The builders of the new museum don’t want the museum to be just a building. They want it to be a building that tells a story and has plenty of room for everyone. Millions of immigrants have felt welcomed by Lady Liberty in the past. But since terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, statue security has been very strict. Fewer people are allowed inside. A new, bigger museum should help with that.
People create monuments because they want to remember things. Have you ever read the beginning of the book of Joshua? There, the people of Israel are just going into the land God promised them. But they have to cross the Jordan River. The river is so full of water, it overflows its banks. But God makes a miracle happen. He cuts the water off so the people can cross.
Once the people cross, God has a command for them. He tells them to get 12 stones from the middle of the river where they crossed and put the stones in a pile. That way, when their children ask them what the stones mean, they will get to tell them what God has done. For many people, the Statue of Liberty does something similar. It shows God’s faithfulness in leading their ancestors to freedom. That’s something worth remembering!
The Statue of Liberty is chock full of meaning. Take a look at these symbols:
TORCH—Enlightening the world
CROWN WITH 25 WINDOWS—Earth’s gemstones and spreading heaven’s light
RAYS—Seven seas and continents. Liberty should be for all peoples.
ROBE—A toga, the clothing of ancient Rome, shows an empire known for the value of law.
TABLET—a book of the law for a nation based on the rule of law
SHAPE—Keystone is a building stone that holds all others together. The role of law is important in upholding freedom.
ROMAN NUMERALS—A symbol of law. MDCCLXXVI, the year of America’s Independence
FEET—Liberty is stepping forward, not standing still.
CHAINS—Broken at the feet expressing freedom from oppression and tyranny
PEDESTAL—The 13 layers of granite brick remind us of the original colonies.
DIRECTION—The statue faces out to sea. It sends the idea of liberty to the rest of the world.
BRONZE PLAQUE—In the museum, "The New Colossus," a famous poem by Emma Lazarus
