We are beginning the week that will climax with the celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday. This should ideally be a time for Americans to reflect on the rich history of our nation and the principles upon which we were founded, principles that are consistent with Biblical truth and a devotion to Almighty God. Our Founders produced a framework through which we could unify to efficiently govern ourselves and to address monumental challenges. Proverbs 14 (ESV) provides this reminder:
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding,
but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 A servant who deals wisely has the king's favor,
but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
Matthew Rothert Sr. was a furniture manufacturer from Arkansas - he was also a dedicated coin collector. And, during a church service, he sensed the leadership of the Holy Spirit to do something which affected our entire nation. That’s according to The Christian Post, which quoted his daughter, Alice Rothert Nelson, who said: "The collection plate was going around, and he felt God tell him that the coins had 'In God We Trust,' but it was the bills that went all around the world," adding, "And he believed he should get 'In God We Trust' on the bills of the paper money, and so that started the campaign."
The article notes that coins had started to carry the motto in 1864, after a Pennsylvania minister, Mark Richards Watkinson, “petitioned then-Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase at the end of 1861 to promote ‘the recognition of the Almighty God in some form in our coins’ amid the fading illusion of a short, relatively bloodless conflict.”
Of course, this was at the beginning of the Civil War, which was a source of concern for Watkinson, who had written to Chase, You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were now shattered beyond recognition? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our part we were a heathen nation?” He said that placing the words on coins “…would place us openly under the divine protection we have personally claimed. From my heart I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters.”
Congress passed two laws to allow the words on coins in 1864 and 1865.
Fast-forward to the 1950’s, when Rothert undertook a similar campaign. He was vocal about his desires to see “In God We Trust” on paper money, and ultimately, members of Congress signed on and a bill passed - after President Eisenhower, who also oversaw the addition of “Under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance, signed the legislation, paper money bore the words beginning in 1957. He had also signed legislation making “In God We Trust” our National Motto.
Another daughter, Hope Rothert Taft, said, about her father’s story "I use it as an encouragement to let people know that they can make a difference. It doesn't matter where they come from or what size of a family, or whether they're well-known or not. They can make a difference, like my father did."
Matthew Rothert Jr., according to The Christian Post, “believes if his father were alive today to speak to Americans on the 250th anniversary of their independence, he would unabashedly remind them to gratefully live out the national motto he championed.” He’s quoted as saying, “Personally, I think that my dad would be outspoken about serving the Lord and realizing that all we have comes from Him, regardless of what the people against him would say…”
Thanks to these two gentlemen, we can see that motto, “In God We Trust,” on our money. Now, if we could only somehow have a reminder regarding digital transactions and cryptocurrency! This is noteworthy in that you have those who would want to use money as more than merely an method of purchasing and monetary exchange, but to stimulate government overreach by instituting an identification component to track behavior, a digital ID and commerce system controlled by a powerful central bank. That would be a forced surrendering of rights, which are granted by God.
But, the central question has to do with our individual and collective trust in God. Certainly the way we spend our money is a reflection of our trust in God - we show we trust Him by being good stewards of what He has entrusted to us. So, it’s appropriate to have that motto on coins and currency. But, there’s a deeper meaning: we have to evaluate the degree to which each of us individually really, really reflects a deep-seated trust in God - do we really depend on Him or on ourselves? What does it really look like to trust in God?
In an age in which many are turning to godless socialism as a means of governance, this season of celebration can provide an opportunity to champion the Biblically-based, Constitutional principles upon which our nation was founded and built. As a nation, there has been an emphasis throughout the years of reliance on Him. But, there have also been those that would steer us in a different, more secular direction and reject these valuable, vital principles. Our hope has been, and continues to be, in the strength and wisdom of Almighty God!