Anyone who has ever been to New York City has had the awesome optical pleasure of seeing the Statue of Liberty. Given to the United States by France in 1886. She stands at Liberty Island in the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor as a welcome to all visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans. The copper statue, dedicated on October 28, 1886, commemorates the centennial of the United States and is a gesture of friendship between the two nations. The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons of the U.S. worldwide, and, in a more general sense, represents liberty and escape from oppression. The Statue of Liberty was, from 1886 until the Jet age, often the first glimpse of the United States for millions of American immigrants after ocean voyages from Europe. Her given name is Liberty Enlightening The World because of the brilliant torch she holds up with pride that radiates for all to see.
If I can just pause here for a minute and speak on the matter of Church and State. Its funny to me that our country is not founded on the church yet the most prominent, most recognizable icon of the country is commissioned to be a light to the world like Jesus said. My critics are saying that’s not a probable argument because the Statue of Liberty is a gift. I know that she’s a gift!
Indeed she was a gift but the government could have changed her character. She was a gift but they could have put her someplace else where she wasn’t as visible, where she wasn’t as in the way. She was a gift but the only part they gave us was the actual statue so the pedestal she stands on, the beautiful park she’s in, the landscaping, the unavoidable island that was all the government’s idea! Yes, she was a gift but they could have changed her purpose!
I claim that the founders were practicing their undeniable faith in God when they put up the Statue of Liberty! I claim that they knew she exists as the inanimate manifestation of what Jesus called us to be in Matthew 5:14-16!
The question could be asked: if she stands for liberty, why is she holding a light? That is her given character. Sometime way back when a Frenchman was told to erect a statue to give to the United States in celebration of their independence. He wasn’t given further instruction or how-to. I could just see him sitting in his workshop with nothing more than his imagination and a ball of clay. Understand that God established our character a long time ago when all he had was some dirt and his imagination! Back in Genesis 1:26 he says “let us make man in our image!” So right there he gave us our character!
God is light! Jesus Christ said “I am the light of the World!” And here Jesus says “you are the light of the world!” That’s a compliment on my character! If God is light, Christ is light, and the believer is said to be the light of the world! The believer is what God and Christ are!
I’m excited because he thought highly enough of me, in my worldly state, to call me what he is! Regardless of what I was, he called me what he is! So what if I was sick! He called me healed! I may have been broken, but he called me whole! I may have been down, but he called me up! Lost…found! Out…In! Hungry…Filled! Dark…Light!
The disciple’s character is light. Christ said “I am the Light of the world!” Here he says “you are to be like me, the light of the world!” We’re to undergo a radical transformation! We are to become like Christ more and more and to reflect the light of Christ.
Now we are the light of the world. Jesus said “As long as I’m in the world, I am the light of the world.” He meant that physically! So what happened when he physically left the world? Now we don’t have light, all we have is darkness! But come back with me to my metaphorical juxtaposition. Remember that the Statue of Liberty is a gift? God cares so much for the world that through us he gives the gift of light! If there’s anything you take away from this today it oughta be that you and your light are a gift to somebody!
Because his light is now in my life, I am a reflection of him! I am a gift to somebody! So although there is sometimes darkness I can get with somebody and we can walk as the children of light! While the light is with me, I can help somebody find their way! For he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth! I can help somebody overcome addiction! I can help somebody overcome perversion! I can help somebody overcome sickness! I can help somebody out of their abusive relationship! God made me a gift to somebody!
Remember I touched on how the government could have put the Statue of Liberty anywhere. All this land, all these spacious skies and amber waves of grain! You know where they elected to put her? They made her accessible to the world! And I can partly understand their thoughts. After all, why does a healthy man need to go to a doctor? Why does someone with all their marbles need to see a shrink? Why does a free country that supposedly embraces and epitomizes the concept of liberty need within its borders a symbol of liberty? No, that don’t make no sense! The government back then said “Lets put her in New York Harbor where everyone who’s coming into the country can see her! Lets keep her in our territory but put her far enough out in the world where the oppressive can see her! She’ll be called Liberty Enlightening the World! Not Liberty Enlightening the United States!
Now pay attention, we are called to be a light of the world! Not the light of the church! Our place to shine is in the world! I know there’s some unsaved folk here in the church but they’re making the effort! They’re at least under the ark of safety! The folk who really need the light are those out there stumbling blind in the world! The world is unclear, unseeing, unaware, in chaos! The world is in darkness, in trouble, in danger! And the world is undiscriminating! It will destroy the men, the women, the boys, the girls, the children, the adults, the seniors, the juniors, black, white it don’t care! It’ll destroy anybody it can get its hands on so long as its dark!
Note that the light is in the world! The city is in the world, and the candlestick is in the home! That means that no matter where I am, I’m supposed to let my light shine! Case in point, my light isn’t supposed to be confined to these four walls! My light isn’t supposed to be confined to these few hours on Sunday morning! My light is suppose to shine everywhere I go! How pointless is it to act all holier than thou today on Sunday, and go to work tomorrow just as ornery, just as messed up in your thinking, just as scandalous as you wanna be! Plottin your co-workers demise! Gossiping about this and that! Where is your light? I dare you to get some illumination in your spirit and break into a praise on the job! I dare you to break into a praise at the red light! Break into a praise in the checkout line at Meijer! I dare somebody to take the light with you everywhere you go!
Its plenty of folk out there lost in the darkness and its not completely their fault! Some of them are just waiting for somebody to walk up to em and give them a light! One of two things is gon happen! If they don’t get a light from you for their heart! They’ll go find somebody to give them a light for their pipe! They’ll find somebody to give them a light for their cigarette! They’ll find somebody to give them a light for their Mary Jane! They’re out there looking for a light! And you have the audacity to sit up in here so saved, so sanctified keeping your light in this building! But so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a LIGHT of the Gentiles! That thou shouldest be for SALVATION unto the ends of the earth!
