Rosemead Kiwanis Club

   "Serving the Community Since 1945"

   

   FAX OF

      LIFE

 

 

The Fax of Life

A weekly inspiration, courtesy of the Kiwanis Club of Scott's Valley

(distributed free by the Kiwanis Club of Rosemead, CA - rosemeadkiwanis.org )

March 22, 2009                                                         Volume 14, Number 24

  

[Note from Peggy (editor-in-chief): This has been sent to me by several people in various forms. What appears below is sort of a compilation of the messages:]

 

Monument Message

 

Did you know that in Washington, D.C. there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument? With all the uproar about removing the ten commandments, etc. from public places, this is worth a moment or two of your time.

 

On one of the four faces of the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., are displayed two words: "Laus Deo." No person 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 our nation, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the United States of America. The words face East so that as the sun travels each day, the first words it encounters in its journey over our country are these words.

 

Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words. Out of sight by all but God, 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.

 

So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters, possibly mean? Very simply, they say " 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 with a tribute to the Father of our nation, Laus Deo. "Praise be to God!"

 

From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also easily 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.  Some point out that two of these structures were not even conceived or built for decades after l'Enfant, which is true (1914 and 1934, respectively) , but their placement merely reinforces the impact of a design which defies the likelihood of being mere "coincidence.".

 

A cross you ask? 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. So, read on.

 

How interesting and, no doubt, intended to carry a profound meaning for those who bother to notice. And the allusions don't stop there.

 

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.  

 

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. Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy "One Nation, Under God."

 

I am awed by Washington's prayer for America. Have you ever read it?

 

[Editor's note: although called a "prayer" it is actually an adaptation of the close of a letter to the governors of the 13 states on the occasion of his retirement from command of the Continental Army and (he then presumed) public life.]
 

Well, now is your unique opportunity, so read on!

 

"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 example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Amen."

 

[Editor's note: This was the heart of the man whom the Washington Monument is dedicated, Some versions add a conclusion making this a prayer in the name of Jesus Christ;  however, perhaps because he was a Mason as well as a Christian Washington did not use the term Jesus Christ in any known correspondence or prayer. The Masonic order respects non-Christian as well as Christian monotheistic traditions. Washington's primary focus thus was on God, not His son.] 

 

Laus Deo!

 

When one stops to observe the inscriptions found in public places all over our nation's capitol, he or she will easily find the signature of God, as it is unmistakably inscribed everywhere you look. You may forget the width and height of "Laus Deo ", its location, or the architects but no one who reads this will be able to forget its meaning, or these 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)

 

[Editor's note: The essential accuracy of the above facts are verified by both

the Snopes and Truth or Fiction mass email investigating sites:

 

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/monument.asp

 

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/w/washmonument.htm ]

 

 

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