What do we really trust in?
Okay, so it's late and I'm sleepy, so please forgive any jumbled thoughts that may not flow smoothly, but I just received an e-mail from a friend advising me to boycott the "new coins". I'm not actually in the States right now, but apparently we are getting new monetary coins, or they are being put into circulation, and these coins do not have the words "In God We Trust" on them. Thus, this absence is the reason for the boycott encouragement.
However, I have a problem with this. Do we trust in God? Yes, many people do, but many more people don't, or at least don't to the extent that it's not a salient part of their everyday lives. And I also don't think my salvation hinges on whether or not the national money says something that a large percentage of the country doesn't believe.
What should it mean to have "In God We Trust" on our money? It should mean that we are Christians (or at least Jewish) and that we place our faith in the one living God. That we follow His commands and laws. That we love one another. That we share in our riches with those who do not have wealth. That we do not have while our neighbor has not. That we forgive. That we desire God's will and pray that His will be done in our lives and throughout the world. That we share His love with others. That we give up our hopes and dreams and aspirations for His, That we replicate his compassion and mercy in our lives. That we depend on Him, and not on other earthly objects that give us a sense of momentary security.
So, yes, I think we should have In God We Trust on our coins, but only when we mean it and are willing to live out exactly what it means to trust God and believe in Him. And trust me, I'm still figuring out what many of these things mean, and others, such as loving like Jesus did, loving the unloveable, giving up myself to follow God, etc. It's not easy.
But it's easy to write a phrase on a coin and think that settles it. It's easy to think that the removal of said phrase somehow changes our country. But our divorce rate, our crime rate, our poverty rate...they all point to the fact that either our country is not as Christian as we think or that somewhere along the way we lost the sense of what Christianity truly is and we relegated God to Sunday mornings in a specific building. I've seen so many people here walk past a beggar while leaving church, not even looking at the beggar. Jesus would have known that person's name, invited them for lunch, talked with them and loved them. We've lost what it means to be like Christ.
Either way, I think the e-mail should provoke less boycotting and more discussion about where we stand and where we need to improve. I'd rather people think about our country and ponder that we trust in God than have someone just read it on a coin. Actions speak louder that words.
However, I have a problem with this. Do we trust in God? Yes, many people do, but many more people don't, or at least don't to the extent that it's not a salient part of their everyday lives. And I also don't think my salvation hinges on whether or not the national money says something that a large percentage of the country doesn't believe.
What should it mean to have "In God We Trust" on our money? It should mean that we are Christians (or at least Jewish) and that we place our faith in the one living God. That we follow His commands and laws. That we love one another. That we share in our riches with those who do not have wealth. That we do not have while our neighbor has not. That we forgive. That we desire God's will and pray that His will be done in our lives and throughout the world. That we share His love with others. That we give up our hopes and dreams and aspirations for His, That we replicate his compassion and mercy in our lives. That we depend on Him, and not on other earthly objects that give us a sense of momentary security.
So, yes, I think we should have In God We Trust on our coins, but only when we mean it and are willing to live out exactly what it means to trust God and believe in Him. And trust me, I'm still figuring out what many of these things mean, and others, such as loving like Jesus did, loving the unloveable, giving up myself to follow God, etc. It's not easy.
But it's easy to write a phrase on a coin and think that settles it. It's easy to think that the removal of said phrase somehow changes our country. But our divorce rate, our crime rate, our poverty rate...they all point to the fact that either our country is not as Christian as we think or that somewhere along the way we lost the sense of what Christianity truly is and we relegated God to Sunday mornings in a specific building. I've seen so many people here walk past a beggar while leaving church, not even looking at the beggar. Jesus would have known that person's name, invited them for lunch, talked with them and loved them. We've lost what it means to be like Christ.
Either way, I think the e-mail should provoke less boycotting and more discussion about where we stand and where we need to improve. I'd rather people think about our country and ponder that we trust in God than have someone just read it on a coin. Actions speak louder that words.