Memorials to Our Freedom

On January 25, 1776 the Continental Congress authorized the first national Revolutionary War memorial in honor of Brigadier General Richard Montgomery, who had been killed during an assault on Quebec on December 31, 1775.

Doughboy Statute, Downtown Meridian, MS

Memorials play a significant role in our lives. Each year untold numbers of tears are shed as millions visit national memorials and recall the sacrificial lives of those memorialized. Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Gettysburg, and the mall in Washington D.C. are but a few of those sites whose purpose it is to remind us of the dangers of forgetting the past.

God told Joshua to erect a memorial of stones at the site of the crossing of the River Jordan so that in years to come those who ventured there would be stirred to ask the purpose of the memorial, thereby giving opportunity to declare once again the great work of God in delivering His people from bondage and guiding them to the promised land.

The cross has become a memorial of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cruel tree of Calvary two thousand years ago. Even as we wear it on chains and display it on our church buildings, we often seem unaware of the impact of that great day. On that day, the Evil One, that old serpent, The Devil was defeated. On that day, the penalty for our sin was paid in full. On that day, death the final enemy was defeated. For those of us who know God personally by faith in Jesus Christ, we are free from the shackles of sin which prevent others from living life to its fullest while living in abject fear of the unknowable future. For us, as the song goes, the Cross is our Statue of Liberty. WE’RE FREE!! WE’RE FREE!! THANK GOD, WE’RE FREE AT LAST!!!