Jeremiah Lanphier: Religion as a Helping Hand in Front of The American Bible Society

On the corner of 62^nd street and Columbus Ave, in front of the American Bible Society, there is a statue of Jeremiah Lanphier, who came up with the idea for bible talk Tuesdays, a tradition that the American Bible Society proudly carries on today.  During the Economic crisis that caused the great depression, Lanphier began to hold prayer meetings with his fellow businessmen. He distributed a handbill for these meetings which clearly stated his intentions “This meeting is intended to give merchants, mechanics, clerks, strangers, and business men generally an opportunity to stop and call upon God amid the perplexities incident to their respective avocations. It will continue for one hour; but it is also designed for those who may find it inconvenient to remain more than five or ten minutes, as well as for those who can spare the whole hour.” At these meetings he would commiserate with and help those gathered to deal with the problems of their lives. His Bible meetings were a success.

The statue itself lends itself to this nature. It is not overtly religious, Jeremiah does not wear priests robes or collar. But he sits with his arms open, welcoming anyone to sit and enjoy the day on the bench with him, offering kind words and advice to the people of the city. His arms rest open to heaven, alluding to his connection with god but not in any pretentious or pious way. It clearly paints him as a man of the people, and the sign next to him describes how bible talk Tuesdays are meant to “encourage new Yorkers during hard times and help them make sense of their lives” in honor of Lanphier’s mission. The statue is also seated on a bench, inviting the viewer to sit next to Lanphier as if he is a real person. This lends itself to the personable nature of the statue and the particular conception of Christianity put forth by Lanphier, as a means of finding a reason to continue through struggles and to learn find love in life. He sits with his hand out, beckoning for others to sit with him, enjoy his company, and talk about their lives. His mouth is smiling and slightly open as if he is giving some advice, or maybe just sitting and listening in earnest. The hand of the statue and the legs are polished from constantly being touched by tourists and others who come to sit and enjoy the city streets, maybe posing for a picture or trying to feel the spirit of the man through his hand. The Bible rests at his side, not as a dogmatic doctrine to be followed to the letter, and not as a sacred relic to be worshiped above all, but as guide through which the people of New York may be helped to deal with the everyday troubles of their lives.

All the aspects of the statue, from Jeremiah's posture to his clothing, profess a humble religion that is of the people, and that is there to support the people. Not to mention it sits in one of the busiest areas of Manhattan, ready to be seen by all. Tourists often walk past and take pictures with the statue, not quite knowing what the significance is. All of this provides an atmosphere of a man, humble, and loving, who is only there to help his fellow man, no matter who he is, and isn’t that what religion is supposed to be about? It acts not by imposing its beliefs or demanding conversion or dogmatic rituals, but instead as a helping hand, that Jeremiah has outstretch, to learn to live and love.

Works Cited

"America's Greatest Spiritual Awakening." Intheworkplace. N.p., n.d. Web.