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!
Politics makes strange red-fellows. - Will Rogers
Tis brief, my lord... as woman's love. - William Shakespeare
Political correctness is tyranny with manners. - Charlton Heston
The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun. - R Buckminster Fuller
Democracy becomes a government of bullies tempered by editors. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
I believe that truth is the glue that holds government together. - Gerald R. Ford
For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program. - Bob Wells
The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day He created spring. - Bernard Williams
Politics is the art of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable. - John Kenneth Galbraith
Blessed be Thou, our God and Lord of Hosts, who has not created me a woman. - Jewish Prayer
The Lord prefers common-looking people. That is why He makes so many of them. - Abraham Lincoln
The mystery of government is not how Washington works but how to make it stop. - P.J. O'Rourke
The flood of money that gushes into politics today is a pollution of democracy. - Theodore White
My sheer existence is like a political act to a lot of people. It's not to me. - Grimes
Personally, I'm against political jokes. Too often they get elected to office. - Henny Youngman
I love Canada. I am from Canada. I will bash the Canadian government but never Canada. - Jason Priestley
Forgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee, and I'll forgive Thy great big joke on me. - Robert Frost
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. - P.J. O'Rourke
A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age. - Robert Frost
Grammar, which knows how to lord it over kings, and with high hands makes them obey its laws. - Moliere
A fanatic is a man who does what he thinks the Lord would do if He knew the facts of the case. - Finley P. Dunne
He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career. - George Bernard Shaw
I think it's an absolute disaster that Australia, the government, allowed kangaroo culling. - Steve Irwin
What is the first part of politics? Education. The second? Education. And the third? Education. - Jules Michelet
So, if we lie to the government, it's a felony.
But if they lie to us, it's politics. - Bill Murray
O beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on. - William Shakespeare
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. - Thomas Jefferson
Politics, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong. - Richard Armour
Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone but in every leaf in springtime. - Martin Luther
Relying on the government to protect your privacy is like asking a peeping tom to install your window blinds. - John P Barlow
This is what the Lord asks of you: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God. - Bible
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. - Plato
If the government was as afraid of disturbing the consumer as it is of disturbing business, this would be some democracy. - Kin Hubbard
I am quite sure now that often in matters concerning religion and politics, a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkeys. - Mark Twain
Our future cannot depend on the government alone. The ultimate solutions lie in the attitudes and the actions of the American people. - Joe Biden
In a world of complex threats, our security and leadership depends on all elements of our power - including strong and principled diplomacy. - Barack Obama
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. - Unknown
If you make any money, the government shoves you in the creek once a year with it in your pockets, and all that don't get wet you can keep. - Will Rogers
Ever occur to you why some of us can be this much concerned with animals suffering? Because government is not. Why not? Animals don't vote. - Paul Harvey
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