In Washington , D.C. there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument. On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., are displayed two words: Laus Deo.
No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there and for that matter, probably couldn’t care less.
These words have been there for many years: they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches high, perched atop the monument, facing skyward to the Father of the United States of America, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District
of Columbia, capital of the U.S.A.
“Laus Deo” - two seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words. Out of sight and, one might think, out of mind, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world.
Those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters, mean, “Praise be to God!”
Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was President of the United States, it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty-five years to finally cap
the memorial.
From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles l’Enfant. A perfect cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial is to the south, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.
Why a cross? What about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross - separation of church and state was not, is not, in the Constitution.
Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones share a message:
On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore;
On the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians;
On the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6. Praise be to God!
When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848, deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of a unique democracy: “One Nation, Under God.”
Here is Washington’s prayer for America:
“Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose e example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
You may forget the width and height of “Laus Deo”, its location, or the architects - but no one who reads this will forget its meaning, or the words: “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)
Laus Deo!
A week is a long time in politics. - Harold Wilson
Politics makes strange postmasters. - Kin Hubbard
Politics have no relation to morals. - Niccolo Machiavelli
The gun is not out of Irish politics. - Ian Paisley
Tis brief, my lord... as woman's love. - William Shakespeare
In politics an absurdity is not a handicap. - Napoleon Bonaparte
Man is not free unless government is limited. - Ronald Reagan
Every country has the government it deserves. - Joseph de Maistre
Political War: One in which everyone shoots from the lip - Daffynitions joe-ks.com
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. - Psalms 55:22
Politics doesn't make strange bedfellows - marriage does. - Groucho Marx
We live in a world in which politics has replaced philosophy. - Martin L. Gross
War has rules, mud wrestling has rules - politics has no rules. - Ross Perot
Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish. - Michelangelo
Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. - Bible
Ultimatum: In diplomacy, a last demand before resorting to concessions - Daffynitions joe-ks.com
To say nothing, especially when speaking, is half the art of diplomacy. - Will Durant
Politics is a profession where the paths of glory lead but to the gravy. - Billy Boy Franklin
The mystery of government is not how Washington works but how to make it stop. - P.J. O'Rourke
Either the government will be given to us or we shall seize it by marching on Rome. - Benito Mussolini
Ideas are great arrows, but there has to be a bow. And politics is the bow of idealism. - Bill Moyers
A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age. - Robert Frost
There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you. - Will Rogers
Grammar, which knows how to lord it over kings, and with high hands makes them obey its laws. - Moliere
Our Lord approved neither idol worship or idle worship but ideal worship in Spirit and truth. - Vance Havner
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Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one. - Thomas Paine
Why pay money to have your family tree traced; go into politics and your opponents will do it for you. - Unknown
Idealism is like a castle in the air if it is not based on a solid foundation of social and political realism. - Claude McKay
Let us remind ourselves that if we are to be our Lord's disciples, we must take up his Cross and follow him. - Basil Hume
The only security men can have for their political liberty, consists in keeping their money in their own pockets. - Lysander Spooner
Our whole constitutional heritage rebels at the thought of giving government the power to control men's minds. - Thurgood Marshall
Harold MacMillan is a very intelligent man, who, as so often happens in politics, achieved supreme power too late. - Malcolm Muggeridge
Frankly, I'd like to see the government get out of war altogether and leave the whole field to private industry. - Joseph Heller
The business of government is to keep the government out of business - that is, unless business needs government aid. - Will Rogers
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. - Francis of Assisi
I once said to my father, when I was a boy, 'Dad we need a third political party.' He said to me, 'I'll settle for a second.' - Ralph Nader
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. - Bible
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03-Aug-2021 |