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The national motto of the United States of America, as we all know, is “In God We Trust.”  Emblazoned on every coin and note of currency, carved into the marble of government offices, it is so much a part of our everyday lives that the words seem to have lost their original meaning.  When was the last time you or I took a penny from your pocket and gave any thought to those words rounding the coin’s edge?  Probably, it’s been a long time.  What does it mean to trust in God as Americans? This thought lingers with me on this, our country’s Independence Day.

The weakened meaning of the words “In God We Trust” have, in fact, been their saving grace more than once. When lawsuits have come before our high courts, arguing the national motto violates the Constitutional separation of church and state, judges have dismissed the claims, arguing the words are solely “ceremonial” and have lost their meaning through “rote repetition.”

This concerns me. As a person who has committed his life to God, I worry that such bold and simple words in praise of God are permissible in the public sphere only because our government assumes that nobody really believes them.

The motto “In God We Trust” was first seen in the wake of the Civil War, when the nation was at its most fragile.  To the men and women of the 1860s, this message was very important.  Wracked by violence that tore apart families and devastated our landscape, people looked to God for solace.  To them, the words had great meaning.

Most recently, our nation sought spiritual guidance amid turmoil following the September 11 attacks.  A picture in my office in Manchester shows a steel girder and crossbeam still erect following the collapse of the towers: a cross of mangled metal that reminds us that God is still there even in our darkest hours.  There too, when we seemed to have lost so much, this simple phrase may offer comfort.

Whether we seek Him out or not, God is present in our lives.  There is nothing “ceremonial” about rising every day and knowing that, even when faced with doubt and uncertainly, He is always there.

On this 4th of July, I plan to take a moment away from the parade and the barbeque, pick up a coin and read the words “In God We Trust.”  I encourage you to plan to do the same, with your family if you are able.  Please think about these words on our nation’s Independence Day, and how they play a role in your own life.  God loves America and all people in all nations – we are all his children.  And it is into His hands that we entrust our spirit, our very lives!