While serving as Pastor of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Pastor Hyle Anderson wrote an article on the importance of preserving freedom. In the July, 2014 edition of “The Voice of the Saints” newsletter, he referenced a story originally told by James C. Helley titled "Freedom Lady", and then added:
Keep his point in mind also on this 4th of July… High atop the United States Capitol dome in Washington stands the statue of the stately “Freedom Lady,” almost 20 feet high. Her face is framed by a crest of stars. A shield of stars and stripes is in her left hand.
The sculptured Freedom Lady was brought from Rome during a fierce storm, and the captain ordered some cargo thrown overboard. The sailors wanted to include the heavy stone statue, but the captain refused, shouting above the wind, “No! Never! We’ll flounder before we throw ‘Freedom’ away.”
As the fourth of July rolls around, many of us will rightly be turning our attention to the concepts of independence and freedom. As we do, we will do well to remember that the freedoms that we enjoy came at a great price. Down through the centuries, soldiers and citizens, men and women alike, have made untold sacrifices in order to insure the freedoms we so often take for granted today.
This Independence Day, let us make certain that we recognize, appreciate, and value the freedoms we enjoy. Let us rededicate ourselves to preserving them. And above all, let us make certain that we do not carelessly and heedlessly throw them away. For without them, the journey of life will be intolerable.
SOURCE: Pastor Anderson's original article can be found online at: http://stpaulsaberdeen.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/14JulyNews.pdf.
St. Paul's Lutheran Church’s current web site is: http://stpaulsaberdeen.org/.
Keep his point in mind also on this 4th of July… High atop the United States Capitol dome in Washington stands the statue of the stately “Freedom Lady,” almost 20 feet high. Her face is framed by a crest of stars. A shield of stars and stripes is in her left hand.
The sculptured Freedom Lady was brought from Rome during a fierce storm, and the captain ordered some cargo thrown overboard. The sailors wanted to include the heavy stone statue, but the captain refused, shouting above the wind, “No! Never! We’ll flounder before we throw ‘Freedom’ away.”
As the fourth of July rolls around, many of us will rightly be turning our attention to the concepts of independence and freedom. As we do, we will do well to remember that the freedoms that we enjoy came at a great price. Down through the centuries, soldiers and citizens, men and women alike, have made untold sacrifices in order to insure the freedoms we so often take for granted today.
This Independence Day, let us make certain that we recognize, appreciate, and value the freedoms we enjoy. Let us rededicate ourselves to preserving them. And above all, let us make certain that we do not carelessly and heedlessly throw them away. For without them, the journey of life will be intolerable.
SOURCE: Pastor Anderson's original article can be found online at: http://stpaulsaberdeen.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/14JulyNews.pdf.
St. Paul's Lutheran Church’s current web site is: http://stpaulsaberdeen.org/.