As this is written, the American and global economies are in crisis. Far too many Christians are shaken, alarmed, and worried about their future. Christians are turning to financial experts, to news reports, to non-Christians for reassurance and hope. These reactions are revealing; a child of God should never worry (Mt 6:31), needing simply to turn to the Father for their needs. If Christians aren't able to trust their Father, do they really know Him at all?

I was blessed with the best of earthly fathers. As a child, I never once worried if my dad could put meals on the table or lovingly lead our family. This childlike trust in an earthly father is but a shadow of the absolute trust we Christians must constantly have in our heavenly Father. If we cannot trust God the Father in a money crisis, what kind of relationship will we have with Him in a more serious crisis, such as our approaching death?

Being a child of God and follower of Jesus means we put our lives and our needs in God's hands. We renounce all our possessions, including our bank account (Lk 14:33). We can't give our loyalty to both God and money (Mt 6:24). The desire for money is a trap (1 Tm 6:9) that can lead to idolatry (Col 3:5).

In America, our money is engraved with the words: "In God we trust." American money says it trusts in God. Will America's Christians trust God?

Rescript:  †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 8, 2010

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