How many have ever heard of the National Monument to the Forefathers? If not, one might wonder how he made it through 12 grades of learning and some beyond that) without ever hearing about it. Everybody knows about the famous landmark that we call The Statue of Liberty, which was given to the United States for its one hundredth birthday by France—but not assembled and opened to the public until October 1886. She has become a symbol of freedom for the United States. How many thousands of immigrants have come to this country and seen Lady Liberty upon their arrival? Numerous movies have featured her prominently.
But few have heard of the other monument sometimes called the Pilgrim Statue, d
espite the fact that it is thought to be the world’s largest granite sculpture. It stands 81 feet high, was placed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and opened on August 1, 1889. The 180-ton monument faces northeast, toward Plymouth Harbor, according to Wikipedia. It contains some important information about who we are, as a people.
The lady (36 feet tall) herself stands upon a pedestal, and one foot is resting upon a replica of Plymouth Rock. She is standing up straight. In her left hand she holds an open Bible. The index finger of her right hand is pointing toward Heaven. Her name is Faith, and the symbolism is that the Bible produces Faith (much as is found in John 20:30-31), which creates the opportunity for us to go to Heaven. In today’s world it is hard to imagine that anyone would erect such a statue, but there was a time in our nation’s history in which people were not ashamed of Faith.
But there is more. The base of the statue is octagonal. Four beings are seated facing four different directions, with a large panel between each of them. The one in front says: “National Monument to the Forefathers, Erected by a Grateful People in Remembrance of Their Labors, Sacrifices and Sufferings for the Cause of Civil and Religious Liberty.” The importance of this statement involves something not very often heard today, and that is that our founding fathers came here—not just for civil liberty—but for religious freedom, which was being denied them in England.
On two panels are listed the passengers of the Mayflower. The fourth side contains the following inspirational quote from Governor William Bradford from the dedication of his book, Of Plymouth Plantation:
Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing and gives being to all things that are, and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone to many, yea, in some sort to our whole nation. Let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise.
The Four Figures
The panels, as stated before, are between the four figures jutting out from the base of the statue. Each of them is seated, and each of them is important. The one shown above is Morality. She holds the Ten Commandments in her left hand and the scroll of Revelation in her right hand. She and the other three figures are seated on chairs. These were also carved out of blocks of solid granite. Underneath Morality is a scene that includes an Old Testament prophet and New Testament evangelists, who are sowing the seed of the gospel. Morality is one of the four basic principles on which the Pilgrims founded their society. What has happened to these principles today? Respect for life has given way to abortion, and the marriage institution given to us by our Creator has been perverted and polluted. Telling the truth is now considered quaint and a relic of the past. How sad that being honest is not even regarded as a virtue any longer; many have no problem with being lied to repeatedly.
The pilgrims were probably not morally perfect, but they had much higher standards than citizens of this nation do today. Their standard of morality was the Word of God, and they did not apologize for it. To date, no one has found a suitable substitute for the Holy Scriptures, which explains why chaos reigns throughout the land.
The second figure’s principle is not unrelated to the first—Law. Those who violate the law and moral principles must be punished, or no one knows what to expect. In our early society, the few who violated the law were sentenced instead of receiving a slap on the wrist. How ironic that justice prevailed at a time when no lawyers were present. Underneath Law one sees Justice on the one hand and Mercy on the other. These always need to balance each other and take into account the motives of the evildoer. Some crimes are so heinous that mercy cannot be extended, but other offenders deserve compassionate consideration.
The third figure is Education. In those days, this was a reference to actual learning. Underneath are Wisdom and Youth, and the idea is to teach knowledge and applications which will make students wise. How different from the educational philosophy of many today, where sex education and gender “issues” begin, in some areas of the country, to be taught in grade school. Students no longer learn facts to be wise; they are more likely to be taught how to get along in a liberal society. The philosophy of the pilgrims was teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, and the Bible—concepts that might actually prove useful to young people.
The fourth principle (on the last figure) on which society was built was Liberty. Many on board the Mayflower had already experienced persecution at the hands of those who despised anything but the Church of England. They wanted to be free to follow their consciences. Underneath a soldier are Peace and Overthrow of Tyranny. Unfortunately, peace cannot always be attained except at the expense of war, which eventually occurred.
Morality, Law, Education, and Liberty. These are the principles upon which those fleeing oppression built their civilization. It would still work, but freedoms in this nation have been encroached upon by our own government. Education has been politicized and taken out from under the control of parents—sometimes leaving them little choice but to pay for private schooling or to home school. Law has become handy only when it serves certain interests. If certain people violate it, the law is ignored, but it may be applied harshly to others. The Supreme Court has made up law instead of upholding the laws we already have. Lawyers can sometimes get away with doing legal contortions that would break the back of any being that was not a snake. And morality has been reduced to: “Anything you want to do is fine with me (except murdering me).” Our founding fathers knew that these four items were indispen-sable in operating a stable society. No wonder so few of us have heard of this monument.
The Best Monument to Liberty
This National Monument to our Forefathers ought to be known by all and visited by many. But an even greater monument exists that is not made of granite. It consists of two perishable items—the bread and the fruit of the vine. These represent the body and blood of Jesus, which were offered to truly set us free from the enslavement of the devil.
Sin is worse than any dictator or council. Men who head such governments can be brutal, but they do not last forever. Every great world empire falls—even if they believe they are invincible. Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon fell. So did Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. All of these ruled through force and military might, but they were all conquered. Regimes begun by men also fall to other men. The spiritual kingdom of Jesus, however, stands forever (Dan. 2:44).
Furthermore, Jesus brings liberty to men even when they are enslaved. How does He do that? Near the outset of His ministry, He went to Nazareth and read from a scroll of Isaiah. He read 61:1-2, part of which is quoted below:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives….”
How did Jesus accomplish this goal? He allowed Himself to be crucified—to be the sacrifice for our sins. And when we are buried with Him in baptism (immersion), we are “crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (Rom. 6:6). Jesus has set the captives (us) free. Not only are our sins forgiven, but the very enslaving action of sin has been destroyed. We may remain in a nation that has physical control over us, but spiritually we are free.
We experience unfettered liberty because we know the words of Jesus, and if we abide in them, the truth shall make us free (John 8:31-32). That occurs when we obey the gospel by repenting of our sins and being baptized for their forgiveness (Acts 2:38). We are now dead indeed to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:3-11). What is the memorial that we have that reminds us of our liberation?
The Lord’s Supper reminds us of what it took to obtain the precious freedom that we enjoy. Jesus gave His body and His blood for us and commanded us to remember Him by partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine—which serves as a monument to Him, salvation, and liberty. As often as we eat and drink it, we proclaim His death until He comes (1 Cor. 11:26). If it is profitable to remember the founding principles of this nation (and it is), how much more beneficial is it to remember the principle upon which our spiritual and eternal liberty is based—the unselfish sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us?
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