Back when she was placed, the Statue of Liberty was unavoidable if you were a foreigner coming into the United States. You had no choice but to see this 305 foot tall, copper structure with her arm raised in authority. Her positioning was conspicuous-she cannot be hid. The government wanted it this way, again because she stood as a reflection of this country’s principles of freedom and liberty. She also stood to send a message to those who came seeking refuge and sanctuary: “don’t worry no more! You’re home now! You’re safe now!”
I need for you to understand then that your positioning is crucial! God puts you in places in situations so that you can be an unavoidable witness! In a world where success has become synonymous with fame and fortune, luck and who you know, God needs you to tell somebody I ain’t lucky, I’m blessed! It ain’t because I’m so popular, but because I humbled myself and give the glory to God! Next time someone talks about what they’ve done for you, the way they paved for your success you need to remind them you might be my boss, you might be my friend, or you might be my loved one, but sistergirl, honeychild, girlfriend, you got it twisted! I got to here because I know Jesus for myself! I know he woke me up this morning! I know he feeds me when I’m hungry! I know he comforts me when I’m lonely! It ain’t about you, its about the Jesus in you that’s coming out! This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!
I can’t have no dim light! My light needs to be powerful and bold! How can you sit there and tell me you’re a living testimony and can’t shout Hallelujah! How you sit there and tell me you’re a living testimony and can’t clap your hands for the Lord! Can’t sing…can’t stomp your feet…can’t dance! You can keep your dim praise and worship that can’t nobody see but you! But I’m gon put mine on a candlestick and its gonna give light to all that are in the house!
Now, I need to back up one minute to this idea of being conspicuous. Back in 1984 the Department of the Interior underwent a $62 Million restoration of the Statue of Liberty. Time and the elements had begun to take their toll on her after almost a century. Significant actions taken included the removal of tar from her copper skin, a reworking and repositioning of the arm closer to the head, and a complete replacement of the torch, after which, they no longer allowed visitors to climb into the right arm up to the torch. I feel the need to tell you that sometimes we need to undergo restoration! Not just for me but because somebody else sees my light dissipating!
Yeah, sometimes stuff gets on us and makes us dirty and nasty and we need it removed! Things that’s detrimental to our bodies! Things that cause me to fall apart, we need them removed! We oughta take the time to say like the old song “search me Lord! If you find anything that shouldn’t be!…”
The statue was erected with the arm offset 18" to the right and forward of Eiffel’s central frame, while the head was offset 24" (0.61 m) to the left, which compromised the framework. Theory held that Augusta Batholdi, the engineer of the project, made the modification without architect Gustave Eiffel’s involvement after seeing the arm and head were too close. Now catch this: You wanna keep the light close to your head! If you don’t you wind up compromising your framework! Its crazy of me to try and think without the light! Jesus said “I am the light!” So I want Jesus close to my head! I want his light to radiate inside of my head! Like Paul said “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus!” I want the same mind! The forgiving mind! The loving mind! The learning mind! The God-fearing mind! The willing mind!
The torch was severely damaged in several ways from the lamps that were no longer burning brightly or at all, to the corroded pieces that had begun to fall from it because it was not built to withstand the traffic it had. First point: your lamp needs to be relit once in a while! You can’t afford to miss church cause your lamp is due to go out soon! Some of you can get away with renewal once a week but some of you also need that Wednesday service to relight your lamp! Some of you also gotta come in for a prayer meeting on Tuesday or Thursday to relight your lamp but one thing is certain, you don’t want to let your lamp go out!
Why is it so important that you come to church to get relit? Have you ever played with matches? Note that fire works in such a way that when a match is about to burn out or is burned out, touching it to another lit match will relight it! Light has the distinctive property of refracting, that is it bends! This allows it to be fluid-to flow endlessly in all things! No wonder God chooses light as his medium of getting the message across! Cause if the light can hit just one person right…its going to bounce of them, and bend over and hit the next person…
Observe the interesting thing the park service does now. After the replacement of the torch, they make a new regulation that prohibits visitors from climbing up the arm into the torch. What I can’t understand is how come after some folk get saved, they go right back out and hang with the same unsaved folk! Common sense oughta tell you that somebody who made you broke before gon make you broke again! Somebody who made you cry before gon make you cry again! If they cheated on you once before, they gon cheat on you again! Why let them back into your life? So they can break down the materials in your torch! So they can mess up your light again! I can’t have certain people in my torch! Cause all they do is tear it up!
The Statue of Liberty has a purpose based on her character. Her creator sought fit to equip her with a light. She is to let that light shine to show people this is the place of great opportunity, freedom, and safety from oppression. The hope in facing her east was that other nations would receive and take onboard those ideals. As Jesus is teaching his disciples he tells us that we have a purpose that is based on our character! Our creator endowed us with light! Its already in me! I am the light of God upon the earth! Note the exact words spoken by Christ: “Let your light so shine!”
God gave us the right to choose! Some may think of that as a blessing, others a curse! But the fact remains we can make choices! We can refuse to let our light shine! We can turn it off! We can refuse to turn it on in the first place! Darken it, turn it away, direct its beam in another direction! So here Christ is pleading that we don’t do any of that but we let it shine!
He says let it shine so that men will see those good works and glorify me! Someone once told me that I might be the only Bible some people will read! My actions, my words are a living testimony! And ever since I was a little boy, this has been my personal declaration: this little light of mine! I’m going to let it shine! Everywhere I go! Everywhere I be! I’m going to hold my light up high for all the world to see! I’m going to let it shine!…
