to deal with.
Yet, they can make us more aware of the values of our way of life, and, on reflection, more thankful for its advantages.
It is difficult when the enemies of freedom employ strategies and follow practices that are hurtful, and which we choose not to imitate. We suffer many hurts, but history demonstrates that even though the wrong seems stronger, it will eventually break down and fail.
Thomas Mann, the historian-philosopher, once said that “Democracy is the political expression of Christianity.”
In his 1863 Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, President Abraham Lincoln said. “It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”
Spoken to his people in a time of war and personal tragedies, these words of a great president seem appropriate for us today.
As we celebrate once more one of the truly great events of history, let us thank God for the light of freedom, and commit ourselves to making it shine even more brightly in the days to come.
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