For many people, the Statue of Liberty is the symbol of American freedom. In the early 1970’s a Gospel singer/songwriter named Neil Enloe was on a cruise ship in New York, when he got a close up look at the statue. According to an article at St Augustine.com, the sight had a profound effect on him.

“Because I was raised in the Midwest, suddenly everything patriotic in me rose to the surface. I had never seen the Statue of Liberty so closely. It was so very, very close. In my own mind and heart I realized, anew and afresh, the liberty I have as an American citizen.”

“I turned to the gentleman with me and said, ‘There must be a counterpart to my American freedom. It is liberty in Christ. There is surely a monument to this freedom! There is no greater symbol to Christian liberty than the CROSS!’ I also said, ‘There should be a song somewhere in this.’”

And there was. You can read the rest of the article  here.

Statue of Liberty

In New York Harbor stands a lady
with a torch raised to the sky
And all who see her knows she stands for
Liberty for you and me.

I’m so proud to be called an American
To be named with the brave and the free.
I will honor our flag and our trust in God
And the  Statue of  Liberty.

On lonely Golgotha stood a cross
With my Lord raised to the sky.
And all who kneel there live forever
As all the saved can testify.

I’m so glad to be called a Christian.
To be named with the ransomed and whole.
As the statue liberates the citizen
So the cross liberates the soul.

Oh the Cross is my Statue of Liberty
It was there that my soul was set free.
Unashamed I’ll proclaim that old rugged cross
Is my Statue of Liberty.

Neil Enloe belonged to a Gospel group called The Couriers, and they recorded his song, which won a Dove Award in 1974.

I don’t know how many artists have recorded the song, but the first time I heard it was when Merrill Womach sang it a few years later. His book, Tested by Fire, had just come out, and it seems like he may have actually come to my home church. When I started thinking about this post, I tried to find a recording of Merrill singing this song, but couldn’t.

I did however, find a recording of The Couriers in what was supposed to be their final appearance together. I believe Neil Enloe is the speaker in the video. The YouTube video was uploaded by Tim Enloe

See you in Church.

Connie