The People’s Pedestal

The People’s Pedestal

Bible Blast: Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12

The country of France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States as a gift. France and America had fought side by side during the American Revolution. The French wanted to give us a gift to symbolize our passion for freedom and their friendship with us. So a sculptor named Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi began designing the 151-foot-tall statue in the late 1860s with the help of Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (who later designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris).

In order to pay for the gift, the French people conducted fund-raisers and lotteries to cover the cost of the actual statue and told the Americans they were responsible for paying for the pedestal she stood on. Well, for different reasons, the government didn’t approve the money needed for the pedestal, which was close to $250,000. Eventually, the American people started raising money for it, mainly led by John Pulitzer of The World paper. He told the people if they donated any amount toward the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal he would print their name in his paper. Money started coming in, in all different amounts. There are even reports of kindergarteners in Iowa sending $$135 toward the cause.

When the Statue of Liberty was finally dedicated on October 28, 1886, it was of great significance to both the French and the American people. The statue and the pedestal were paid for with the nickels and dimes of the individual people, both rich and poor, living in France and America. It had become a project that included everybody.

God created us to work together as one body—the body of Christ. Just like you read at the beginning of your devo today, we’re all different parts of the body with important roles. All the parts are meant to work together to glorify God.

The next time you visit Lady Liberty or see a picture of her, be reminded that if we work together, God can do extraordinary things through us!

Girl Gab: Here’s a trivia question: Daughter, do you know why the Statue of Liberty is green? If you don’t know, make sure you find out today and quiz other people! If there’s someone who’s a Christian who you don’t really like, pray that God would show you what her job might be in the body of Christ. Then pray that God would bless her efforts and abilities.